Cannes business trip for City Deal

Representatives from the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal will fly out to a business conference in France to try and attract investment to south east Wales.

Caerphilly council’s leader and interim chief executive, David Poole and Christina Harrhy, will attend the Marche International des Professionals d’Immobilier (MIPIM) in Cannes in March.

They will be joined on the visit colleagues from Monmouthshire, Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend councils to showcase the £1.2 billion scheme.

More than 26,000 people, including potential investors, developers and journalists, are expected to attend what is billed as the ‘world’s premier real estate event’.

Cllr Poole said: “This presents a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the Cardiff Capital Region to a global audience at a renowned industry event.

“We must be proactive in the way we market and promote the region in order to attract the jobs and investment that will transform South East Wales in the future.”

The delegation will support the launch of an investment plan and industrial strategy for the City Deal at MIPIM.

In September, the City Deal’s regional cabinet agreed to fund £30,000 towards securing a stand at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, and to meet the costs of marketing materials and running fringe events.

Other regions in the UK including Leeds, Greater Manchester, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bristol and Bath have attended the event in recent years.