Cardiff will host next year’s Creative Cities Convention after the capital’s successful pitch beat Bristol and Glasgow to land one of the UK’s leading media conferences.
The news of Cardiff’s win comes only four days after the city submitted a separate bid to bring Channel 4’s new HQ to the city.
The Creative Cities Convention, which is a joint collaboration between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Pact (a trade body for independent TV producers) acts as a meeting place for people working in creative media across the UK.
Cardiff and the two other shortlisted cities, Bristol and Glasgow, had to deliver their pitches to delegates during the inaugural 2018 convention which took place in Leeds last month.
Cardiff Council Leader, Cllr Huw Thomas said:
“This is great news for Cardiff. At short notice, the Council and the city’s creative sector rallied together to deliver a pitch that showcased the amazing television and film content being produced here, underlining our status as a nationally-significant creative hub.
“It shows that the industry recognises Cardiff as a major player in this sector and we hope winning the Convention will give Channel 4 even more reason to look at the Welsh capital as an ideal home for their new HQ.”
Ruth Pitt, Director of Creative Cities Convention, commented:
“The whole Big City Challenge panel was really impressed with Cardiff’s bid. The enthusiasm and energy from the Cardiff team, combined with the fact that the bid is backed by the public sector, proved that the city is really dedicated to the cause and will make a brilliant host city for next years’ convention. The first Creative Cities Convention in Leeds was a huge success and kickstarted vital conversations about how we can make our industry more representative of the UK population. We can’t wait to carry on the conversation in Cardiff next year.”
Cardiff’s creative sector employs 15,000 people and contributes over £1 billion to the economy. As well as being home to some of the country’s biggest broadcasters, Cardiff also supports a strong independent scene that draws on a highly-skilled workforce supported by the city’s universities.
Cllr Thomas added:
“What really sets Cardiff apart is the unique collaborative spirit of the city’s diverse creative community, which fosters strong links between our education system and the industry. We want the Creative Cities Convention to unleash that spirit and we look forward to welcoming our media colleagues from across the UK so that we can share and listen to their achievements whilst showcasing the extraordinary broadcasting and production happening in Cardiff right now. Winning the pitch for the 2019 Convention is a huge vote of confidence in Cardiff’s creative sector, and gives us encouragement as we look to grow the industry, for example by bidding to be the new home of Channel 4. I’d like to place on record my thanks to all who helped make this happen.”
This year’s convention in Leeds was hosted by journalist and broadcaster Kirsty Wark and featured a range of top industry speakers including Channel 4 Chief Executive Alex Mahon.
The first Creative Cities Convention was held in Leeds on 25th and 26th April 2018. Backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Pact, the convention featured presentations from top industry figures including Sir Peter Bazalgette, Ben Frow, Alex Mahon and Charlotte Moore.
Dates for the 2019 convention will be announced in the autumn.
