The meetings and events facilities at the Celtic Manor Resort have been renamed the Ian Edwards Conference Centre to celebrate the memory of the venue’s long-serving Chief Executive Officer, who passed away last month.
Ian was the conference centre manager when the Resort Hotel opened in 1999 and, after returning to Celtic Manor in 2008, he played a huge part in attracting and delivering a wide variety of successful events within the facilities that now bear his name.
The new name was officially announced at a Celebration of Ian Edwards event held at the conference centre, when more than 300 people heard tributes from family members and colleagues as well as video messages from First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan MS, and Celtic Manor Resort Chairman, Sir Terry Matthews.
A wall plaque dedicated to Ian’s memory was unveiled by Ian’s wife, Estelle Edwards, and Simon Gibson CBE, Director of the Celtic Manor Resort.
Mr Gibson said:
“From shaping team rooms for the competing golfers at the 2010 Ryder Cup to helping create the 2014 NATO Summit debating chamber, Ian oversaw some incredible event activity in this venue and it is entirely fitting that his name now welcomes guests to the Ian Edwards Conference Centre.
“This will be an excellent way for members of the team that he led with such distinction, as well as the guests and clients using the conference centre, to remember Ian and ensure that his legacy continues to burn bright in events staged at the Celtic Manor Resort.
“Ian was an inspirational business leader whose vision and dedication elevated the Celtic Manor Resort to global excellence. His impact reached far beyond his achievements with The Celtic Collection and ICC Wales and he leaves an indelible mark on the hospitality, tourism and events industries in the United Kingdom.”
With more than 40 years of industry experience, Ian was a driving force in growing the Celtic Manor Resort into one of Europe’s premier destinations for golf, leisure, business and high-profile events, and the recent expansion of The Celtic Collection into Wales’s largest independent hotel group.
The group said his work with ICC Wales further demonstrated his passion for boosting business tourism, creating a world-class venue that has brought in international conferences and events, providing lasting economic benefits for the region, Wales and the UK.
Comprising three storeys within the Resort Hotel, the Ian Edwards Conference Centre includes an Exhibition Hall, the Caernarfon Ballroom that can hold up to 1,200 people, and an additional 24 syndicate and meeting rooms with breakout areas. The facility has helped the Celtic Manor Resort be voted the UK’s Best Hotel at the Meetings & Incentive Travel Awards 10 times since 2010.
