Each year, Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) can be seen at flagship events in Wales, in the UK and internationally. 2026 was no different, but as an organisation, we decided to be a little bolder and make sure that our first two events of the year not only showcased what the region is all about, but it left a feeling of connection, of belonging, of wanting to know more about what we do, for all who attended.
Wales Week London
We started the year with our Wales Week London presence. This was about bringing the brilliance of South East Wales to the big smoke and alongside our other Welsh compatriots, shine the spotlight on our incredible culture, heritage and innovation.
Wales Week was packed for us, we hosted not one, but three events across two days, bringing together investors, partners, business leaders, sectors ranging from telecoms to developers to wealth funds.
Our Showcase Dinner welcomed 72 guests to Kitty Hawk, which provided guests with an amazing view of Trafalgar Square and beyond. It was an evening of discussion, networking and regional insight. Speakers included:
- The Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP, Secretary of State for Wales
- Kevin Gardiner, Chair of CCR’s Regional Growth Board
- Cllr Anthony Hunt, Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council
It didn’t stop there, our Property & Infrastructure Roundtable, which took place at the historic Surveyors House, home to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), saw a focused, insightful and forward-looking session with 22 leaders and stakeholders with shared expertise covering topics including the market and development outlook for Cardiff Capital Region, innovation in investment and growth, as well as the barriers and opportunities for new delivery models.
Finally, we rounded Wales Week London off with a Parliamentary Reception sponsored by Gerald Jones MP. The event was centred on our region’s Investment Zone, which is backed by £160 million from the UK Government to accelerate growth across digital, green industries, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, creative sectors and the AI Growth Zone. We had more than 65 guests join us, alongside MPs from the region and beyond.
We were also delighted to have Kanishka Narayan MP, Minister for AI and Online Security announce the launch of our skills competition in partnership with Tramshed Tech. The competition forms part of the Venture into Innovation programme, where early career professionals will have 10-weeks to identify an organisational issue and use innovative solutions, including AI, to solve that issue.
The event saw our sponsor Gerald Jones MP and Anna McMorrin MP, Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State for Wales share their own pride of Wales and the region, as part of the event. We rounded the reception off with a panel discussion which explored the impact of an innovation ecosystem, which the Investment Zone will be central to delivering for the region. The panel included Louise Harris MBE, Tramshed Tech, Michael Groves, Welsh Government and Sam Evans, Vishay Newport.
MIPIM
Within two-weeks of the Wales Week London success, CCR headed off to Cannes and the global urban festival, MIPIM, to showcase what our region has to offer in terms of property and infrastructure investment.
This year, we launched a brand-new investment prospectus to at MIPIM, which included 18 flagship developments across our region including Porthcawl Waterfront, Caerphilly 2035, Cardiff Quay, Aberthaw and other residential opportunities, leveraging around £4bn in investment. It was a glimpse into what’s possible across our local authorities, but we were also able to celebrate the successes of those developments already in progress including Atlantic Wharf.
Across the week, conversations and connections on the Croisette, with more 250 people from the USA, Italy, Canada, France, Singapore visiting the stand and understanding what Cardiff Capital Region is all about.
MIPIM has been an integral event for CCR over the years and continues to be a platform, where as an organisation, we can spotlight projects that will not only ensure inclusive growth for the region but also provide places to live and work for our residents, where they can be proud to call home.
We hosted a joint afternoon reception with Belfast City Council, who were our Croisette neighbours, and it was great to bring our two city regions together. It was a chance to celebrate our role as devolved nations, delivering on investment and how we continue as trusted partners, as well as the ability to share best practice between the Irish Sea.
It was great to be included as part of the UK Hub stage, as well as it on panels throughout the week, bringing insight and expertise from our region’s perspective.
Overall, MIPIM 2026 was a fantastic success and giving CCR a platform to build on this year as part of our wider events programme.
CCR@Events in 2026 is delivered through the support of our Invest Partners, including Invest in Cardiff, HLM Architects, Goldbeck, Cardiff University, Savills, AIS Utilities, Urbanists, who, over the course of this year will be part of the programme.
