Gareth Bale appointed new Cardiff Conference Ambassador at Wales Week London event

Tuesday, 4 March 2025

Welsh football superstar Gareth Bale has a new title to add to the five UEFA Champions Leagues he won playing for Real Madrid.

The former Wales captain was appointed as a new Cardiff Conference Ambassador due to his investment in Cardiff’s leisure & tourism sector, through his co-ownership of Elevens Bar & Grill and Par 59.

He accepted the accolade at a special Wales Week London event called ‘Game Plan Cardiff – Scoring big on investment and growth’ that was organised by Cardiff Council’s Invest in Cardiff and Meet in Cardiff teams.

Cardiff Council Leader Huw Thomas and Gareth Bale.

The event showcased the emerging investment opportunities in Cardiff up until the UEFA Euro 2028 tournament, and how levels of investment could be positively influenced by the growth trends in the city’s population, as well as in key sectors such as financial services.

The guestlist boasted an audience of potential investors, influencers, and current city Ambassadors. Alongside Gareth Bale, featured speakers at the event included Cardiff Council Leader Huw Thomas, Cardiff Council Head of Economic Development Ken Poole MBE, Chief Executive of Rightacres Paul McCarthy, Centre Director at St David’s Cardiff (Landsec) Helen Morgan, and Founder and Managing Director of DEPOT Nick Saunders, all compered by the former BBC Breakfast presenter Sian Lloyd.

Speaking about his new role as a Cardiff Conference Ambassador Gareth Bale said: “Cardiff is an international city with many strengths and a supportive business community, helping to make my personal experience of investing nothing but positive.

“I am delighted to be joining business leaders and leading academics to attract recognition for Cardiff as a great place to do business. Working together will always give us a better chance to succeed, and I am excited about what the future has in store for Cardiff.”

Cardiff Council Leader, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: “Conferences and business events already bring thousands of visitors to Cardiff every year. Our ambassador programme is all about attracting even more of these events to the city, so they can make an even greater contribution to the city’s economy.

“We’re delighted to welcome Gareth on board. His positive experiences of investing in Cardiff are proof that Cardiff is well and truly open for business, and the major infrastructure projects being brought forward here, such as the new indoor arena and the new tram link between the city centre and Cardiff Bay, will only offer more opportunities for growth.”

Dan Langford, co-founder and Chair of Wales Week London said: “Game Plan Cardiff was a superb event; one that showcased our capital city in the very best way possible. People were hugely impressed by the quality of the presentations made, and the vision presented of Cardiff for the next few years.

“As someone who lives and works in Cardiff, I was so proud of how my city was presented, and what progress looks like for the years ahead. It was certainly one of the most impressive occasions I have witnessed so far during this year’s Wales Week London, for which there are over 130 different activities and events. Many thanks to the Cardiff team for telling our story in such a compelling way, especially to a global London audience.”

The Cardiff Conference Ambassador programme is run by the Meet in Cardiff team in Cardiff Council.

Invest in Cardiff is a business support organisation dedicated to helping companies establish and grow their operations in the city. To find out more about the work of the Invest in Cardiff team.