Cardiff seeks investment to promote the Welsh capital

Cardiff & Co, the marketing company established by Cardiff County Council, is seeking public and private sector stakeholder investment to help promote the city.

Cardiff & Co, the marketing company established by Cardiff County Council, is seeking public and private sector stakeholder investment to help promote the city.

It wants organisations from a raft of sectors to become members of the company and pay an annual fee, in order to raise funds to market the city nationally and internationally.

The city is midway through an ambitious redevelopment programme, with plans for an Olympic-standard whitewater canoe site, which could be used for London 2012 events.

It says failure to attract investment by September of this year will prejudice Cardiff’s opportunities and could lead to reduced visitor numbers next year and beyond. It is thought that tourism numbers to the city could drop as a result of Wembley Stadium reopening. Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium was used for a raft of events while Wembley was being redeveloped.

The company has issued a tender through the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) asking for partner companies to apply. Membership will be offered at platinum, gold and silver levels at between £30,000 and £90,000 a year for a minimum of three years.

Sectors that Cardiff & Co are targeting for membership include transport, the creative industries, financial and business services, retail and higher education.

Members will be able to “influence and develop” the city’s marketing.

Cardiff & Co was established to develop leisure and business tourism to the city.