Guest of Honour: Councillor Phil Bale, Leader, Cardiff Council and Cabinet Member, Economic Development

This conference will be a timely opportunity to discuss the proposed Cardiff City Deal put forward by the Welsh Government and supported by the UK Government in Westminster. Delegates will assess priorities, challenges and opportunities for the economic competitiveness of the region with discussion expected on what projects would be funded by a City Deal to meet the aim of lifting the gross value added economic measure of the region by an additional 5%.

Councillor Phil Bale, Leader, Cardiff Council and Cabinet Member, Economic Development has agreed to deliver a keynote address.

The conference will bring together further senior policymakers with key stakeholder perspectives to also discuss the structures underpinning the new deal, including a role for business and issues of democratic accountability, next steps following the expected signing of the City Deal at the end of the Summer, as well as the practicalities of delivering key aims of the deal, particularly the South Wales Metro.

Debra Barber, Managing Director, Cardiff Airport; Professor Mark Barry, M&G Barry Consulting; Advisor, Transport for Wales; Professor of Practice in Connectivity, Cardiff University and Author, A Metro for Wales' Capital City Region - Connecting Cardiff, Newport and The Valleys and The Metro Impact Study; Professor Gillian Bristow, Dean of Research, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Cardiff University; Wayne Harvey, Senior Partner, Deloitte; Dr Adrian Healy, Research Associate, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University; Mike Leeson, Managing Director, Advertising, Golley Slater Cardiff; Professor Julie Lydon, Vice Chancellor, University of South Wales and Member, Cardiff Business Council; Councillor Frank McAveety, Chair, Glasgow City Region Cabinet and Leader, Glasgow City Council; Rachel White, Strategic Development Director for Europe, CH2M and a speaker from Newport City Council have also agreed to speak at this seminar.