In the second instalment of a new series of blog articles called #MWTBehindTheScenes, our MWT Chief Exec Val Hawkins gives a run-down about some of the work we've been doing recently to represent and lobby for your best interests.

Wales Tourism Week

We’ll pick up where we left off in May, when Val represented Mid Wales at the Senedd in Cardiff at the launch event for Wales Tourism Week, and also attended the reception in Westminster. The WTA, along with its partners including MWT promoted the value of partnership and raise awareness of the industry’s importance to the Welsh economy. (Read all about WTW in this article from the Wales Tourism Alliance).

During May we also met with Powys County Council in Llandrindod Wells to discuss tourism in the county and we held our Mid Wales Tourism Board Meeting at our offices in Machynlleth; thanks to all our board members who give up their time and expertise voluntarily to support MWT and the tourism industry in Mid Wales.

A special thanks to Jonathan Jones CBE for giving up his time to attend our May board meeting. For those that don't know Jo, he joined the Wales Tourist Board in 1973 and in appointed the Chief Executive of the WTB in 1999. In 2006 WTB was taken into the Welsh Assembly and became ‘Visit Wales’ as we know it today. Retiring in 2013, he shares his experience, knowledge and passion for Welsh tourism and today he is a special advisor for the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism; the capacity in which he attended our MWT board meeting. See image below.

​Into June, Val attended the Gwynedd Destination Partnership Meeting and a Tourism Ambassadors for Wales meeting in Llandudno – a showcase event to look at how ambassador schemes have been implemented in different areas of Wales.

In July, Val represented MWT at:
·         The Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.
·         A Cross Party Group meeting in Cardiff where Jason Thomas, Director for Culture, Tourism and Sport for Welsh Government presented an overview of Visit Wales’ action plan for tourism. We also met with the Visit Wales marketing team at Treforest.
·         A meeting with North Wales Tourism to discuss the current North & Mid Wales Business Events project and more.
·         A presentation to the Visit Wales Quality Assessment team regarding business engagement.
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We hope this gives you a flavour of some of the work we do that you don’t necessarily get to hear about - we’ll endeavour to keep you up to date. If you have any questions about our representational role, please contact val@mwtcymru.co.uk

Mid Wales’ talented songwriters and musicians are being invited to submit their original songs and music which could be used as the soundtrack for a new integrated marketing campaign promoting the region as a modern visitor destination.

MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and South Gwynedd, wants songs and music submitted online at www.mwtcymru.co.uk/mymusic

The chosen song or music will be used in the #RealMidWales campaign, which aims to attract more ‘millennials’ - 27-40-year-olds – living within three to four hours travelling time of the region.
Focused on raising awareness of Mid Wales and changing outdated perceptions, the campaign will include targeted Sky TV advertising.
“The songs and music must be the songwriter’s or musician’s own original work and they must give permission for it to be used on multiple channels as part of the campaign,” said Zoe Hawkins, MWT Cymru’s digital projects and operations manager.

“We only want submissions from Mid Wales based songwriters and musicians because that’s a key part of the #RealMidWales campaign.

“The chosen work will be used to promote Mid Wales and the artist will be credited with links to their chosen platforms.

“This will be a great opportunity for a Mid Wales artist or band to get their music heard. The first campaign will be run in Bristol/Hereford and will be backed up with a social media advertising campaign.

“We know we have some fantastic talent in Mid Wales, so we’re really looking forward to giving a local artist/band the opportunity for their music to be heard by a wider audience whilst also helping to promote Mid Wales as the modern and vibrant destination that it is.”

The #RealMidWales campaign will include social media, user generated content, digital advertising, a new mixed media destination guide, next generation workshops and publicity.

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

For more information about the campaign, contact Zoe Hawkins at MWT Cymru, which is based in Machynlleth, on Tel: 01654 702653 or email zoe@mwtcymru.co.uk.