The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) Cymru has launched the first Rural Business Conference Cymru.
The event, which will be held at ICC Wales, Newport on Thursday 5 March 2026, will bring together landowners, farmers, rural entrepreneurs, policymakers, advisers, and supply chain partners to explore and discuss the key issues and opportunities facing the rural economy in Wales.
With the Senedd elections taking place shortly after the event, CLA Cymru – the voice of rural business across Wales – believes the conference will serve as a practical forum for engagement with politicians, ensuring the needs of the rural economy are clearly understood by any future decision makers.
Speakers confirmed for the event include:
- Helen Nelson, Director of Strategic Planning, Climate & Nature, Future Generations Commission
- Ian Williams, Deputy Director, Tourism Development, Welsh Government
- Rowland Rees Evans, Chair, Wales Tourism Alliance
- Geraint Thomas, Founder, Moody Meadows
- Francesca Pridding, Estate Manager, Bodorgan Estate
- Catherine Smith, Chair, Hybu Cig Cymru
- William Watkins, CEO of Radnor Hills
- Edward Morgan, ESG Manager, Castell Howell Foods
- Huw Thomas, Managing Director, Puffin Produce
Victoria Bond, CLA Cymru Director, said:
“Wales’s rural economy is dynamic, innovative, and vital to the nation’s prosperity – encompassing farming, food production, environmental stewardship, tourism, housing delivery, and access to digital connectivity and energy. This conference provides a vital forum to unlock that potential, bringing people together to share what works, identify barriers, and shape practical solutions at a pivotal moment for Wales.”
CLA Cymru said the event would be a timely forum ahead of the Senedd election, adding that it will “enable measured, informed dialogue that reflects the realities of rural land management and business in Wales” to help shape the priorities of the next Welsh Government.
It will offer a whole economy perspective, CLA Cymru said, with rural Wales underpinning food, energy, nature recovery, cultural heritage, and tourism. It said the sectors require a strategic approach and joined up thinking across policy, planning, infrastructure and skills, to enable success.
As businesses adapt to climate goals, biodiversity targets, and shifting consumer demands, the conference focuses on pathways that deliver economic viability, environmental outcomes, and social value, CLA Cymru added.
The Rural Business Conference is open to members and non-members of the CLA. An early bird ticket rate is available for purchases made before Friday 31 January: £60+VAT for members and £80+VAT for non-members. After this date, tickets will cost £75+VAT and £95+VAT for members and non-members respectively.
Tickets are on sale now from www.cla.org.uk or by contacting Sarah John: sarah.john@cla.org.uk / 07817128277
