Six final-year Tourism and Events students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) have successfully organised and hosted a record-breaking Future You Wales conference at Swansea Building Society Arena.
The event, delivered in partnership with the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT), saw 670 registered conference delegates attend alongside industry stands in a busy careers expo, offering students and visitors the opportunity to connect with leading professionals from across the tourism, hospitality, and events sectors.
The conference was organised by Level 6 Tourism & Events students Carys Davies, Charlie Macdonald, Elijah Thomas, Nia Moores, Simon Canby, and Wiktoria Kuciarska, who led the planning and delivery of the large-scale event as part of their studies.
The programme featured a line-up of UWTSD Tourism and Events alumni speakers, now working across the global tourism and hospitality industries. Speakers included Craig Jarrett, Vice President of Operations at Sodexo Live!; Kevin Hughes, Director of Operations at National Trust Historic House Hotels; Ethan Scriven from ABTA; and Mel Bourke, Business Development Manager at Swansea.com Stadium.
Additional speakers included Sinead Edwards from Gwent Police, Lauren Fulford-Andrews, Founder of Mam-Me Tours and James Morgan, Creative Learning Producer at Swansea Building Society Arena.
Presenters included Claire Steiner from the ITT Board, representing Wales’ only Tourism Centre of Excellence; James Hayward of Celtic Collections and Vice Chair of the Institute of Hospitality; and Sarah‑Jane Roberts, Head of Talent at Au Vodka.
Current UWTSD students also shared their experiences of entering the industry, including Arwen Garland, winner of Wales Young Waiter 2025, and Sophia Rabaiotti, who spoke about her placement working in shore excursions on board Celebrity Cruises.
Jacqui Jones, Programme Director, praised the students for their dedication in delivering such a large-scale event, saying:
“This was an incredible achievement by our Level 6 Tourism and Events students. Organising a conference of this scale, with hundreds of delegates and dozens of industry partners, requires exceptional teamwork, organisation, and professionalism. They demonstrated exactly the type of skills that employers are looking for in the tourism, hospitality, and events industries.
“With record attendance and strong industry engagement, Future You Wales 2026 has set a new benchmark for the conference, leaving a high standard for the next event in 2027 to follow.”
Student organiser Nia Moores said:
“Being part of the team organising Future You Wales 2026 has been an incredible experience. Planning an event of this scale at Swansea Building Society Arena and welcoming hundreds of delegates from across the tourism, hospitality and events industries was both challenging and extremely rewarding.
“It was amazing to see so many students engaging with industry professionals and gaining valuable insights into potential career paths. Working alongside my fellow students and with the support of Institute of Travel and Tourism and the university team has helped us develop real-world skills that will be invaluable as we begin our careers in the industry.
“Seeing the conference come together on the day and knowing we had helped create opportunities for other students made all the hard work worthwhile.”
The event also featured a careers expo with 55 organisations showcasing opportunities within the sector. Students from across the university supported the conference, including Gastronomy students who prepared traditional Welsh cakes for delegates.
A wide range of university departments collaborated with the event team to ensure its success, including marketing, communications, alumni, careers, digital engagement, and facilities teams. Students from hospitality and tourism programmes also assisted with event delivery, while entertainment was provided with support from the UWTSD community.
The conference was supported by industry partners including Institute of Hospitality and ABTA, alongside sponsors such as Castell Howell and numerous exhibitors from across the tourism and hospitality sector.
UWTSD’s partnership with ATG Entertainment also provides students with hands-on events experience during their studies at the Swansea Building Society Arena. Special thanks were extended to Arena Conference Manager and UWTSD alumnus Michaela Sargent along with the arena’s technical team, for working closely with students to help deliver the event.
