Edwina Hart, Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
This statement gives an update on my visit to Los Angeles from 28th February to 2nd March to promote Wales and its creative industries.
On St David’s Day, I attended the ceremony to unveil a new star for Richard Burton on Hollywood Boulevard. This key event for the Welsh creative sector attracted worldwide news coverage.
Afterwards I spoke at a reception hosted by the Welsh Government and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The reception was attended by around 130 people, including key figures from US film and TV companies, Welsh actors, and members of the Welsh Diaspora.
The ceremony and reception provided an excellent opportunity to showcase Welsh creative talent on the international stage and to raise the profile of Wales within the US entertainment industry.
Taking advantage of the gathering of executives from major US creative industries, we met with over 30 businesses and individuals from the creative and digital sector, both at a private business dinner and at a series of scheduled business meetings with key TV, film and digital media companies.
The business dinner and meetings successfully promoted Wales as a key territory for inward investment, due to its legacy of producing creative talent, its convenient location within the UK, stunning scenery for film productions, and the incentives offered by the Welsh Government.