Mundial Connections Presents
ATTENDEE INFORMATION
JOINING INSTRUCTIONS
We are delighted to welcome you to this year's prestigious Convention for leaders within
Financial Crime, AML, Financial Risk and Compliance
at the Celtic Manor Resort & Hotel.
Venue : Celtic Manor Resort & Hotel
Address: Coldra Wood, The Usk Valley, Chepstow Rd, Newport NP18 1HQ
Phone number: 01633 413000
Date: 18th, 19th of March
Day 1: Caneaforn Suite (start 10am - registration from 9am)
Day 2: Golf Club Augusta Suite (9.30 start finish 3.45pm)
TRAVEL
By Road
M4 exit at Junction 24 and follow signs to The Celtic Manor which is 1 min off the motorway.
There is ample parking available at the hotel (including electric vehicle charging
Postcode for satnav is NP18 1HQ.
GPS post code is NP18 2YA.
What3Words ///total.sage.gold
Full directions here https://www.celtic-manor.com/propeller/uploads/2023/02/Celtic-Manor-Resort-Get-Directions.pdf
By Train
Train Station - Newport South Wales connected directly to London Paddington on FGR Trains (10 min taxi to venue).
Lots of delegates are planning on catching the 07:48 from Paddington on the 18th and taxi sharing is recommended
There is a FGW Trains discount code below (for instance it’s just £42 return from Paddington even at peak time).
https://www.celtic-manor.com/home/meetings-events/great-western-rail-offer/
Plan and book your discounted journey with this link - Newport S Wales station is the destination .
Flying In
Bristol Airport Cardiff Airport Heathrow Airport
Taxi - 45 min Taxi - 45 minutes Taxi - 1hr 45 mins
CONVENTION
Registration
Registration will take place in the sunken lounge in the main Hotel lobby as you arrive. You will receive your badge and with that you can make your way down to the Caneaforn Suite where day one will take place.
Badges will be available from 9am but please ensure you arrive to be seated by 10am.
Dresscode
Daytime- Business
Evening- Business Casual
Chatham House Rules
The entire convention is under the Chatham House Rule. For clarity anyone who comes to the convention is free to use information from the discussion, but is not allowed to reveal who made any particular comment. This is designed to increase openness of discussion.
Seating
There is a seating plan for the main convention. You may have friends on other tables but there will be plenty of opportunities to network and catch up so please respect the seating plan as this will minimise stress for others whose seat you may have taken, and we hope that you will appreciate meeting some different people at the convention.
Film and photography
Photography is permitted and we welcome the sharing of pictures on platforms such as LinkedIn but please do not film any of the talks or discussions in accordance.
Evening Dinner with The Dark Money Files Live
Dress code: Business Casual
The Leaders’ Dinner will take place in The Caneaforn Suite. A networking drinks reception will take place beforehand - see agenda for timings
We hope this will be a relaxed and enjoyable affair with some great entertainment from Graham and Ray which is scheduled to start just after the main course.
Please email any dietary requirements to saranilsson@mundialconnections.com
Tailored Agenda
The full agenda is available on a separate document.
Later in the day the convention breaks off into different sections with a good mix of main stage talks, hosted round tables, drop in discussions and meetings.
VIPs have personalised agendas based on talking to you and the form you completed.
We have curated your time to the best of our ability based on your form and talking to you. Please respect this and find your way to where you need to be, and make sure you’re on time for round tables and meetings as hosts will be expecting you, and they have tight timelines themselves.
You will be given your tailored agenda a couple of days before the event.
Round Tables
Round Table discussions will take place in the adjacent room to the main convention room with the stage each day.
They will be hosted and moderated by somebody with sound knowledge in the sector but the idea is that it's an open discussion and workshop. You are not expected to be an expert yourself.
We welcome attendees sharing ideas, approaches they have had success with and challenges or problems, all of which will contribute to a discussion that everybody can gain a lot of knowledge from.
If you are booked into one of these please make sure you are there in time for the start. The table will be labelled.
Regulatory Informal Discussion ‘Drop in’ With Independent Experts
If you have an official round table or individual meeting on your agenda please make sure you attend those, but if you have a main stage talk on your agenda feel free to swap for a ‘drop in’.
These will be happening on two occasions on day 1, and again on day 2. You will find experts ready to discuss these topics with you and others who may have similar pain points or interest in regulatory subject matter (primarily covering but not exclusive to - Consumer Duty, Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, APP, Financial Services & Markets Act).
You do not need to be there from the beginning or stay to the end, just ‘drop in’ during the allotted time and join others also interested in knowing more or ask the resident experts on hand to assist with guidance on the matter.
Individual Meetings
For any individual meetings you have on your agenda, please head to the meeting point outside the main auditorium. Please ensure you are there for the start time.
These meetings are designed to talk through a specific topic of interest with somebody of significant knowledge and interest in the sector, or a meeting with a technology provider that can offer insight into an area of interest to you for benchmarking or upgrading your current tools.
Day 2 Location - Same resort / Different Conference Hall
We will be in a different location on day two but within the Celtic Manor Hotel Complex -The Augusta Suite in the Golf Club - there will be shuttle buses running every few minutes from 9am at the entrance door to drive you there or it’s a 10 min walk from the main hotel lobby.
There is a free car park at the Golf Club if you prefer to drive yourself there.
Day 2 - New Arrivals/Non Hotel Guest Attendees
Please make your way to the main hotel lobby to catch a shuttle bus which will be leaving 9-9.15 from the main hotel lobby to the Golf Club Augusta Suite, where one of the members from the FRC team will greet you anytime from 9am.
Alternatively make your own way directly to the Augusta Suite by car or on foot and if you arrive later than 9.20 to the main hotel reception the desk will be happy to call you a shuttle to take you to the Golf Club.
Food
There will be a morning and afternoon networking coffee and tea break on both days
A hot and cold buffet lunch will be provided on both days.
Evening dinner with wine and pre reception drink for all attendees. For guests with a hotel room, breakfast is included on the morning of the 19th March.
Dietary Reqs
If you have any food allergies or specific dietary requirements and have not submitted these to us please do so urgently to saranilsson@mundialconnections.com, or your requirements will not be able to be taken into account. The hard deadline for this is 8th March.
Technology Providers
Based on your feedback we understand that for some attendees there is a desire to stay up to date with the technology available to understand how it can assist with everyday challenges in their organisation.
We do not allow solution providers to present on stage at the convention or do side demos etc. We also feel it’s crucial to keep the integrity of the event audience by not flooding the event with sales reps.
For balance we have uncovered and handpicked a heavily vetted, small selection of solution providers serving key areas. With a view to bringing some of the most exciting and interesting alternatives to the status quo along.
We ensured that they sent a director level representative (with exceptional knowledge in their field who can add value to conversations) to assist attendees with their own specific needs and would be interested in finding out more about tech.
For the sake of privacy about your own organisation we have the option for private individual meetings with these providers.
If you’d like an introduction to, or a quick meeting to understand what they do
with any of the solution providers listed on our Solution Provider Guide please email saranilsson@mundialconnections.com (this would be more of a sit down in a relaxed setting with a coffee than a demo or anything like that).
End of Day 2
The convention finishes at 3.45pm in time to allow travel back around the country at a decent hour, but if guests would like to stay on and continue to use the hotel leisure facilities or work from a quiet corner the option is there to do so.
HOTEL & ACCOMMODATION
Check In
A pre group check in will be done before your stay. You will need to download the Celtic Manor app (see Digital Check In pdf).
You will then be able to download your hotel room key on your smartphone.
If you do not have a smartphone we can make arrangements for a physical key when you check in that afternoon.
Hotel rooms will be ready from 16.00 on 18th. Bags can be left at the concierge in the hotel lobby on arrival.
Add a Partner
During the convention there is an option to add a spouse/partner for £39 - if you’d like to bring them along to enjoy the hotel while you attend the convention then let Sara Nilsson know (saranilsson@mundialconnections.com) and we can upgrade the room from our end.
Stay on the Sunday Night
We are unable to accommodate guests through the convention package on Sunday night at the Celtic Manor. If you want to stay on Sunday night you will need to book yourself by calling the reservation line on 01633 413000. Rooms fluctuate in price every day, currently £248 at the time of writing and you would need to explain to them that you are part of the FRC Leaders’ Convention run by Mundial Connections. To have a room booked already for the 18th March, ask for the- ‘stay through’ (to keep the same room throughout).
We would suggest looking at alternative hotels in the area at options like Travelodge, Premier Inn or Holiday Inn which range from £30-£130 and there’s many other options in the area.
There is a 6 Nations Rugby match on, in nearby Cardiff on Sunday afternoon so please be aware of this when booking rooms in Cardiff.
Bristol is only 25-30 minutes from the venue which is another nice alternative for accommodation.
Hotel Facilities
In downtime you can take advantage of the exceptional facilities. As our valued guest, you're invited to explore and enjoy a range of amenities such as the pool, spa, bars and Championship golf course used for the Ryder Cup in 2010 (any extra costs must be covered by guests). celtic-manor.com has full details of the hotel facilities.
Extras
The room is paid for under the convention ticket however any extras (mini bar, spa treatments, bar drinks, parking) must be covered by the attendee and will not be covered by the event organiser.
Check Out
Morning of 19th pre start of the day.
Please ensure you have enough time for the shuttle buses from 9am to the Augusta Suite at the Golf Club House where day 2 takes place. Bags can be left with the concierge in the main hotel when you check out