The Circuit of Wales has revealed that the Extreme Sports Company is its new business partner in its plan to build a £425m Extreme Destination near Ebbw Vale.
The involvement of Extreme is significant because the Circuit of Wales still has to come to terms with the Welsh Government regarding financial guarantees. To date, the only confirmed event had been MotoGP (Grand Prix motorcycle racing). However, with Extreme onboard the additional extreme sport activties would both broaden the visitor base and open up huge potential online.
With this in mind although Extreme will not be funding any of the construction, it will contribute its brand and expertise in marketing. In particular, it will be leveraging its social platforms to develop the brand and attract more visitors.
An Extreme Destination
Extreme is run by a team of entrepreneurs, marketers and designers and its services include brand marketing, events, content creation and movie production. In addition they develops large scale sports and leisure real estate projects.
The company also run media platforms which together have an average monthly reach of over 100 million fans and over 50 million video views per month. These include The Extreme Sports Channel which launched into 68 countries around the world.
CEO Alistair Gosling founded Extreme in 1995. He said, “With the growth and interest we are seeing in our sector, it is fantastic to announce this world-leading 
Extreme Destination, combining a never before seen collection of sports, entertainment and leisure experiences.”
The Circuit of Wales estimates the project will create up to 6, 000 jobs in the region. Extreme expects the project to draw over 750, 000 visitors a year and become a significant player in the UK’s £4bn entertainment and leisure sector. It also says the Extreme Destination will contribute approximtely £50m a year to the Welsh economy.
Thi £425m, 336 hectare multi-purpose infrastructure project will be located in South Wales north of Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent. Highlights will be the state-of-the-art innovation zones and a world-class motorsport facility. In addition, Extreme Destination will include Indoor Skiing, a Virtual Reality (VR) Zone, a Surf Park, Mountain Bike Trails, a BMX Park, Trampolining and a Skatepark. Furthermore, the attraction will include space for live events and concerts. The resort will also feature two new hotels and a campsite.
Martin Whitaker, chief executive of the Circuit of Wales, said, “The circuit aims to provide much more than a racing facility. It will be a 365-day leisure and business destination.
The support we have received to date from the racing, automotive and investment communities emphasises the circuit’s long-term role in boosting tourism, creating jobs and diversifying the local economy”.
The Extreme Destination is backed by private banker Kleinwort Benson. The bank recently joined the Circuit of Wales project as advisors.
Images courtesy Extreme Sports Company.
