Welsh National Opera’s partnership with Associated British Ports, the UK’s leading and largest ports group, has lasted for over 20 years. As one of the major driving forces in the regeneration of Cardiff Bay, ABP is committed to developing and promoting a flourishing community and business environment in South Wales, and views its long-running sponsorship of, and close relationship with Welsh National Opera as integral to this strategy.

Our established partnership actively engages employees and provides them with an exclusive insight into our work – including tickets to dress rehearsals, private performances at ABP’s offices, opportunities to participate in open workshops, community-outreach activities, as well as backstage tours of the Wales Millennium Centre and WNO’s technical department.

In recent years, ABP has been our spring season sponsor in Cardiff. As part of this partnership we have delivered exceptional bespoke events each year, helped to build their brand awareness and developed a close working relationship that allows us to work flexibly and respond to the needs of their business.

ABP’s commitment to Welsh National Opera was recently rewarded with an Arts, Business & Sustainability Award at the 2007 Arts & Business Cymru Awards. John Fitzgerald, former Port Director of ABP’s South Wales Ports, who accepted the award said:

"ABP’s partnership with WNO has been of enormous benefit to both of us and we are delighted that this award recognises that fact. Our support of WNO has helped them flourish as a world-class opera company while giving our employees and our customers a taste of the very best that modern opera has to offer, and it has been encouraging to see the increasing participation of our staff in these joint initiatives. It has long been said that classical music is good for the brain and for productivity; looking at our good performance, perhaps introducing live opera into our offices played a part in this."