There’s a new ‘master of the house’ at Llanelli’s No1 tourist attraction

Historic Plas Llanelly House, one of the jewels in Llanelli’s crown, has a new ‘head of the household’.
Paul Carter has taken on the new role of Commercial and Events Manager at Llanelli town centre’s premier tourist attraction.
He aims to make Llanelly House a major ‘destination venue’ for first class events and exhibitions and raise the profile of the historic property for weddings, top quality entertainment and great value quality food and drink.
Mr Carter, 50, said: “Llanelly House is very familiar to many in and around Llanelli, but for some it is still something of a hidden treasure.
“We’ll be creating a range of exciting new activities in Llanelly House to reach out to those who have yet to experience the delights of the house. We’ll be putting Llanelly House firmly on the map as a ‘go to’ venue attractive to one and all.
“Our historic doors are open with a welcome to all in West Wales (and beyond) and we look forward to working with the local community in developing new activities which will bring a new buzz to Llanelly House.
“This is a very exciting time for Llanelly House. The foundations have been laid for us with the magnificent restoration of the property. The challenge for my team here at Llanelly House is to build on those foundations and create a range of attractive activities which will increase visitor numbers.”
Mr Carter comes to Llanelly House with a wide range of experience in the leisure industry and the world of media, facilities, heritage, retail and event management.
After leaving college, he joined Trust House Forte management training programme at the Randolph Hotel in Oxford (a venue made famous by the TV series Morse).
After working at a number of venues with Trust House Forte, he moved to Dorset to run a hotel on the most expensive strip of land in the UK, the world famous Sandbanks.
Mr Carter later helped set up and run Brewers Quay in Weymouth, a large tourist shopping village and inter-active museum
His work on holiday parks brought him to Wales 16 years ago.
He was Operations Manager at the Gower Heritage Centre before joining the team at the South Wales Evening Post and its sister newspapers, the Llanelli Star and Carmarthen Journal.
He helped build a strong events programme for the newspaper group. Most recently, his work for the newspaper group has included working for associated teams in Cardiff, Devon and Cornwall.
Mr Carter added: “After 10 years of working for newspapers, I needed a new and exciting challenge, so I am delighted to have accepted the challenging position of Commercial and Events Manager at Llanelly House.
“I hope to bring a wide range of experience to bear on the new role and look forward to working with my colleagues at Llanelly House, the very valued volunteers who help at the House and the wider community of Llanelli and beyond.
“Llanelly House is a stunning building. It’s a place where history comes to life and we hope people see it as a place where they can make their own little bit of history – as a wedding venue, a birthday or anniversary party location or somewhere where you know your celebrations are going to be unique, set against the backdrop of the stunning architecture.”
Llanelly House trustee Alison Evans said the management board at Llanelly House were delighted to be welcoming Mr Carter to his new role.
She added: “We know we are operating in a very competitive environment, but our mission is to make Llanelly House a commercial success. Mr Carter will bring his extensive experience to bear on developing new projects and activities which will make sure Llanelly House thrives as it moves further into the 21st century.”

About Plas Llanelly House
The building, a candidate in the £6 million BBC Restoration programme final, has been open to the public since undergoing its restoration in 2013.
Built in 1714 for the 5th Baronet Sir Thomas Stepney, Plas Llanelly House has a colourful history reflecting the triumphs and tribulations of Llanelli’s history from the 18th century through to today.
The Grade 1-listed Plas Llanelly House is described as a Georgian ‘magical piece of history’ and is registered for marriages and civil partnerships.