Event

ANNUAL LUNCH 2018

27 March 2018

On 22 March 2018 we held our 114th Annual Lunch in the historic surroundings of the Guildhall. We extend our thanks to over 600 of our members and guests who joined us for this event and to JLL for kindly sponsoring the event.

As well as a significant proportion of the Square Mile’s property industry leaders, attendees included a host of senior City of London Corporation officials, including Catherine McGuinness, Chair of the Policy & Resources Committee, and Alastair Moss, Deputy Chairman of the Planning & Transportation Committee.

The proceedings started with a specially commissioned video on the importance of the City of London for the national economy; the video also highlighted the City’s unwavering appeal as a global destination for business, arts and leisure.

The newly elected CPA President, David Ainsworth, then delivered a speech, in which he reflected on the changing nature of the City of London and the challenges and opportunities facing London’s property sector in the coming years. David outlined the Association’s key priorities under his leadership, highlighting the ONECITY project – a joint initiative by the Corporation and the CPA to showcase the cultural and leisure activities to a new generation of City Workers.

He said: “The future is something to look forward to for this small, but mighty Square Mile of land.  No longer is the City an exclusive location for suited office work, but a true hub of leisure, a destination people want to be associated with for something other than work.”

“Global businesses choose the City as their home, employing many of the 483,000 workers that head to the Square Mile each day, helping produce 3% of the nation’s GVA and providing a wealth of highly skilled jobs. This has led to London maintaining its crown at the top of the Global Financial Centres Index, producing a vast 68 billion pound trade surplus, 74% of the UK’s total.”

“But, none of this would be possible without us, the creators of place. We are providing the workspace for the latest trends, technology and unicorn businesses – all of which help drive us towards a more modern and agile economy. The space we create is integral to the City and sets us apart from other global centres.”

This year’s guest speaker was John Pienaar – a distinguished journalist and broadcaster who has been at the heart of British political life for more than three decades, including a quarter of a century at the BBC, where he is currently the Deputy Political Editor.

John gave a refreshing perspective on the ongoing British political developments based on decades of journalistic experience at the highest levels.

CPA Vice-President Dan Scanlon closed proceedings by thanking members for attending and their continued support for the Association throughout the year.

Our ‘City as a Place for People’ research report, produced in collaboration with the City of London Corporation, was particularly popular with members, and can be accessed here.


View a copy of the Annual Lunch brochure


View photos of the event


View City of London Video