Chair’s Foreword

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the fourth CPA Annual Dinner here at the Pan Pacific Hotel, now firmly established as one of the highlights of our calendar. This evening, we celebrate the City’s rich cultural heritage and the role culture continues to play in its future.

For centuries, the Square Mile has been a globally attractive place to work, invest and spend time. Today, it draws businesses from an increasingly diverse range of sectors, alongside investors, workers and visitors from across the world. Culture is an important part of that appeal – helping the City attract talent, bring life to the Square Mile beyond the working day and compete with other leading global cities.

The City of London Corporation has long recognised this value. As the UK’s fourth largest funder of culture, it is developing an ambitious new Cultural Strategy to strengthen the Square Mile as a global centre for both commerce and culture.

Nowhere is this commitment better demonstrated than through the imminent opening of London Museum at its new home in Smithfield. One of the most significant cultural regeneration projects in London, the museum is expected to attract up to two million visitors each year. Its opening comes at a pivotal time, with the City’s workforce having grown by 25% from the pre-pandemic level of 512,000 and projected to surpass 900,000 by 2050.

This evening, we are delighted to welcome Sharon Ament, Director of London Museum, as our keynote speaker. She will reflect on the decade-long transformation of the Victorian General Market into the world’s largest city museum and share her insight into the museum’s role as a landmark cultural destination for the Square Mile and the wider capital.

I hope you enjoy an evening of good conversation and company and thank you for your continued support of the CPA.

Nikki Dibley
CPA Chair
Senior Development Executive, Helical