London & Partners

What a week! Not only did we launch the London Growth Plan, but last week saw London & Partner’s annual Staff Conference Day & Staff Festival Week?? Our Staff Conference is a day for colleagues to get together to celebrate the year passed, and look forward to the year ahead. All the while enjoying reuniting in person with our global markets teams, who were hosted by our wonderful partners at Park Plaza Waterloo. It was a packed event, filled with insightful sessions, laughter & connection. Here are our highlights: ? Our partners Convene hosted us at 155 Bishopsgate, the perfect fit for our event?with delicious food to boot! ? London & Partners CEO Laura Citron OBE kicked off the day with reflections on our achievements in 2024 and set the scene for our 2025 ambitions. ? Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth and London & Partner’s Chair of the Board, joined us at his first Staff Conference Day for a fireside chat, hosted by Ellie Higson. ? We welcomed business founders and collaborative partners we’ve worked with across the company to speak on three fantastic panels about inclusive companies working with London’s communities, Placemaking & Frontier Innovation. A huge thank you to our guest speakers, Waleed Ahmed, Sadia Ramzan & Kimberly Malone Crossley. To Mark Williams & Jace Tyrrell. To Dominique Kleyn & Esra Demir. And to our hosts, Andrew Tibbitts, Angela Kukula, Simon McCaugherty & Vanesa Perez Sanchez. ? Colleagues enjoyed London & Partner’s rendition of Taskmaster, with Howard Dawber as our very own Greg Davies, and an energetic ‘Where’s Laura’ clues race, where staff got together in teams to decipher where CEO Laura Citron OBE was hiding in the local area. The day ended with a Q&A session with our Management Committee, and staff leaving reinvigorated and connected with both each other and the company mission and values. Thank you to the project team who made this all possible, and to our fabulous emcees, Lasya Rao & Guillermo Huertas Guillen. Until next year!

Tomorrow Will Remember This Day ??? ? During an electric event held last week, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan & Chair Claire Holland of London Councils?launched the London Growth Plan & debuted "Tomorrow Will Remember This Day"?by Theresa Lola, the 2019 Young People's Laureate for London. ? The poem encapsulates everything our capital is, all it aspires to be, and perfectly set the scene as we brought together key stakeholders from across London's sectors to celebrate the launch. Watch it below ?? ? The London Growth Plan is a bold new plan to turbocharge economic growth and increase prosperity across the capital.?As London's growth agency, London & Partners is excited to be at the heart of delivering the Plan. Read the London Growth Plan here ?? https://growthplan.london/ ? #LondonIsOpen ? Mayor of London, Imperial College London, Howard Dawber, Laura Citron OBE

?? Today we’re delighted to launch the London Growth Plan! We’ve worked to support the Mayor of London & London Councils development of this bold new strategy, and today hosted an electric launch event at Imperial College London. Attendees were introduced to the key tenets of the London Growth Plan in inspiring talks by: ? Prof. Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London ? Alex Norris, MP & Minister for Growth and Building Safety ? Councillor Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils ? Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan In collaboration with businesses, trade unions, and London’s communities - the London Growth Plan sets out a blueprint to kickstart the capital’s productivity. Hearing at the event from key stakeholders across the city, we are excited to work with our community to implement these plans. “This is a huge moment for our city: a shared vision, a clear plan, and now the momentum to make it happen. As the capital’s growth agency, we’ll be working closely with investors, entrepreneurs, partners, and places across the city to drive growth for London and Londoners – attracting investment, scaling our businesses, bringing in visitors and world-class events, while telling London’s story brilliantly. Our city is built on reinvention, and this is our next big chapter.” Laura Citron OBE, CEO of London & Partners It was wonderful to have our small business community represented at the event, with juices by Petit Village and catering by 35Nine, two of our Grow London Local companies. We welcomed musicians, Alex Hall & Modupe Obasola, and a beautiful spoken word poem about our capital by Theresa Lola. Find the full press release here ?? https://bit.ly/3QD9EIH ? Read the London Growth Plan here ?? https://growthplan.london/ #LondonIsOpen Howard Dawber, Claire Holland, Laura Citron OBE, Hugh Brady, Michael Spence, John Dickie, Karim Fatehi OBE, Laura Timm.

Introducing the London Growth Plan ?? ? We're thrilled to have played a key role supporting the Mayor of London & London Councils development of this bold new strategy. ? Unveiled today at Imperial College London, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This growth plan provides a golden opportunity to turbocharge growth and unlock London's full potential - for the benefit of all Londoners and the whole country.” ? In collaboration with businesses, trade unions and London’s communities - the London Growth Plan sets out a blueprint to kickstart the capital’s productivity. ? Read the full plan ?? https://growthplan.london/ #LondonIsOpen Howard Dawber, Claire Holland, Laura Citron OBE, Hugh Brady, Michael Spence, John Dickie, Karim Fatehi OBE, Laura Timm.

London has been named the world's most popular destination! ?? ?? ? Our CEO Laura Citron OBE collected the award on behalf of our capital, as voted by Tripadvisor's travellers. ? Check out her post below for just some of the things happening in #London in 2025 that we are excited for ??

Wishing you Season's Greetings from #London! ????? Are you looking for festive activities in the capital this month? Look no further! Our Visit London team have collated a cohesive list of 101 things to do in London this Christmas. Check them all out here ?? https://bit.ly/4gyLVV5 What’s your favourite thing to do in London over the festive period? Put your answer in the comments section below!

This holiday season, skip the high street and discover some truly unique gifts from small businesses our Grow London Local service have supported to flourish in the capital this year. ?? ?? Whether it’s sustainable beauty, crocheted plushies or showstopper jewellery, there’s something for everyone. Use this guide to #SupportLocal and make your Christmas gifting more personal, meaningful and extra special. ? Here’s just a flavour: The Urban Vintage Affair?– If you’re looking for a gift with charm, character and a touch of nostalgia, then this is the business for you. Natasha Francis?, aka The Urban Vintage Lady, has?tracked down one-of-a-kind finds that make unforgettable presents. Glaze Me Pretty – Transform someone’s home with these vibrant, hand-painted ceramics lovingly made by Raquel A. in her garden studio in South West London. From striking mugs to charming vases and seasonal pieces, they’re sure to bring some joy and a pop of colour. ?? Mouse & Grape?- Cheese and wine enthusiast? Look no further. Born from Jessica Summer’s?love affair with perfectly paired flavours, these luxurious hampers and tasting events are sure to bring a smile to any foodie this Christmas.????? The Sewyeah Social Club – Lifelong crafter christine leech?inspires creativity with her vibrant selection of craft kits and workshops. From embroidery to paper crafts, these kits are perfect for crafters of all levels and make wonderful gifts that that spark joy and imagination. ?? Blackmarket?– Make sustainability a part of everyday life with their innovative, eco-friendly refillable liquid handwash. With waterless refills that reduce carbon emissions and plastic packaging, their products offer a sustainable way to care for the planet – and your hands.??? Explore the full Grow London Local Gift Guide via the link below for more unique gifts from small businesses we’ve proudly supported. https://lnkd.in/emxdqmCG

Our London Convention Bureau team quite literally brought a taste of London to Barcelona for this year’s IBTM World! ???? Over a packed three days, the team represented #London as the World Class city it is through: ? Holding 141 appointments. ? Meeting buyers from 46 countries who were keen to discuss opportunities. ? Holding a whopping 18 presentations. With all the buzz of the stand, we generated over 600 potential leads from international buyers who were interested in holding their event in London. Tate Galleries added an extra special touch by providing their very own tea and coffee for the London stand, roasted on-site as part of a sustainable CSR project empowering women in local coffee-growing communities. Transitioning to the afternoon by hosting a gin and tonic reception for potential clients, featuring their own blend of organic gin! Head of Europe, London & Partners and President of City DNA, Barbara Jamison-Woods, was also invited to speak on a panel at IBTM World, alongside the CEO of ICCA, Senthil Gopinath, to discuss collaboration and advocacy within our industry. The CVB team also attended various evening networking events, including a dinner at Soho House & Co Barcelona in collaboration with our partners: ? The Ned & Ned's Club London ? Pan Pacific London ? 2B UK DMC …and London & Partners’ good friends, Convene and etc.venues & Lore Group, where we were treated to some of the best British hospitality has to offer!?We also attended events with UK destinations partners MeetEngland and Excel London. A massive thank you to Barbara Jamison-Woods, Tracy Halliwell MBE, Fiona Plumpton, Joshua Novick, Suzanne Singleton, Diogo Castro, Chloe Bailey, Luke Roberts, Emily Bell and Qadar Arif for promoting London and our exhibiting partners.

Did you hear? London placed top in Resonance’s World’s Best Cities Report for the 10th year in a row! ?? To celebrate, on Wednesday we held a press conference with Resonance at the Tate Modern, with speeches from Resonance President & CEO Chris Fair, and our own CEO, Laura Citron OBE. The Best Cities data, powered by a partnership with Ipsos, is lauded as one of the world's most thorough annual city rankings. Resonance ranks the world’s 100 top-performing cities across 28 key factors, summarised in the three lead metrics: lovability, prosperity and livability. London ranked: ?? Top in Lovability ?? Second in Prosperity ?? Third in Livability 7?? Taking the top spot in 7 of the 28 categories! ?? “London continues to set the bar for what a truly great city should be. Our iconic attractions, world-class financial sector, and fast-growing tech industry are proof of our city’s strength. But it’s the diversity of our people and ideas that drives the innovation, opportunities, and progress that shape our future. No city embodies this quite like London.” Laura Citron OBE Download the full 2025 World's Best Cities Report here: WorldsBestCities.com

In case you missed it, Paddington Bear is now Visit London's first official Welcome Ambassador! ?? At London & Partners, we try to embody the value of inclusivity in everything that we do. London is a city with over 250 nationalities, where more than 270 languages are spoken, so Paddington, an ever-friendly and warm bear from Peru who finds his home here, is the perfect fit as our first ever Welcome Ambassador. ‘Mrs Brown says that in London everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in.’ Last week we launched the partnership by unveiling a celebratory mural on South Bank ahead of the release of the third Paddington film, 'Paddington in Peru'. Paddington’s new title was accepted by none other than the voice of Paddington himself, actor Ben Whishaw. The striking mural was created by Peruvian artist Gisella Stapleton, whose art draws on Latin American folklore and popular art. 'Paddington in Peru' will be in cinemas on Friday 8 November, and the mural will be up outside Waterloo station, ready to greet locals and visitors to London, until the end of January. ?? A HUGE thank you to everyone who supported and partnered with us on this announcement, including the teams at STUDIOCANAL, South Bank Employers Group (SBEG), Global Street Art, PREMIER and Network Rail, who helped to create a magical artwork and an unforgettable unveiling!