We begin the campaign with a focus on Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank, who outlines what members can look forward to during the coming year, as well as how she intends to spend her spare time away from the office.
Work Next month I will have been at Walpole for two years so, as I go into my third, my priority is to push even harder to get British luxury the recognition it deserves. In the Spring, we’ll announce the current value of the British luxury sector when we publish our new economic impact study – all signs are that the sector will be worth in excess of the £50 billion we forecast in the last study five years ago, and the export value of the sector will also be something to shout about. Tuesday 5th February sees the return of the Walpole Luxury Summit, which puts the incredibly talented leaders and entrepreneurs centre stage to share what the future holds for British Luxury. We’ll anniversary our annual Trade and Media Mission to the US in October (22nd to 25th October) and then round the year off on 18th November at The Dorchester with the Walpole British Luxury Awards which will be bigger and better even than last year’s.
LIFE I’ve written before about the brain-boosting benefits of reading, so it will come as no surprise that my goal is to read more fiction in 2019. Walpole has a book group on WhatsApp for those who want to join us in reading novels about luxury, both high and low-brow (and even no-brow), from Nancy Mitford’s Love in a Cold Climate (January’s choice – those who’ve read it will remember Cedric’s marvellous sapphire blue Van Cleef goggles or Lady Mountdore’s diamond hair clips) to Crazy Rich Asians – do get in touch if you’d like to join in.
