The City of London Corporation top-drew headlines this September for its £80,000 spend on attending the MIPIM Property Conference in Cannes, with the purpose of attracting global investments to spotlight the City of London as a top destination for business and finance. The delegation was engaged in high-level dining, discussions with key stakeholders, and ensured high-profile media coverage with an effort to outline the key priorities. However, the pound amounts brought some questions about whether they were properly expended to get real value for money.
Aside from the Cannes investment, the Corporation was criticized for also spending on other notable items; surveying the Monument, replacing some chairs, and re-carpeting the Great Hall. It is suggested by some that maintaining the city’s historic investment is certainly within a public body, but critics argue it seems excessive in light of financial constraints weighing down on businesses and residents.
The diary, as usual, also mentioned other interesting features, like tribunal cases involving Bloomberg employees, the rising ChatGPT in corporate communications, and political faux-pas over AI investment announcement. These are all stories with the essential backdrop of change playing out between business, governance, and technology in the City of London trying its best to balance tradition, innovation, and accountability.