2022 BCO President's Lunch

21 September, Guildhall, London

Last week, members and guests got together at the 2022 President’s Lunch at the Guildhall in London.

In his speech, BCO President Mark Kowal said: “The office of the future will undoubtedly be different – it will continue to evolve, embracing hybrid working, social consciousness, healthy living and environmental responsiveness – and we should be instrumental in this change. The office investment and leasing markets witnessed a robust bounce-back after the pandemic with the UK as the strongest performer in Europe during the 12 months, leading up to the second quarter of this year. More companies across the UK were expanding rather than contracting.”

Optimistic that the BCO community is well positioned to bounce back and stand ready to lead the response to recovery, Mark reminded us: “The theme at this year’s sell-out BCO Conference in Manchester was ‘our time is now’. This is applicable to many aspects of the office: – it is time to change how we work to create a healthier environment and a healthier way of life; it is time for the office sector to play its part in the climate agenda and strive for Net Zero Carbon; it is time for landlords, developers and investors to work more closely with occupiers to achieve all these goals; and it is also time for the BCO to be more bold and be seen to lead and guide our members in pursuit of delivering on these aspirations.”

Financial Times Economics Editor Chris Giles was typically insightful about our economic prospects. While we are almost certainly going to go into recession, however, compared to previous years we understand it more and can manage it. Expect challenges over the Winter, but our cities and their offices have proved resilient time and time again.

Chris concluded that “The recession we are likely to have need not be deep. It may not be very long. And I expect that the Western Economy will get through this.”

Until next time, thank you to everyone who attended. Look out for more photos from the President’s Lunch on Flickr (coming soon).

Follow Mark Kowal, Partner @ Sheppard Robson on LinkedIn.