Next month, Walpole is taking its mission – and a selection of member brands – across the Atalntic for our Anglo-American luxury trade delegation to New York City. Led by Helen Brocklebank, Chief Executive of Walpole, and Charlotte Keesing, Director of Walpole, our team will work with a series of American partners to host a programme of events and meetings that promote British luxury in the US. However, as well as supporting trade with one of our key export markets, the trip will also promote US inbound tourism to the UK, encouraging high-value American visitors.
Taking place from the 7th to the 9th March, the trip will include events, meetings and briefings intended to give the brands attending a unique insight into the American luxury market, as well as allowing us to showcase the incredible work of our membership as a collective to influential US organisations and audiences.
We are delighted to announce that over 25 Walpole members will be accompanying us on the trip: Accouter Group of Companies, ALR Music, ArtFarm, Chapel Down, Cowdray, Cunard, David Collins Studio, Dorchester Collection, Downey, Feldspar, Fortnum & Mason, Gleneagles, Harris Tweed Hebrides, Kathryn Sargent, Lauren Dickinson Clarke, Neal's Yard Remedies, Pelorus, Rapport London, Royal Academy, Sanderson Design Group, Sarah Haran, The Bicester Collection, The Glenturret, The Londoner, The London Sock Company, The Macallan.
We're also working with some incredible partners including the Department of International Trade (DIT), the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign, Visit Britain, Strategic Vision, Hudson Rouge, Madison Avenue Improvement District, Notable and British American Business.
"I am hugely excited about returning to New York to fly the flag for British luxury and create opportunities for all Walpole members," says Keesing about the delegation. "The US is a crucial market for the British luxury sector. Whether driven by British luxury goods on sale there or American visitors to the UK, the opportunity for growth in Anglo-American luxury trade and tourism has never been more visible or valuable.
"Through Walpole’s annual trade mission, we aim to build important diplomatic, commercial and media relationships."
The American market is still the largest market for luxury worldwide, valued at $104bn, and experienced a growth of 25% versus 2021. New York alone accounts for $32bn of that – still one third of the total US luxury market.
The US also remains the UK’s top inbound tourism market by value; pre-pandemic, almost 4.5 million Americans visited the UK in 2019 spending a total of £4.2bn in, up 4% on 2018. The leisure market leads the reasons for visiting with holidays accounting for nearly 50% of all visits to the UK followed by visiting friends and family at 28%.
Post-pandemic, US visitors have been some of the first to return and have exceeded previous values with spend up 15% on 2019.
Our guests are set to enjoy a packed schedule during their time with us. Tuesday's events include a half-day forum to showcase the Art of British Luxury Hospitality at The Whitby Hotel in Midtown, a US luxury market briefing session with expert speakers (Elyse Ausenbaugh, Global Market Strategist for JP Morgan Private Bank, Marigay McKee MBE, General Partner at Fernbrook Capital Management LLC, and Lara O’Shea, Chief Strategy Officer at Hudson Rouge) at JP Morgan on Madison Avenue, and an evening cocktail reception at the British Consul General’s Residence.
Wednesday's events include a breakfast with Christina Ohly-Evans, US Correspondent for the Financial Times HTSI to talk about the luxury landscape in the US, and a meeting with a selction of Hearst magazine editors at Hearst Tower just south of Central Park. The trip will finish on Thursday with a tour and meeting with the senior management team from SAKS Fifth Avenue.
If you can't make it to New York, don't worry: our team will be updating the website each day with their key learnings and programme highlights. We will also be posting to our Instagram account in real time – set alerts for the hashtags #walpolenyc and #walpoleworldwide to be the first to see our posts.
If you'd like any more information about our US British luxury trade delegation, please email olivia.sim@thewalpole.co.uk
