The event welcomed 300 guests from the worlds of business, finance, politics and media to celebrate the growth of the FT in the US, which is now the largest single country for FT readership. Paid readership in the US is at an all-time high and makes up over a quarter of global readers, say the publishers.
John Ridding made introductory remarks, saying: “Our success in the US is a tribute to our business and editorial teams here. The US has been a big part of our growth, and our success. It is our biggest market and is growing healthily in terms of readership, subscribers and revenues. And, of course, it is the source of so many of our global stories.”
Lionel Barber also addressed the room, saying: “In the digital age, we don’t have a surfeit of news. We have a surfeit of views. The FT will continue to stick to the facts.” He continued, “As part of our new global alliance with Nikkei we are prepared to fill a greater need for a trusted guide in troubled times.”
Guests included Nick Astbury, Deputy Consul-Generaland Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy; Charlie Rose, PBS Charlie Rose Show; Richard Edelman, President and CEO, Edelman; Ari Emanuel, and Patrick Whitesell, co-CEOs, WME Entertainment; Patrick Foye, Executive Director, Port Authority New York New Jersey; Poppy Harlow, correspondent, CNN Money; Scott Kapnick, CEO, Highbridge Capital Management; Alex Kelleher, CEO and Founder, Get; Liz Robbins, Liz Robbins Associates; Paul Sheard, Chief Global Economist, Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services; Michael Sweeney, CEO, Steinway and Son; and Matt Winkler, Emeritus Editor in Chief, Bloomberg News.
The crowd enjoyed canapés and a specialty pink cocktail named the Pink’Un. They watched the sunset over Manhattan and mingled well into the night, says the FT. The World Trade Center’s spire was also lit FT pink. After the party, guests left with goody bags that included a custom Ettinger wallet, FT umbrella, and a best of FT Weekend special supplement.
Pictures of the event can be seen on the FT’s Flickr page.
