As the awards is a prestigious evening highlighting the best of the best, we have chosen the stunning venue of the Guildhall London to host our guests! The Guildhall London is a spectacular historical building that dates to the Medieval period.
The awards ceremony will take place in the Great Hall, home to a soaring, high-arched ceiling and colourful stained glass, while the drinks reception and after-party will be held in the largest surviving crypts in London, beneath the Great Hall.
The Guildhall has welcomed the greats, including the Lord Mayor in the 1500s, pianist Frederic Chopin and in recent years HM The Queen for her 90th birthday celebrations.
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, the head judge for the CPD Awards will feel right at home in the Guildhall London! Suzannah has written many award-winning historical books and articles that include her book, ‘A Journey Through Tudor England, which explores the building's history. She has described the Guildhall as ‘one of London’s great survivors’ having escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the blitz in 1940. We look forward to welcoming Suzannah on the night to enjoy the historic venue.
When entering The Great Hall on the night, you will be met with two legendary giants, Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog were supposedly defeated by Brutus and trapped in Guildhall and are now referred to as the ‘Giant Guardians of the City of London’. The richly painted statues are the beautiful work of David Evans, and they replace earlier, even larger statues which were destroyed when the Guildhall was hit by bombs during WWII.
HM The Queen visited The Guildhall at key moments throughout her reign, including her ‘annus horribilis’ speech in 1992. HM The Queen also gathered 1,800 guests at The Guildhall for her 90th birthday after-service reception where the Lord Mayor of London paid tribute to The Queen.
The Guildhall welcomes the public to the Art Gallery however the Great Hall is no longer open to the general public due to it being a Grade-I listed landmark. The Guildhall welcomes private events throughout the year and sees hundreds of visitors every week to take in the exterior beauty. The building has been adapted for a variety of events and we look forward to hosting the CPD Awards in this breath-taking building.
