Somewhat breathlessly, I have returned home after a whistlestop tour across Europe that included key #GIBLDN25 events in London, followed by a quick dash to Cyprus for the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) 2025 Europe Conference. It was hectic but comes at a time when Gibraltar has a remarkable story to tell. Expect much more of this type of promotion in the months ahead. 

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Now back home, as I unpack my crumpled suits, what are my reflections on #GIBLDN25? Was it really worth the considerable effort and expense incurred by all concerned? And how important is it to present this annual showcase to the City of London in the long term? Spoiler alert: the answers are “yes, undoubtedly” and “hugely valuable.” 

This year, HM Government of Gibraltar together with Gibraltar Finance Centre hosted nine events across London. The Hon Nigel Feetham KC MP, Minister for Justice and Trade & Industry noted that this record number was almost double the original lineup when the concept of Gibraltar Day in London launched 25 years ago. 

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Participating firms are, of course, not expected to attend everything. Given the wide range of business areas covered – from private client work through to innovative technologies, DLT, funds, insurance and more – that would be unreasonable. 

Most Gibraltar-based delegates I spoke to planned to attend just two or three events. Some firms dispersed their teams across multiple areas to maximise the benefit. I travelled with our COO and co-owner Gareth Cross, joined by consultant Ian Le Breton, who reminded me he attended the first events in 2000 and has been to almost all of them since – a commitment spanning a quarter of a century! 

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Among other meetings, we attended the traditional Financial Services lunch at Mansion House in the magnificent Egyptian Hall. On Tuesday, it was off to the iconic OXO Wharf Tower for the inaugural Gibraltar Business Conference. Finally, we invited guests to the Private Client Lunch, where I was honoured to be on stage as a panellist. 

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There is always chatter about the event: is the format right? Is the balance between Gibraltar-based attendees and UK professionals appropriate? Is the event worth holding at all, given the cost and time involved? Some even ask whether it could all be done on Teams these days. 

It should come as no surprise that I do not share these views, nor self-evidently do the local firms represented. Clearly, they feel, as I do, that it is well worth making the effort, even if some attend partly to avoid FOMO. That may be irrational but it still means they come. The events are now partly sponsored or supported by ticket sales, so costs are increasingly shared. 

This year of course, there was a remarkable story to tell. The UK-EU Treaty relating to Gibraltar is the biggest news in town and though we await an implementation date, behind the scenes work is progressing at pace to complete the new arrangements. Gibraltar’s removal from the FATF and EU grey lists was also covered in depth although, as I have said before, I feel that we should never have been included in the first place. No matter: we have returned to full “white listing” across the board. 

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All of this, and much more, was discussed during #GIBLDN25. Guests left enthused – some frankly surprised – at just how compelling the Gibraltar story is right now. 

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Now the hard works begins. It is up to us, as practitioners, to build on this good news. The Government’s unwavering commitment was on full display. Let us exploit new connections made, or existing ones deepened, during the week. Above all, we must avoid falling into the trap of not seeing them again until #GIBLDN26. That is down to us.

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Yes, it was a long week, and demanding work. But I have returned energised and even more committed to share the story of our rock-solid jurisdiction everywhere. #GIBLDN25 was an excellent forum – a wonderful way to meet new people and set out our stall. The time for talking though is done. Now it is time to do.