The year 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of Walter Annenberg’s appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s. In recognition of this milestone, on October 11-12, 2019, Sunnylands partnered with the Ditchley Foundation – an organization in the United Kingdom also focused on high-level conferences and convenings – to co-host a two-day discussion on the U.S.-U.K. relationship and ways in which both nations might work together to support democracy, open markets, and a more secure world.

To address these questions, Sunnylands and Ditchley convened a diverse mix of politicians – including the former prime minister of Australia and the former British ambassador to the United States – alongside elite leaders in business, technology, and arts and culture, for discussions on shared U.S.-U.K. issues, such as the global rise of China, current and future challenges around the growth of advanced technology, including artificial intelligence and 5G telecommunications, and protecting democratic expression.