Renaissance Weekend, the non-partisan retreat founded in 1981 to build bridges among innovative leaders from diverse fields, brought 1,000 participants to Charleston, South Carolina, for 500 lectures, seminars, discussions, and performances concluding with their singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and “God Bless America” at the stroke of the New Year.

The tradition was founded and is hosted by the former US Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, Philip Lader, who is chairman of WPP plc, the world’s largest advertising/media services company, and his wife, Linda Lader.

“For 29 years,” Ambassador Lader said, “Renaissance Weekend has continued to be a cross-generational conversation among accomplished individuals with widely divergent perspectives. Civility prevails; partisanship is frowned upon; and commercialism is banned. Though strikingly different views of religion, politics, and every other field are represented, there is more light than heat.”

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