Eleven years, 11 editions. It all started in 2015 in Lisbon, where we hosted our inaugural Quality of Life Conference. We envisioned the event as an occasion at which we could unpack on stage some of the key themes that run as red threads through Monocle’s pages. Coming off the back of our July/August issue’s Quality of Life Survey, which ranks the best cities to call home, we particularly wanted to hear from mayors, architects, designers and mobility players about how we can make our hometowns better for all. Most of the day was held at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, a modernist gem that added some swagger to the proceedings. As the day concluded, we knew that we had created something rather magical.

After editions everywhere from Athens to Barcelona, Munich to Paris, it felt perfect to be back in Lisbon for the latest instalment of the conference. Especially as birthdays are beginning to draw our focus at Monocle – we are just a few months away from the 20th anniversary of our launch.

Another modernist gem hosted us this year: the recently extended and upgraded (in a gentle way) Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. However, for the simple joy of going back to our roots, our gala dinner on the final night was held at our old stamping ground, the Ritz. In addition to our speakers and delegates, we invited three photographers and tasked them with documenting the day, shooting what has become a highlight of the Monocle calendar. We wanted them to capture more than just the parties and panels. That was because, though this is still a conference, it has transformed into what one delegate described to me last year in Barcelona as an “urban retreat”, a chance to spend three days with interesting people who care, who want to do more for their neighbourhoods, businesses and friends. And who also want to talk to other ambitious, engaged people from across the globe as they seek out fresh inspiration.

It’s this desire to have a conversation that has given the Quality of Life Conference its sense of purpose. In a world where people see it as normal to shout over those who they disagree with, take offence at anyone whose views are not in sync with their own, Monocle’s modern retreat has developed into a moment in which people park their differences – and listen.

On the first night of these Monocle gatherings, we hold a reception to welcome guests. Every year we watch a stream of people arriving at the front desk who have travelled long distances, usually solo, to be part of Monocle for a few days, to talk to people who might just shift the dial on their careers or lives. It’s fascinating to then see the same people two days later at the final breakfast, surrounded by their new best friends. It’s extraordinary how many people end up going into business together or criss-crossing the planet to drop in on their new contacts.

So, while everything that takes place on stage is key to the conference’s success, much of the magic happens in the coffee breaks, over sunny lunches and on the edges of the dancefloor (we always make time for a bit of a dance-off). The Monocle Quality of Life Conference is for curious people who want to know more about the world that we live in. Perhaps we’ll see you in 2027?

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