With a static guest list and use of hostesses, the all-male gala has barely evolved in 33 years

Claret and short skirts: just what is the Presidents Club?

The Presidents Club is a long-running charity dinner now in its 33rd year. While the world has changed hugely since its inaugural ball, the stubbornly all-male event – always staffed by “hostesses” in short skirts – has altered surprisingly little.

The format of recent events at the exclusive Dorchester hotel in Park Lane, London, is pretty similar to that of events in years gone by, while the 360-strong guest list also appears to have remained stubbornly consistent.

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A string of loyal supporters turn up year after year, with a strong showing from the property sector as well as the City. If there is any acknowledgement that the event is now held during the 21st century, it is a note in the brochure warning the male guests against “harassment and unwanted conduct”.

At this year’s event, guests tucked into a meal of smoked salmon and keta caviar, a 34-day aged beef fillet and a deconstructed black forest gateau, which was washed down with a 2015 Chablis, a 2012 claret and flutes of Dom Pérignon champagne.



Guests then enjoyed entertainment including the musical duo Kit and McConnel and bidded on lots at a charity auction, which helps towards the £2.1m the charity says it has donated to good causes over the past two years.