Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Category: News

  • What can the Chamber do for you?

    Dear Member,

    It is quite likely you have asked yourself this question in the early stages or your membership or prior to joining our institution. Maybe even after becoming a member.

    For some of you it may have been clear from the beginning: having access to a highly varied network of both British and Spanish businesses from a wide range of professional sectors. Others may favour the institutional visibility provided by the status of becoming a Patron of our institution, while some others may have decided to join simply because they want to be part of the big family that the Chamber has become since its foundation back in 1886. Needless to say it has grown to have quite a lot relatives over the years.

    Whatever your reason for joining, members expect to make the most of their membership, which honestly is fair enough. So with this in mind, we would like to remind you that at the Spanish Chamber there is always something for everyone according to their specific needs.

    So what’s in it for members in terms of …

    Events and Networking

    We may be a small team, but we try not to let this hold us back from planning an ever growing calendar of events with a wide range of formats, and with over 50 activities per year each member can find the right one for them.

    In addition to our own activities, we collaborate with other institutions and foreign Chambers from time to time in order to increase the events on offer for our associates, allowing them to have access to an even bigger professional network.

    We also offer companies the possibility to increase their brand awareness by sponsoring some of our activities, and to organise events in collaboration with us – and so it is in this capacity that we encourage partners to get in contact with us should they wish to explore scope for working together on an event. Our Events and Communication team will be happy to assist and help you choose the right format for your specific needs.

    If you have never attended our events or do so very rarely, we strongly recommend that you try to take part in them – if for nothing else than to meet new members and to catch up with old ones. We are in attendance to all the activities that we organise, so it will be our pleasure to welcome you whether it is the first time you attend them or not.

    Although they all followed the instructors’ explanations very carefully, none were able to figure out when the “drinks bit” actually started

    Trade and Commercial Services

    The Chamber does not live on networking events only, and so if you are looking to explore new business opportunities and seek to approach potential new clients or professional partners, our Foreign Trade Department has the right tools to assess specific commercial strategies suitable to your company.

    From individual commercial agendas to multi -sector trade missions, the department covers different scenarios to ensure each business can find the adequate means to explore possible avenues of collaboration in the British or Spanish markets, providing guidance and information throughout the process.

    Other services

    We are always looking to improve the membership experience we offer to our associates and with that in mind we have created different sections on our website to allow members to interact with each other. For instance, did you know we have a dedicated M2M (Members-to-Members) section where associated companies can advertise exclusive offers and promotions for other members? Or that you can promote the activities you organise via our Members’ Events section?

    We have also created a Spanish Chamber of Commerce group in LinkedIn so our members can share and exchange information, create discussion groups, or simply network online if you cannot always make it to our events. We know you prefer the real thing but as the saying goes “half a loaf is better than none”.

    In addition to the above, if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas you would like to share with us, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be more than happy to hear what our members have to say to help us grow and improve as an institution.

    And as the big family the Chamber has grown to be, it is just worth remembering that we are also here to give a helping hand. So next time you are in doubt whether we can be of assistance, just let us know.

  • Voice Training – The secret of speaking better English

    What makes up an accent?

    Last Tuesday we have had the pleasure of hosting a dynamic Seminar at the Spanish Chamber premises; a Voice Training session conducted by voice & communication skills coach, Ms. Dolly May, from The London School of English, member of the Chamber.

    The seminar was aimed at Spaniards that wished to improve their English, and in particular, the clarity of their accent. Inversely however, the greatest lesson our attendees took from this master class was that your accent need not change in order to speak better English – and Ms. May made this point very clearly.

    Ms. Dolly May, accent coach from The London School of English

    Thus, this event has allowed our participants to discover the steps to achieve coherent oration through different exercises of improving ones diction. In an inclusive and fluid way, Ms. May showed the attendees how intonation, rhythm, melody and speed are the foundation of every accent. Some of the exercises consisted of identifying which words were “key” within a sentence – emphasising them so as to pass on our intended message to the listener.

    The seminar was broad & dynamic, and attendees took an active part within the whole session by sharing their thoughts and asking some interesting questions.

    Similarly, participants learnt that clarity and sharpness are both used to express our ideas in a way that makes our audience more engaged to the content of what we are saying, minimising the need for them to then stop and interpret in a way which ultimately becomes a hassle to both parties.

    In conclusion, this seminar was a great opportunity for our participants to develop their command over spoken English. The positive exchange of speaking techniques seems to have left everyone involved with a heightened sense of how to express personal & professional oration.

    This has not been the first – and certainly will not be the last – of these sessions! We encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section in our website, or to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, so as to be up to date with our activities!

  • A New Agreement Between the Chamber and SMEs in Alicante

    We are pleased to announce that this past Wednesday, 7th of November 2012, a new partnership was affirmed within the London premises of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

    It has taken effect between the Chamber – under the direction of the new President, Javier Fernández Hidalgo – and the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Businesses of Alicante, CEPYME, under the direction of Cristóbal Navarro (also acting as the representative for the Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Maritime Trade of Alicante).

    The significance of this agreement, already held with various local Chambers of Commerce and Confederations of Business Industries, is to promote the network of the SMEs contained within these entities that have begun their journey of associating with the UK market, or those that are about to. To this end, this agreement is aimed at facilitating the effectiveness these types of businesses in providing them access to one of the main trade promotion services of the Chamber; scouting for suitable potential commercial clients in Britain, in conjunction with a feasibility study, as a way of advancing that company’s outreach to the UK market.

    The principal beneficiaries of this agreement are undoubtedly SMEs, which have been operating within an unfavourable economic climate in recent years, insofar as it enables them to promote their products and services in the UK whilst enjoying a 40% discount on the normal price of initiating a Commercial Agenda of this type with the Chamber. In this way, various Chambers and Confederations which affiliate with the Chamber through this agreement can thus provide a value-assured outreach service to the companies which they represent that are looking to expand into the United Kingdom.

    The Chamber has been instigating these types of agreements since the year 2010. Amongst the numerous institutions which continue to benefit from this initiative, we can name the Chamber’s of Commerce for León, Lleida, Girona, Sabadell, A Coruña, and now Alicante. This also includes the Confederations of Business Industries of the Province of Badajoz (COEBA), Albacete (FEDA), and now the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Businesses of Alicante (CEPYME).

    For those companies, Chambers & Confederations that want to receive more information about this initiative, please don’t hesitate to put yourself in contact with us on +44 (0) 207 0099 070 or by email at info@spanishchamber.co.uk

  • V Annual Gala Dinner of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce – Celebrating 126 Years.

    The scene was set for a spectacular evening for our attendees.

     The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain had the pleasure to host the most prestigious black-tie event of its calendar yesterday, at the magnificent Landmark Hotel , member of the Chamber, in Marylebone. It was an evening of high elegance and a friendly rubbing of shoulders, as the attendees from our member and Patron companies mingled enthusiastically with our high-profile guests. There was wine, there was laughter, there was great food, and there was also an atmosphere of positive reflection upon the achievements of the Chamber – and in particular, paying respect to those important figures which have played such a large role in its continued successes. It was in this spirit that the outgoing President, Mr. Fernando Pérez, would later be honoured by our guest speakers.

    Guests mingle in the glorious central atrium of the Landmark Hotel.

    Formalities began with a Spanish-themed drinks reception; with freshly carved Iberian ham, a variety of Spanish cheeses, and a wonderful selection of wines and cava (kindly provided by Marqués de Cáceres & Hacienda Zorita). The live pianist provided a gentle and inviting soundtrack to this early opportunity for representatives from the plethora of British and Spanish companies to share one another’s company. Cultural anecdotes and shared points of interests electrified the atmosphere of discussion in the hotel’s central atrium, before the Toastmaster directed proceedings to the main event – the dinner itself.

    Former President, Mr. Fernando Pérez (left), with the new incumbant, Mr. Javier Fernández (right).

    The grand ballroom played host to the three-course gastronomic feast, with the dinner being served by the finest camareros in London. The conversations of the earlier part of the evening extended into a palpable hum of friendly banter during the meal, with the Toastmaster once more standing to attention as attendees were finishing their desserts. He first called the newly-elected President of the Chamber, Mr. Javier Fernández, to entertain the audience with a speech. In well-spirited humour, he gave his thanks to Chamber staff and members of the Executive Committee in supporting him through the transition, whilst also stating his enthusiasm for taking on the great responsibility as President.

    The audience listening to the speech of Mr. Javier Fernández, President of the Chamber.

     H.E. The Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Federico Trillo, was then invited to take to the podium. Preferring to speak from the heart rather than notes, as he put it, he proceeded to touch on numerous subjects that were important to his role as Ambassador.

    Mr. Federico Trillo, H.E. The Ambassador of Spain, making a toast to the Queen of the United Kingdom and the King of Spain.

    The final section of formalities were ushered in by the Guest of Honour, Mr. José Manuel Soria, Spanish Minister for Industry, Energy & Tourism, who expanded on the need for Spain to develop its economic integration abroad through positive functions such as the one in which he was speaking. It’s in this capacity that he endevoures to promote Spain abroad,  he remakred, with this being fundamental in his service to the national interest. His words rang with ambition, and his speech conveyed a strong sense that with hard work, brighter things could soon come for the Spanish economy.

    (From left to right): Mr. José Antonio Zamora, Head of the Economic & Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy; Mr. Federico Trillo, H.E. The Ambassador of Spain; Mr. José Manuel Soria, Spanish Minister for Industry, Energy & Tourism; Mr. Javier Fernández, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Fernando Pérez, Former President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Pedro Moriyón, Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development

    After formalities ended, attendees were invited to enjoy the rest of the evening, with of course the help of the hotel bar. In typical Spanish style, many guests stayed chatting long into the night. We thank all of our attendees, our high-profile guests & our sponsors for a truely special event and we sincerely hope that all involved found it to be a wonderful success. Please do interact and browse our blog in order to keep up to date with Chamber news & events, and click here to access the gallery of photos of the whole evening.

  • Patrons’ Club – Exclusive Breakfast with Secretary of State for Foreign Trade

    On  27th of September, the Spanish Chamber held one of its exclusive Patron’s  Club events: Breakfast with Mr. Jaime García-Legaz, Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Trade.

    The breakfast was a great opportunity to rub shoulders with business world elites from the the UK & Spain, who kindly support the Spanish Chamber of Commerce through patronship. The atmosphere was jovial, but it was also an opportunity for a frank discussion of one of the key economic issues of our time – how it is that businesses can get to grips with the ways in which the Spanish economy can look to improve, and ultimately to emerge as a strong world competitor in the coming years.

    Mr. Jaime García-Legaz, Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Trade.

    The former economic and financial analyst at the Bank of Spain, who also has experience in the position of Director General of Financial Policy at the Economic & Finance Ministry, took to the podium. He stressed the need to reform the Spanish financial architecture and again reaffirmed that he will endeavor to maintain Spain as a part of the euro.

    Mr. García-Legaz pointed out that there is still the need for extensive labour reforms as a key tool to overcome the current crisis in Spain, which links directly with the fundamental commitment by the current centre-right government to budgetary stability. These measures, in the words of García-Legaz, are aimed at economic growth.

    However, his speech was full of optimism, and stated that Spain would begin to see the first signs of recovery within the 3rd quarter of 2013, which are otherwise starting to be reflected in foreign investment figures. This positive shift is currently being supported by a structural correction being brought about through the generating of an unprecedented trade surplus.

    CEO’s and other high-level deligates from our Patron companies milling around during the breakfast.

    In conclusion, he reiterated the importance of betting on the policy adjustments of the government and, in particular, to trust leading Spanish companies, many of them present at this breakfast, since it is they who are ultimately the ones that generate sustainable growth and stimulate the economy. This is, he remarked, essential in order for Spain to emerge stronger from the crisis.

    Patrons of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce representatives attended the event along with H.E. The Ambassador of Spain Federico Trillo Figueroa and the President of The Spanish Chamber, Mr.Fernando Pérez.

  • A New Golden Age for Journalism? An Evening with Pedro J. Ramírez

    For many, Pedro J Ramírez needs no introduction. But for those unfamiliar with his long and high-profile association with the world of media; he became the youngest editor of a national paper in Spain aged just 28, and, under a decade later in 1989, established El Mundo, which grew to become the second most widely-read publication in the country.

    El Mundo is credited as being one of the last successful print-tradition publications in the world to become a notable player within the matrix of world media, prior to the advent of the electronic publication of news via the internet. In this respect, El Mundo has faced the most severe battle of all traditional news outlets with both the old world and the new, in regards to the way in which its news is distributed, with commercial success, to its readership.

    On the night of the event in a bustling LSE lecture theatre, Mr.Ramírez was in good company on stage, which was being chaired by the chief editor of The Times, James Harding and introduced by Adam Austerfield from LSE Enterprise.

    Pedro J. Ramírez, Editorial Director of Unidad Editorial

    After exchanging some fond anecdotes about each other, Mr. Ramírez took to the podium. He told the audience of his pleasant surprise of seeing Sir. Tim Bernes-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, being honoured at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. They had met each other before, he said, at the 20th anniversary celebration of both the founding of El Mundo and the Internet, which occurred in the same year. But Mr. Ramírez’s tone was serious, as well as jovial.

    The internet, he went on to demonstrate, marked a dramatic shift in the viability of the business model for printed  press – a shift that up until recently has had a cumulatively negative commercial effect on traditional news providers.

    From left to right: Roberto Casado , Spanish Correspondent for Expansion in the UK;  Antonio Lorenzo, Group Director of Strategy at Lloyds (Banking Group); Kyril of Saxe-Coburg, Head of Iberia and Latam at Man GLG; and H.E. The Ambassador of Spain Federico Trillo Figueroa.

    The statistics of sharp and continually falling printed-paper sales, versus a meagre, and also decreasing, offsetting in online advertising revenues, made for rather pessimistic reading. According to one report, for every $10 being lost in printed-paper sales, only $1 was being made back from advertising from their otherwise free-to-browse websites. Indeed, it was when it was discovered that despite having more than 24 million unique visitors per month to the El Mundo website in 2009, over 50% of the content provided was accessed by only 3% of these visitors.

    Mr. Ramírez once recalled how the late Steve Jobs scolded traditional news providers for lamenting the detrimental effect of the digital world, saying that (in paraphrase) “for five years, you have given the content of your news on the web, without collecting anyone’s credit card details”. This sentiment is what has helped fuel Mr. Ramírez’ new optimism. What he was waiting for, he said, was the right platform.

    From left to right: James Harding, Editor of The Times, Pedro J. Ramírez,  and Fernando Pérez, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

    This came in 2010 with the launch of the iPad, and other tablet technology which followed. Electronic versions of broadsheets had up until this point suffered a lack of transferability to the tactile experience of holding a paper in your hands. With tablet technology, not only could the printed-paper experience be replicated, it could also be made interactive with embedded multimedia. To produce sustainable revenues from this new phenomenun required the creation of content which was exclusive enough, and of high enough quality, that the aforementioned 3% of loyal web readers would be willing to pay for the privilege of reading it. With this, Mr. Ramírez revealed El Mundo’s initiative to tap into this new market, an exclusive current affairs outlet only accessible to subscription customers, named ORBYT.

    This product benefitted from not suffering from the vast traditional production and transportation costs of physically getting printed-papers to newspaper stalls around the world, and for the firs time could thus actually be marketed for a lesser price to its readers abroad. Fundamentally however, it also had the potential to eventually positively offset the losses being made in declining newspaper and online advertising revenues, whilst continuing to provide a free-to-browse website outside of ORBYT. Again, Mr. Ramírez looked back to Sir. Bernes-Lee,  and recalled the famous phrase from that night in the London Olympic Stadium; “This is for everyone”, adding only that perhaps it should have read “This is for everyone… who is ready to pay a fair price for it”.

    The drinks reception proved a great opportunity for attendees to further discuss the ideas covered by the talk.

    The talk prompted impassioned questions from the audience, from a journalist from rival paper El Razón, to a civil servant working in the field of media. An exceptional drinks reception followed, attended by famous designer and wife to Mr. Ramírez, Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, as well as other VIPs from participant companies and institutions.

    We thank Mr. Ramírez, Mr. Harding, and LSE Enterprise for working with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce to make this evening possible, and we hope all of our attendees had a great time.

  • The Graduate European Programme – Induction Week

    This year’s intake from the Chambers’ GEP (Graduate European Programme) enjoyed their first day of professional London life, as they attended their induction seminar at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises on Wigmore Street. These young, aspiring, and sharply dressed recent-graduates were keen to take in the practical information that their six month stay in Britain’s capital city would entail, and also enjoyed hearing the personal advice provided by a participant of the programme from last year, who has since been offered a full-time role in the company that she was interning with.

    Cristina Carmona, the Programme Coordinator, on the left and Rosa del Campo on the right.

    During their induction experience, the Chambers’ Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rosa del Campo, and our Events Officer and Coordinator of the GEP, Ms. Cristina Carmona Aliaga, provided practical advice to the participating graduates on the upcoming interviews which they will be facing throughout this week. These interviews will determine which companies and sectors our participants will be placed in, and is an important part of the process of cultivating a positive professional attitude in this ever increasingly competitive world.

    After a short break, Rosa introduced Mr. Antoni Riera of the International Credit Management company Advantium, which has previously been involved within the programme, as well as to Ms. Marta Sala, who was a participant in the GEP last year and who proceeded to be offered a permanent position at Advantium, member of the Chamber, after her six month placement with the company was complete.

    Rosa del Campo, Deputy Secretary General of the Chamber, and Antoni Riera from Advantium.

    Mr. Riera spoke of the importance of “connecting the dots” of a broad range of professional experiences and of networking, in his advice to the young attendees. Marta went on to talk about her personal experience of the programme, and poignantly said that throughout the next six months; “you can be a rock, or you can be a sponge”, in reference to the variety of opportunities available in learning new and constructive things.

    We will be closely following the progress of this year’s participants, and we wish them all the best in making the most of this unique experience.

  • Save the date: The London Spanish Film Festival (28 September – 10 October)

    Spanish Cinema has gained lots of fans over the years all around the world. There are many great talented young and consolidate directors creating masterpieces. It is definitely not all about Almodovar, although his work has drawn the line of the Contemporary Spanish Cinema.

    Soon we will have the chance to watch a selection of  recent Spanish films in London thanks to the Spanish Film Festival that will take place from Friday 28th September until Wednesday 10th October. Most of the films that will be shown are UK premières and will only be released within this occasion.

    From engaging thrillers to exhilarating comedies, from moving dramas and action movies to documentaries and shorts, this selection will demonstrate the compelling variety of Spanish cinema in all its richness. Also, as in previous editions, some of the films will be presented by their directors and actors, such as Manuela Vellés, Emma Suárez, Paco León or Luis Tosar, amongst others.

    This is a initiative to promote the Spanish culture that Tristana Media , member of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, has been organising since 2005 when its main developer, Joana Granero, created it.

    Not only this is a unique opportunity to approach  Spanish Cinema without leaving the city, but also to get it straight from its creators!

    For further information about the festival please visit: www.londonspanishfilmfestival.com

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-S-cFM6AM0&feature=player_embedded]

  • A ‘Two Weeks’ experience In London

    Last Wednesday we were happy to hold a Seminar here at the Chamber within a very interesting programme organised by the Polytechnic University of Valencia named ‘The Two Weeks’. We received 20 students in their final year willing to increase their career opportunities as well as to face their professional future with the appropriate skills.

    ‘The Two Weeks Programme’ takes place once per year during the month of July and it is mainly focused on visiting prestigious companies  to get in touch with industries on Energy, IT, Industrial Production, Technical Consultancy, Financial Engineering, Construction and Real State. The participants take also a daily course in Recruitment and Application skills.

    The Seminar was introduced by our Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rosa del Campo, who spoke briefly about the main services the Chamber provides and more in particular about The Graduate European Programme, which shares similar goals with ‘The Two Weeks Programme’. Mr. Antonio Reig ,  Prof. Dr. Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Co-ordinator of the programme, introduced two former participants, Sergio Soriano and Manuel Peña, both of them quite happy about their experiences during and after the programme.

    Sergio Soriano Gómez decided to come to London after finishing his studies in the Polytechnic University of Valencia. He explained his own job hunting experience in a city where there are a lot of opportunities but also high levels of competitiveness.  “In the beginning everything looked harder than expected. Things apparently simple, such as finding accommodation, turned out to be really difficult and somehow frustating. At the same time, these moments were also exciting, as they allowed me to live new ‘adventures’ and to get used to the new city.”


    Sergio has been working in different companies since he arrived to London some months ago, and he keeps taking part in selection processes for big firms such as KPMG. “It is quite complicated to get a job in a company like that, but that is what I want to do, so it’s definitely worth trying”, he pointed out.

    Manuel Peña focused his speech in the internacional professional experience as an added value for everyone’s career. He is currently working in a London-based company but before getting to this point he has lived and worked in different countries. “When someone goes to work abroad, he not only gets professional experience, but also personal, as it makes possible to meet and learn many things from people from varied and different cultures”, he said.

    And last but not least was Ms. SofíaVázquez, director of Mundialengua UK, a company specialised in finding internships and jobs for graduates. She gave us some tips on how to do an interview in the UK, as well as useful information about what to do and what to avoid during a selection process.

    We would like to thank all the people who participated in the Seminar, especially to Berta and Ana, two of the students taking part on the programme who are also writing this blog based on their experience during the two weeks. Don’t miss the opportunity to read it! http://thetwoweekslogbook.wordpress.com/

  • 125th Annual General Meeting and Dinner

    Yesterday we celebrated the 125th AGM of the Chamber. The traditional event was presided by H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Federico Trillo. Our pleasure to have Ms. Tamara Rojo, new Creative Director of the English National Ballet, as the Guest of Honour.

    Thanks to all the attendees for sharing such a fantastic night with us!

    PS: More pictures coming soon…

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