Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Etiqueta: Commercial

  • Elevator Pitch XXXIV Edition

    The latest edition of our popular Elevator Pitch networking events was held on Tuesday 16th May at our patron Ibérica’s beautiful flagship London restaurant in Marylebone.

    On this occasion the event moderator was Abel Plasencia, International Trade Manager of the Spanish Chamber. After the guests had arrived and briefly met each other, before grabbing a coffee and taking their seats, Abel welcomed all participants to the event and explained the event format. As always, this is as follows:

    • Participation is limited to one representative per company and a maximum of 16 companies can take part in each edition.
    • Only two companies of the same sector can register for the event.
    • Each attendee has two minutes to explain the work of his company to the other participants. Following this, everyone can ask questions to their fellow participants about their companies. They then have the opportunity to network more informally and without the previous time constraints over a late breakfast.
    • Everyone leaves with a business card of each person who took part.

    This edition saw 12 companies from a variety of sectors taking part, both members and none members of the Spanish Chamber. These were the Mandeville Hotel (hotels and accommodation), Crescender (business consultancy services), Forma 5 (furniture manufacturers), Synergym (leisure and sports management), Ibérica (bar, restaurant and catering services), Continental Insurance & Mortgage Consultants (insurance), Jobandtalent (recruitment agency), Graziano Longo (banking and financial services), Trade Advisors Ltd (business consultancy services), C & C Bespoke Events (event management), Hacienda Villarta (wines and other alcoholic beverages), IE Business School (education, training and learning) and a freelance translator and marketer.

    The dialogue flowed very well in this event with many questions being asked, discussions which continued after the end of the Q&A session over the delicious breakfast provided by Ibérica, including popular Spanish dishes such as pan con tomate and tortilla.

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    We would like to thank all attendees who took part in this edition of the Elevator Pitch and hope that they found it profitable and as enjoyable as we did. We would also like to extend a very big thank you to our Patron member Ibérica for kindly hosting the event on this occasion and for providing such delectable catering, as always!

    If you have not yet participated in an Elevator Pitch event and are interested in doing so, we encourage you to keep an eye on our newsletter (released twice a month) as well as the UPCOMING EVENTS section of our website for information about the next one.

  • 130th ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER WITH ALEX CRUZ

    On Tuesday 6th December we held our 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner, which took place at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall, one of London’s traditional Livery Halls and one of the oldest still in activity. On such a special occasion, we welcomed nearly 200 guests who did not want to miss the opportunity to be part of the last corporate event of the year.

    In fact, the Gala Dinner was the cherry on the top of a busy calendar of events our institution has organised during 2016 to celebrate its 130th years of activity during which it has paved the way for Spanish businesses to thrive in the British market and vice versa.

    This black-tie dinner was presided by the Ambassador of Spain, H.E. Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa and we counted on the attendance of Mr. Álex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways, as our Guest of Honour.

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    From left to right: H.E. The Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Álex Cruz, Mrs. Mª José Molinuevo and Mr. Javier San Basilio, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.

    The proceedings began with a drinks reception, allowing guests to interact with each other while enjoying a glass of cava or wine, both of which were kindly provided by our Patron Codorníu Raventós.

    After the reception, guests were ushered to the Great Hall where dinner would be taking place and went on to take their seats. The proceedings of the dinner started with H.E. the Ambassador of Spain leading the traditional loyal toasts in honour of the King of Spain and the Queen of Great Britain.

    Speeches began after dessert was cleared with the President of the Spanish Chamber, Mr. Javier San Basilio, taking the stage to welcome guests on behalf of the institution and thanking them for their outstanding support on the celebration of our 130th Anniversary.

    He went over the achievements of the year, which have included the gaining of new members and Patrons, and warmly thanked our Guest of Honour for having accepted our invitation before giving the floor to H.E. the Ambassador of Spain.

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    Attendees enjoying the warm atmosphere.

    In his speech, the Ambassador recalled the longstanding relationship between Spain and the UK and how the two countries should aim to strengthen their links. These words are of special relevance in a year that has been marked by the outcome of the British referendum in June and its potential implications for countries in the European Union with significant commercial links with the UK.

    After the Ambassador, it was the turn of our Guest of Honour, Mr. Álex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways. In his address to our guests, Mr. Cruz highlighted the different challenges he has faced throughout his career in the changing landscape of the aviation sector, which has undergone an unprecedented overhaul since the appearance of low-cost carriers.

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    The President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Javier San Basilio, during his speech.

    In fact, Mr. Cruz mentioned that in the 9 months he had spent in his current post at British Aiways he had incorporated his know-how in order to make the Heathrow-based airline more competitive whilst ensuring a great level of customer service. Mr. Cruz also announced the ambitious plans of British Airways, which include new routes from Gatwick to New York, and new connections with Spain, which is a key destination for British travellers.

    In his final remarks, he went on to explain the impact Brexit could have on the industry, and reminded attendees that British Airways had opted for a neutral position in the run-up to the vote in June. He hoped the negotiations to leave the EU would not harm a sector that has already been affected by the depreciation of the sterling and which is at the core of the British economy.

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    Our Guest of Honour, Mr. Álex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways.

    When speeches ended, our guests could engage in further networking and greet Mr. Álex Cruz and the rest of attendees. The atmosphere was vibrant and relaxed as our Patrons, members and their guests mingled and exchanged their impressions of the evening.

    We would very much like to thank our members and their guests for joining us on the occasion of our 130th Anniversary and for sharing such a special evening for our institution. We are truly grateful to our kind sponsor Codorníu Raventós for their contribution with the wines and cava that were served throughout the event.

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    The event gathered nearly 200 guests, who could enjoy the impressive atmosphere at Merchant Taylors´ Hall.

    Please click here to access the complete gallery of pictures of the 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner. For a short video on how the evening went, please click on the following link 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner Video.

    For further information about events in 2017, do not hesitate to visit our Upcoming events section at www.spanishchamber.co.uk or subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly updates in your inbox.

  • 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.

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