Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Etiqueta: Events

A BRIEF RECAP OF THE CHAMBER’S EVENTS: JANUARY – AUGUST 2018

The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom’s main aim is to promote commercial exchange by acting as an important communication link between Spanish and British companies. The events organised by the Chamber enable both member and non-member companies to develop and expand their contact networks from both countries.

2018 has been a unique year so far in that we have hosted our first ever sectorial event outside of London as well as our first Copa del Rey de Golf tournament, not to mention the introduction of a new event series: the Human Capital Forum. Read on to discover what the Chamber has been getting up to recently!

The first half of 2018 has played host to an array of seminars that focused on personal development as well as topical and technical issues affecting a huge number of companies this year, such as GDPR and the gender pay gap. All five of our seminars have been great eye-openers and were well received by all; prompting a great deal of discussion and debate. Attendees always leave feeling more knowledgeable and motivated professionally and personally.

The Chamber has organised three corporate events and one patron event so far in 2018. Our first one was a New Year’s Drinks Reception at Skinner’s Hall where the President of the Chamber had the opportunity to wish all member companies his best wishes for the New Year. We were honoured to welcome Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Minister of State in the Department for International Trade, as Guest of Honour on this special occasion.

The Annual Patrons’ Dinner was held in March at the Spanish Embassy and H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagües, was our exceptional host for the evening. Before a three-course dinner, the President of the Chamber gave a special speech expressing his gratitude for the support that patrons provide to this institution as well as introducing the new patron companies that the Chamber has gained since last year’s dinner.

In April, the Chamber celebrated its Annual Golden Award at the Spanish Embassy, an evening in which the Chamber acknowledges the significant commercial activity of a Spanish company in the United Kingdom during the previous year. This year, the award was given to Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF).

Our most recent corporate event was the 131st Annual General Meeting and Dinner that took place in July at One Great George Street in Westminster. During the Annual General Meeting, the Secretary General of the Chamber presented the financial statements of 2017 along with a memorandum of the activities and events which the Chamber organised last year. On this occasion, we had the pleasure of welcoming the Rt Hon David Lidington CBE MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as our Guest of Honour.

In February, the Chamber was delighted to hold its first sectorial event outside of London at the head office of Freeths LLP, a major UK law firm specialising in construction, energy and real estate, in Manchester. The event saw a great turnout of guests from at least 25 different companies from around the country. Representatives from the participating companies spoke about growth strategies for town centres in the north, revolutionising the construction industry via digitalisation and reasons to invest in the West Midlands.

This marks the beginning of our efforts to carry out more sectorial events in different parts of the United Kingdom.

The Chamber’s two Elevator Pitches have proven to be some of our most popular events of the year. Participation is limited to one representative per company and a maximum of 16 companies can attend, with no more than two companies from the same sector. Each participant has two minutes to give a concise presentation summarising their company’s activities. Following this, everyone has the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about each company followed by a late breakfast.

We are always delighted to welcome a wide variety of companies to our Elevator Pitches and we consider it a fantastic way to help expand business networks in a short amount of time.

2018 has also seen the launch of a brand new event series: the Human Capital Forum. Following a similar format to the Financial and Energy Forums, senior human resources professionals from member companies of the Chamber are brought together to discuss and debate ideas surrounding leadership, talent management and organisational development.

The first meeting of the series explored how we can find happiness at work and the benefits of having a happy workforce, whereas the second focused on the changing face of recruitment owed to digitalisation. Participants of the forums have found them to be both thought provoking and of high relevance to their work.

Our two Financial Forums welcomed Spanish professionals working in London’s financial centre. The main function of the forum is to create a space which promotes a dialogue and the exchange of ideas between peers surrounding financial matters relating to Spain and its companies. On these occasions, the forums were presided by two exceptional guests: Rt. Hon. Nicky Morgan MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee in June at White and Case’s offices and by Andrea Enria, president of the European Banking Authority at The Traveller’s Club in July.

Taking place on a lovely summer’s evening, the Chamber held its first Mahou Informal Party of 2018 in collaboration with Mahou San Miguel and Ibérica Restaurants, patrons of the Chamber, who hosted the event at their outdoor restaurant in Canary Wharf. Being one of our most popular events, all places were quickly reserved and the evening proved to be a great success.

In July, on an exceptionally hot and sunny day, the Chamber held its first Copa del Rey de Golf Tournament. With the attendance of H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Carlos Bastarreche, this highly-anticipated event welcomed players from various member and non-member companies of all levels. Taking place at Studley Wood Golf Club, around 50 participants enjoyed an action-packed day of golf. There was also a clinic session for the golf novices, a generous buffet lunch, a prize giving ceremony and a charity raffle. All proceeds went to two wonderful charities; Cris Cancer and Centro Social de Mayores.

The event certainly proved to be a great opportunity for participants to meet and connect with both fellow members of the Chamber and other companies represented, not to mention practising their swings, enjoying some fresh air, exercise and great company!

Interested in seeing what other events we have lined up over the next few months? Click here to find out more!

23/08/2018
COPA DEL REY DE GOLF

On the morning of Friday 13th July, fuelled with adrenaline and excitement to leave the office and London smog behind for the day, some 50 participants, including members of the Chamber and non-members as well as H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Carlos Bastarreche, joined us for our very first Copa del Rey de Golf tournament. Set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, Studley Wood Golf Course proved to be the perfect venue for our guests, some of whom flew over from Spain specially to be there.

The day began with a welcoming breakfast of bacon butties during which participants eagerly greeted one another and started to gather into their teams. The majority of the teams were made up of four players, most of which represented certain companies, whilst the rest were formed of individual players; a perfect opportunity to network in a relaxed and friendly setting.

After breakfast, we received a warm welcome from golf club owner, Ken, who explained to us the rules and 18 hole golf system as well as reminding players of the all-important prizes up for grabs and how to win them. The teams then dispersed in various directions, some zooming off in their buggies, ready for a shot gun start. 18 holes spread over undulating countryside certainly kept the players busy and ensured a long run of golf.

The Copa del Rey de Golf was open to players of all levels. As our teams went off to practise golf, a smaller group went to take part in the golf clinic. An intimate team of six learnt all the basics from how to drive and use the irons on the driving range, to how to putt and chip on the greens. There was much concentration and laughter as some of our participants discovered a new talent.

The day was broken up by a midday treat of tapas, paella and ice-cold beer, generously provided by Chamber members Paella Fella and Mahou, which certainly helped to reenergise and hydrate players on a particularly hot and sunny day. The food was very much enjoyed by all and the halfway house provided a great meeting point for teams to catch up and compare their scores so far.

Upon returning to the club house, guests enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch with Raventós Codorníu wine out on the sunny terrace with views of the green whilst cheerily exchanging stories about their day.

Friday the 13^th may be unlucky for some, but it certainly wasn’t for our lucky winners. With the opportunity of taking home some fantastic prizes, players upped their game and a fair few strong competitive streaks were revealed. Some of the prizes up for grabs included a mini break for two to Portugal and £10,000 for a hole in one, kindly provided by London Property Partners. Sadly no one managed to get a hole in one, however our winning team came from Barclays who won a trophy, Cordoníu Raventos wine and day passes to come back to Studley Wood Golf Club. The 2^nd and 3^rd placed teams also won prizes courtesy of Cordoníu Raventos and Studley Wood Golf Club. Other prizes also went to players for: longest drive, nearest to the pin, longest putt, longest walk and clinic winner, sponsored by DLF Group Mobility Services , Iberia and Iberia Express.

It was with great pleasure that all proceeds from the Copa del Rey de Golf went to two wonderful charities: Cris Cancer and Centro Social de Mayores. Cris Cancer facilitates and develops research to help beat cancer and Centro Social de Mayores is an organisation that welcomes and unites retired Spanish citizens living in the UK. Both charities are making a real difference to people’s lives.

A charity raffle was organised with a wide selection of fantastic prizes ranging from restaurant vouchers, to a whole Iberian sliced ham, to return flights to Madrid. This would not have been possible without the kind sponsorship of Mahou-San Miguel, Moonz, Ibérica, Raventos Codorníu, 5 Jotas, Zela, London Property Partners and Studley Wood Golf Club for providing the prizes.

We would also like to express a special thanks to DLF Group and Paella Fella, Chamber members, for sponsoring the tournament and to Ken and Anna from Studley Wood Golf Club for their hospitality and tremendous organisation.

Lastly, we would like to thank all of our guests for attending and for such a memorable day. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did and had the opportunity to meet and connect with both fellow members of the Spanish Chamber and other companies represented, not to mention practising your swings! We certainly all enjoyed some fresh air, exercise and great company.

Please click here to see photos of the event.

01/08/2018
ANNUAL GOLDEN AWARD 2018 | CAF

The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain celebrated its Annual Golden Award on the 12^TH April at the Spanish Embassy in London. This is one of the main corporate events that the Chamber organises each year and acknowledges the significant commercial activity of a Spanish company in the United Kingdom during the previous year.

This year the company who received the award was CAF, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, a leader in the railway industry with a workforce of approximately 8,500 people. Mr. Andrés Arizkorreta, President of CAF, received the award on behalf of the company and express his gratitude for this recognition.

The event began with the Ambassador H.E. Mr. Carlos Bastarreche, who is also the Honorary President of the Spanish Chamber, welcoming the attendees and congratulating CAF for their outstanding activity in the UK.

Following his speech, the President of the Chamber, Mr. Javier San Basilio, introduced the awarded company and provided further information about the achievements of CAF in the UK, which began in 1994 when they won the contract to manufacture Heathrow Express trains. Since then they have worked on large scale projects such as the diesel trains for Northern Ireland Railways and the tram networks in Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Mr. Arizkorreta shared with attendees his feelings of gratitude for receiving such an important recognition for the outstanding work of CAF and its international strategy, which has led up to them currently working with Arriva, First Group, Serco and West Midland Trains for the provision and maintenance of new trains that will operate on various routes covering the north of the country.

He recounted that last year CAF acquired the prestigious British engineering firm BWB Consulting, which has enabled them to establish their presence in the UK as a trusted provider within the transport sector.

Approximately 200 guests were present at the event, representing member companies from both Spain and the UK. This was a great opportunity for all of them to expand their networks and meet new professionals from the Anglo-Spanish business community in an environment as the Embassy.

We take this opportunity to thank our kind sponsors on this special occasion. We are grateful to our patrons Ibérica Restaurants and Raventós Codorníu for providing the ibérico ham and the cava; to benefactor Estrella Galicia for the beers served at the event and finally, to our member Marqués de Cáceres for providing the wines.

Finally, we would also like to thank our members for joining us on this very special occasion.

We encourage you to browse the UPCOMING EVENTS section of our website in order to keep up to date with future Spanish Chamber corporate events, seminars and other activities.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

23/04/2018
COMING SOON: OUR 131ST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

We are pleased to announce that our 131^stAnnual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 5^th July at the exclusive One Great George Street, located in the centre of Westminster.

This corporate event is one of the most important annual activities organised by the Spanish Chamber and is attended by leading representatives from a wide range of British and Spanish companies. As tradition dictates, the event will be presided by H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagües.

We are furthermore delighted to welcome The Rt. Hon David Lidington CBE MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as our Guest of Honour for the occasion and would like to take this opportunity to introduce him and the Cabinet he represents.

Mr. David Lidington studied History at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. He was elected Member of Parliament for Aylesbury in 1992 and has held a number of prominent positions including Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2003 to 2007 and Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He also served as Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) from May 2010 until July 2016. Mr. Lidington was Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council from July 2016 to June 2017.

He went on to become Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from June 2017 to January 2018, when he was appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duty of Lancaster. Outside from politics, he has worked for BP and RioTinto – Zinc Corporation (RTZ) before spending 3 years as Special Adviser to Douglas Hurd in the Home Office and Foreign Office.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office is responsible for the policy and work of the department, and attends Cabinet. His responsibilities include advising the Prime Minister on developing and implement government policy, chairing and deputy chairing Cabinet committees, realising task forces and overseeing the consequences of devolution of Britain’s exit from the EU.

With such a distinguished Guest of Honour, we are certain that attendees will enjoy this opportunity to meet Mr. David Lidington and to hear his views over the course of the evening. This is one of our most eminent annual events and it is anticipated that over 200 leading representatives from Spanish and British companies will be in attendance, providing an excellent opportunity to network and meet new Chamber members.

Please remember that places for this event are limited, so do not forget to book yours in advance to avoid disappointment. For further information on this event and how to submit your booking, please click here.

If you are interested in sponsoring this event please contact hannah.sanders@spanishchamber.co.uk

16/04/2018
A BRIEF RECAP OF THE CHAMBER’S ACTIVITIES IN 2017

The Chamber’s main aim is to promote commercial exchange by acting as an important communication link between Spanish and British companies. The events organised by the Chamber enable both member and non-member companies to develop and expand their contact networks from both countries.

Over the course of 2017 the Spanish Chamber of Commerce organised over 30 events with an average of 65 individuals attending each. These events included seminars, conferences, business breakfasts, cocktail evenings, informal parties and corporate dinners.

CORPORATE EVENTS

On the 2^nd of February we hosted our first corporate event of 2017. The New Year’s Drinks Reception was held in the exclusive Ironmongers’ Hall where the president of the Chamber, Javier San Basilio, had the opportunity to wish all member companies his best wishes for the New Year. We were honoured to welcome Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, partner of international law firm Dechert LLP and founder and chairman of Inspiring Girls, as our Guest of Honour on this occasion.

In April we also celebrated the Annual Golden Award at the Embassy of Spain in London. Mr. Josep Oliu, Chairman of Banco Sabadell, received the award on behalf the company for the acquisition of TSB the previous year. There were approximately 250 guests present at this event, our largest of the year.

The Annual Patrons Dinner took place the 28^th of March at the Spanish Embassy in London and was hosted by the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagües. In addition to this, on the 14^th of June the Annual General Meeting, considered as one of our institution’s most important events of the year, took place at Merchant Taylors’ Hall; one of London’s oldest traditional Livery Halls that remains active. We were delighted to welcome Ms. Marisa Poncela García, Secretary of State for Trade, as our Guest of Honour on this occasion. During the members’ General Meeting, the Executive Committee of the Chamber presented the Financial Statements of 2016 as well as the memorandum of the activities and events organised by the Chamber during this year. The quadrennial Executive Committee Election was also carried out as part of this event, during which 22 members of the Chamber were chosen to join the Committee of the Chamber.

On the evening of the 6^th December we held our final corporate event of the year, the highly anticipated VIII Annual Gala Dinner which was held at the iconic Christ Church Spitalfields in the City of London. This black tie event, which saw approximately 230 guests in attendance, was presided by the Ambassador of Spain Carlos Bastarreche Sagües and welcomed António Horta Osório, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, as its esteemed Guest of Honour.

We additionally organised a wide variety of Seminars over the course of 2017 which were led by individuals who are greatly experienced in their fields. Topics of the sessions included Brexit’s potential implications on immigration, employment and tax, the different ways to detect and investigate corporate fraud and the examination of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Furthermore, 2017 saw four Elevator Pitch events being hosted by our member companies, each being filled to full capacity. The assistance is capped each time to 16 individuals, all representing different companies with a maximum of two being from the same sector. Each participant has two minutes to give a concise presentation summarising their company’s activities, answer any questions about their work and share their business card with the rest of participants; a highly effective way for participants to expand their business networks in a small amount of time.

Finally, there were two Financial Forums that took place in 2017. This events, which are exclusively managed by the Chamber, provide Spanish professionals with the opportunity to come together and exchange ideas about the current financial climate. On these occasions, members shared their opinions with two exceptional guests: Sebastián Albella, President of the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (the Spanish Regulatory Authority for the Securities Market) and Román Escolano, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank.

INFORMAL EVENTS

With respect to less formal events, our series of internal parties organised in collaboration with our patron Mahou proved to be a great success, each hosting an average of 90 attendees from over 50 companies. These events offered our members the opportunity to relax and expand their contact network over an after work drink. The events took place at various locations and we would like to thank Ibérica and Trison (patrons of the Chamber) along with Hispania and Dry Martini (members of the Chamber) for hosting the parties.

We would also like to mention the noteworthy activities which the Chamber has been either directly or indirectly involved with. In June, with the aim of promoting the Spanish culture the Chamber organised a Spanish Tapas Tour, a new gastronomic event which brought the very best flavours of Spanish cuisine to London. Ten of the city’s best Spanish restaurants offered a tapa and a drink at a fixed price, with dishes that represented various regions of Spain. The event was a great success with more than 350 tapas being sold.

With regards to events developed in collaboration with the Council of Foreign Chambers, the most prominent was the International Wine Tasting which took place on the 18th September at Middle Temple Hall in the City of London. Almost 300 guests came together to broaden their international business networks with peers from other Chambers while sampling a delicious array of wines, beers and spirits from around the world.

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

Regarding our commercial activities, last year the Spanish Chamber conducted nine Commercial Agendas within five different sectors including telecommunications, financial services and food and beverage suppliers. This service forms part of the Business Promotion activities carried out by the Chamber and provides a commercial representation for contracting companies, which are either Spanish businesses wishing to sell their products in the UK or British companies wishing to invest in and/or export to Spain.

The Spanish Chamber also successfully realised two Reverse Trade Missions in the wine sector during 2017. The purpose of this activity was to increase the importation and exportation of local products. Furthermore, it enables contracting companies to showcase the design and manufacturing of their goods and services which could be traded with potential clients to support them in reaching their exportation aims. The reverse trade missions target current and near-term business opportunities, creating immediate results and export successes for Spanish businesses.

In summary, 2017 was another successful year for the Chamber which both embraced and promoted the vital business relationships between Spain and the UK. We would like to warmly thank our members, guests and sponsors for supporting our work at the various events we held and we hope that they found them as profitable as we did.

24/01/2018
VIII Gala Dinner

On the evening of Wednesday 6^th December 2017, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain held its VIII Annual Gala Dinner at Christ Church Spitalfields in central London. The iconic venue provided the perfect setting for the Chamber’s final corporate event of 2017 and to celebrate the end of another busy year full of successful events held for its members.

The black tie event, to which almost 250 guests were in attendance, was presided by the Ambassador of Spain Carlos Bastarreche Sagües and welcomed António Horta Osório, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, as its esteemed Guest of Honour.

The highly anticipated event began with guests being welcomed in from the cold with a glass of Anna Blanc de Blancs cava, kindly provided by our Patron Codorníu Raventós, before having the chance to network with other guests. During this time there was also delicious Iberian ham being carved for the guests to enjoy which was courtesy of our member Brindisa and COVAP.

Following the drinks reception, guests took their seats at each of the round tables and became acquainted with those sitting with them, if they were not already. The Ambassador then led a toast to the King of Spain and the Queen of England each in turn, whilst both of the respective national anthems were played.

Guests then went on to enjoy a delicious three course feast, accompanied by red and white wines provided by Codorníu Raventós which perfectly complemented the meal.

After the dessert was cleared, the speeches began. The Ambassador of Spain spoke first, detailing the important commercial relationship between Spain and the UK and how the two countries should aim to continue to strengthen their links. The Guest of Honour António Horta Osório spoke next, recounting key aspects of his career path to date as well as crediting the important work of Spanish companies in the UK this year; followed by Eduardo Barrachina, Treasurer of the Chamber and acting on behalf of the President.

After the three speeches drew to a close, guests were able to chat with each other some more; meeting new connections and exchanging their impressions of the evening. The event came to an end late in the evening, with a pleasant and memorable evening appearing to have been had by all.

We would like to warmly thank our members and their guests for joining us on this special occasion marking the end of another year of successful Chamber activities. We would moreover like to express our gratitude to our generous sponsors Codorníu Raventós and Brindisa for their contribution with the wines, cava and ham which were served throughout the event.

Please click here to access the complete gallery of pictures of the VIII Gala Dinner. You can also access a short video summary of the event by clicking here.

For further information about the Chamber’s events in 2018, do not hesitate to visit the Upcoming Events section of our website www.spanishchamber.co.uk or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.

14/12/2017
INTERNATIONAL TASTING: WINE, SPIRITS AND BEER 2017

On Monday 18^th September 2017 we were delighted to take part in the annual International Wine, Spirits and Beer Tasting event. This event was hosted by a total of 13 London-based foreign Chambers of Commerce representing countries from around the world, with the aim of broadening attendees’ networks by exposing them to a greatly international audience.

Almost 300 guests gathered at the beautiful Middle Temple, one of London’s four ancient Inns of Court located in the heart of the legal quarter. Minutes from The Strand and Embankment and overlooking the river Thames, it provided a perfect setting for such a spectacular event.

On this occasion, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium & Luxembourg, Canada, the Czech Republic, Colombia, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Switzerland were the countries whose various wines, beers and spirits were represented.

With such international mixture the event didn’t fail to impress. Guests had a unique opportunity to broaden their international business networks with peers from other Chambers of Commerce. They were additionally able to exchange opinions about the various beverages and make recommendations to each other in the relaxed environment, resulting in a positive and lively atmosphere.

The International Wine, Spirits and Beer Tasting would not be possible without the invaluable collaboration of the sponsors. On this occasion, our member Wines from Rioja was the sponsor of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce with two of their representatives operating the Spanish stand. They provided a generous selection of 8 different wines, with vintages varying from 2009-2016 and grape varietals including 100% Viura, 100% Tempranillo and 100% Garnacha.

However, Spanish Rioja wine was only one of the many options our guests could taste. Many enjoyed sampling the Japanese sake, the rich Czech beer, without forgetting the sweet Canadian ice wine that once again impressed the most demanding connoisseurs. What everyone agreed on was the excellent selection each country offered, enabling many guests to discover new and unexpected flavours.

We would like to thank our member Wines from Rioja for their kind support by providing a generous selection of their delicious wines. Likewise, we would like to thank as well to all the attendees who joined us and, especially, to our colleagues at the Foreign Chambers of Commerce and trade institutions for their work and collaboration to bring this event to life and make it a success yet again.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s International Wine, Beer and Spirits Tasting. If you were unable to attend on this occasion or would like to reminisce about it, please click here to access the complete gallery of pictures for this event.

If you wish to know what we are up to next, take a look at the Upcoming Events section on our website or subscribe to our electronic newsletter for biweekly updates.

26/09/2017
Brexit Seminar: Trade & Employment Implications for Businesses

On Wednesday 7th December, we had the pleasure of holding the breakfast seminar “Brexit: Trade & Employment Implications for Businesses”, organised in collaboration with our Patron SCA Ontier, who hosted the event, and our member Blick Rothenberg.

With Brexit as the key point, this session’s aim was to explore the potential challenges and opportunities in the context of trade and employment in the post-exit landscape, including briefly looking at the key models used by other non-EU countries and practical considerations.

On this occasion, our Head of Accounts & Member Relations, Tom Newman, gave a warm welcome to the attendees on behalf of the Chamber and introduced Ms. Danielle Carr, Senior Associate at SCA ONTIER, Mr. Derek Stinson, Senior Associate at SCA and Mr. Mark Abbs, Partner at Blick Rothenberg.

The event was hosted at the premises of our Patron SCA ONTIER.

To kick off, Ms. Carr explained the current situation of the UK after Brexit vote. She developed the idea of what Brexit means for businesses and individuals, and how it will gradually be applied. She also described what the Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty means, a hot topic these days, and what this implies for the Government and Parliament.

After Danielle’s explanation, Mr. Stinson analysed the current trade situation between the EU and UK, and how it will be affected by Brexit. Then both of them explained different trade relations between EU non-member countries with the EU and hypothesized about which example would be the best for the future UK-EU relationship. Both of them finalised their intervention giving the attendees some tips about how to prepare themselves and their business for different EU-UK relation scenarios.

Experts from SCA ONTIER and Blick Rothenberg helped the attendees understand the future business scenario.

After this presentation, Mr. Abbs from Blick Rothenberg took over. He talked about the internal and external factors that are shaping the current situation of the country and its short-term future . To continue with his evaluation, he focused on potential risks and opportunities for employers and workers.

This led to a conversation on what will happen next regarding immigration policies and tax payments for European citizens working in the UK. The participants were very interested in possible changes about their citizenship/passport issues and freedom of movement between EU countries and the UK.

To conclude the seminar, a Q&A round was performed in order for participants to expose their doubts and questions to the three experts. An interesting debate about different possibilities on how Brexit will be applied and what it will mean in different aspects for corporates and individuals, with a special focus on foreign citizens working in the UK.

Attendees had the opportunity to network over a great breakfast.

Before the seminar was over, participants were invited to enjoy breakfast, whilst given the opportunity to discuss the session’s ideas and concepts further with the speakers.

We are grateful to our member Blick Rothenberg and SCA ONTIER, Patron of the Chamber and kind host of this session, for delivering such a dynamic and engaging session. We would like to thank all attendees who joined us and remind them that on Thursday 23^rd February we will be organising another seminar on Brexit with SCA ONTIER, this time focused on Taxes.

If you want to find out about other activities organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section on our website. In addition to this, you can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter in order to receive updates and information about our events.

13/12/2016
COMING SOON: OUR 129TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

We are pleased to announce that our 129^th Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 8^th June at the exclusive Drapers’ Hall, located in the heart of the City of London.

This corporate event is one of the most important activities that the Spanish Chamber organises during the year and it is attended by leading representatives from a wide range of British and Spanish companies. Following tradition, the event will be presided by H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Federico Trillo – Figueroa.

This year the event will be held at Drapers’ Hall, a truly impressive venue.

On this truly special occasion we are pleased to count on Mr. Juan Miguel Villar Mir, Chairman of Grupo Villar Mir and OHL as our Guest of Honour, and we would like to take this opportunity to introduce him as well as the company he represents.

Mr. Villar Mir, 1st Marquis of Villar Mir, is President, Chairman and owner of Grupo Villar Mir, which owns several leading international companies in different sectors, including OHL group. Mr. Villar Mir holds a Doctorate in Civil Engineering and Degrees in Law and Industrial Organisation and has received numerous distinctions throughout his extensive career. He is an Academic Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, as well as Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain.

Mr. Juan Miguel Villar Mir, Chairman of Grupo Villar Mir and OHL, will be our Guest of Honour.

He was appointed Vice-President of the Spanish Government for Economic Affairs and Treasury Minister in the first cabinet of the Spanish Monarchy (1975-76) and has also acted as Executive Chairman of several large corporations, such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, Hidro-Nitro Española and Empresa Nacional de Celulosas.

As for OHL, the Spanish company is a large international concessions and construction group with more than 100 years of history. It operates in more than 30 countries across 5 continents, being the 31^st largest international contractor and an international reference in the construction of hospitals and railways. In London, the OHL Group, whose majority shareholder is the Villar Mir Group, acquired in late 2014, the historic Old War Office building in a joint venture with the Hinduja Group. This property, a heritage asset of outstanding historical and patrimonial value, will be restored and renovated to accommodate a 5-star hotel and residential homes

The event is an excellent opportunity to network with representatives from Spanish and British companies.

With such a remarkable Guest of Honour, we are positive that attendees will be delighted to listen to Mr. Villar Mir’s insights and exchange impressions with him during the evening.

Please remember that places for this event are limited, so do not forget to book yours in advance to avoid disappointment. For further information on this event and how to submit your booking, please click here.

12/05/2016
ANNUAL GOLDEN AWARD 2016

The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain celebrated its Annual Golden Award on 21st April at the Spanish Embassy in London.

The Annual Golden Award is one of the main corporate events of the Spanish Chamber that acknowledges the significant commercial activity of a Spanish company in the United Kingdom during the previous year. On this occasion, the awarded company was CLH, a leading company in Spain for oil product transportation and storage and one of the largest private companies in its sector at an international level. Mr. José Luis López Silanes, President of CLH, received the award on behalf of the company and conveyed his gratitude for this recognition.

From left to right: H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa, Mr. Javier San Basilio, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in GB and Mr. José Luis López Silanes, President of CLH.

Mr. López Silanes shared his feelings towards this award as he felt it a very important recognition to the extraordinary work of the company which was created following the privatisation of the Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS).

He announced that the group has launched an important investment programme to enhance asset efficiency in the British market and shared that one of the main objectives of their new investment plan would be to facilitate the oil product transportation in the GPSS network.

In his words, this award represents the significant effort made by each member of the company to carry out this transaction, which has made it possible to increase by 50% the oil pipeline network that CLH manages.

Mr. José Luis López Silanes thanked the Spanish Chamber for this award in the name of CLH.

We had the pleasure to count on more than 200 guests on the evening, representing member companies from both Spain and the UK. All these members who decided to join us on this special occasion enjoyed the opportunity to extend their network and interact with professionals from the Anglo-Spanish business community.

Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to D. O. Utiel-Requena for their generous contribution by kindly providing a selection of their finest wines for this exceptional evening at the Embassy.

A selection of the wines provided by Utiel-Requena, our wine sponsor for the event.

Likewise, we would like to express our gratitude to Mahou San Miguel, Patron of the Chamber, which provided a selection of beers for this occasion.

Mahou San Miguel, Patron of the Chamber, provided the beers for this event.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our members for joining us on this special evening with us. You can all enjoy now a selection of the best moments of the evening by visiting the picture gallery of the Annual Golden Award 2016.

Attendees to the event had the opportunity to reconnect with other members and colleagues.

If you missed this event or simply want to know what we are up to next, please browse the UPCOMING EVENTS section on our website or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates.

05/05/2016

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