On Tuesday 2nd February we held the XXXIII edition of our Elevator Pitch networking event which on this occasion took place at the Chamber’s offices in central London.
The event was chaired by Igor Urra, Secretary General at the Spanish Chamber, who began by explaining the format of the event:
-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 has the opportunity to ask questions to their fellow participants about their companies. Attendees then are able to network more informally and without the previous time constraints over a late breakfast.
On this occasion, a wide variety of sectors were represented among the 10 participating companies: Audiense (Communications, IT and Network), Babel (Business Consultancy Services), Desamianta (Construction), Diversitas Institute (Businness Consultancy Services), DLF (Transport of Good, Storage and Handling Goods), El Ibérico (Press and Publishing Services), Fastrack to Refocus (Coaching, Education, Training and Learning), Hotel Indigo Kensington (Hotels and Accommodation), Melia White House (Hotels and Accommodation), Stonehealth Clinic (Health).
We would like to thank all attendees who took part in this edition of the Elevator Pitch and we hope that they found it profitable.
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.
On Wednesday 19th September, we had the pleasure of celebrating our second “Mahou Party” which was organised in collaboration with Mahou – San Miguel. On this occasion the event took place at MasQMenos, a restaurant in the Soho area, which provided the perfect backdrop for the evening.
The venue allowed attendees to mingle in a relaxed setting
This event was the second of a series of informal events organized in partnership with one of the Patrons of the Spanish Chamber, Mahou – San Miguel. The company is one of the most important Spanish brewers with a long tradition behind its back which they pair up with market innovations to be on the front foot of Spanish beer production.
There is no a better way to face the winter than sharing one of Spain´s most renowned beers surrounded by great people. On this occasion, nearly 100 guests could share their thoughts about the brewer craft and escape the daily routine enjoying themselves after a hard day of work in a marvellous event.
The event was organizing in partnership with Mahou- San Miguel, Patron of the Chamber.
In an attempt to fight back a traditional London gloomy evening, the event was an opportunity to meet new members, catch up with old friends or expand one’s own network of professional contacts to explore synergies with them in a relaxed setting.
We would like to thank everyone for sharing with us a nice evening, with a special mention to the sponsor of the event Mahou- San Miguel and their representatives for making possible this fantastic event. If you have missed this “Mahou Party”, you can still take part in the next one in November which will be announced shortly.
Guests had the chance to escape the daily routine sharing a perfect beer.
If you want to find out more about it and the upcoming activities the Chamber is organising, we recommend that you have a look at our UPCOMING EVENTS visiting our website or subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
As every year by this time, we are delighted to present the new edition of our Graduate European Programme, a graduate work placement programme that has been successfully running since 1990. The application period for candidates interested in doing a 6-month internship in London-based companies opened on Monday 11th May and will close on Friday 26th June.
This is the XVII edition of the Graduate European Programme that offers university graduates the opportunity to undertake work experience in London at the same time as they attend monthly talks and visits, as well as selected events organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in GB. The programme is mainly aimed at graduates with a background in Business, Economics or Marketing, as these are the most requested profiles by participating companies.
Further information about the programme can be found in our website in the Graduate European Programme section under the Career Services menu. Likewise prospective candidates will find helpful the section dedicated to frequently asked questions and the Terms and conditions for candidates 2015/2016.
Companies are also welcome to participate by offering 6-month placements for candidates. Those companies interested in hosting an intern can find more information about the programme by visiting the following section of our website GEP – Information for companies.
Why not have a look at previous posts about the Programme to see what our graduates have done in the last edition?
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce has recently signed a collaboration agreement with the region of La Rioja and the city of Logroño following a commercial agenda organised by the Trade and Business Development Department of our institution.
Throughout the year the Trade and Business Development Department of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain organises and delivers several trade missions and commercial agendas to help Spanish companies introduce their products and services into the UK and vice versa. The last of such actions brought to London several representatives from La Rioja and Logroño for a two-day visit on 25th and 26th of November to promote the capital city and the region.
A delegation from both institutions came to London as a result of a joint project which focuses on improving the development of Logroño and La Rioja as a region by providing local business with new tools and initiatives for their promotion abroad as well as by attracting foreign investment to the area. The Trade Department of the Spanish Chamber has been an essential part of this mission as it has been in charge of contacting the different organisations and arranging the meetings for the dates the delegation of La Rioja and Logroño were in the capital.
On the first day of their visit the representatives of La Rioja and Logroño met with the President of the Chamber, Javier Fernández-Hidalgo, our Secretary General, Igor Urra, and our Head of Trade and Business Development, Rubén Fernández. During the meeting both parties signed a collaboration agreement that will help promote local businesses in London.
From left to right: Mr. José María Ruiz (President of La Rioja Chamber of Commerce), (Logroño City Council), Ms. Concepción Gamarra (Mayor of Logroño) and Mr. Javier Fernández (President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain) signing the agreement.
Following on the original idea of the joint project, this first visit abroad has mainly focused in fostering business and commercial links to attract investment, paying special attention to encourage economic development in Logroño by assessing possible avenues of collaboration through UK-based institutions.
Between them, the delegation of La Rioja and Logroño met a group of local Chambers representing Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Swindon and Berkshire. They also had a meeting with representatives of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy. On other hand, the delegation from La Rioja and Logroño also held meetings with two London-based universities to assess the possibility of organising activities in collaboration and carrying out academic exchanges for both students and professors.
It is not the first time that the Spanish Chamber has worked with other local Chambers in Spain to support collaboration agreements to facilitate business links with the UK market. In fact, the Spanish Chamber has previously worked with several Chambers of Commerce (León, Lleida, Girona, Sabadell, A Coruña, Vigo and more recently Alicante) as well as with the Confederations of Business Industries of the Province of Badajoz (COEBA), Albacete (FEDA), and the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Businesses of Alicante (CEPYME).
For companies, local Chambers and Confederations interested in receiving more information about trade or commercial missions please do not hesitate to put yourself in contact with us on +44 (0) 207 0099 070 or by email at info@spanishchamber.co.uk
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.
The induction events for this years’ GEP (Graduate European Programme) continued this week, with a thoroughly engaging talk by renowned TVE & RNE correspondents Ms. Anna Bosch & Mr. Íñigo Picabea on the experiences of life as international journalists. The event was held once again at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises on Wigmore Street, and played host to over an hour of intrigue for our young GEP participants.
The different culture of news from country to country was the first point to be highlighted in the talk; the differences of which are further intensified in particular cities, such as London and Washington, which have their own micro-cultures. From this insight, Ms. Bosch, who has extensive experience working in both of these great cities, reminded the room that there are also distinct differences in producing news for either domestic or international consumption – the way in which information is then transformed and packaged for its relevant audience.
As a journalist, she said, you are bombarded with information. In one example of her time in Washington D.C., she recalled a time in 2006 when she had to immediately drop all of her plans upon hearing reports of Fidel Castro’s death. As it turns out, he was just taken unwell, but the frenzy of media speculation was intense.
Freedom of, and access to information was also another important point. The processes of collecting reliable data from sources in liberal cities like London, differs hugely to the ability to do the same in say, either Moscow or Caracas. These perceptions provided great food for thought for our attending GEP participants, with questions being posed throughout the talk.
One poignant departing thought was left with the audience at the end of the session, with the idea of the consequences of modern news consumption carrying with it certain dangers. With the advent of countless dispensers of news on the internet and social media, conveyed through varied biases and on focusing on specific topics, an important question needs to be asked: Are we are creating our own world of news by only accessing that we which we want, and forgetting the wider importance of everything else? Perhaps the high level of personal tailoring of how each of us receives news could carry with it the consequence of making us more ignorant, rather than the contrary.
These important issues were a great source of interest for our attendees, and we extend our thanks to our speakers for their time.
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