Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Tag: AGM

131st AGM 2018

On Thursday 5^th July, during a particularly warm and summery evening, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce hosted its 131^st Annual General Meeting and dinner, one of the most important events of our annual calendar. This year, the event took place at One Great George Street in Westminster, a beautiful grade II listed Edwardian building which is also the global headquarters of the Institution of Civil Engineers and close to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St James’s Park.

On this occasion we were honoured to welcome the Rt Hon David Lidington CBE MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

As is the case each year, the event began with the Annual General Meeting which is held exclusively for members of the Chamber; in the Palmer Room of the venue. During the meeting the Executive Committee of the Chamber presented the financial statements of 2017 along with a memorandum of the activities and events which the Chamber had organised during this year. The meeting was presided by the Ambassador of Spain in the United Kingdom Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagues, the Honorary Vice Presidents Mr. José Riera Siquier and Mrs Inmaculada López, the President of the Chamber of Commerce Mr. Eduardo Barrachina and the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Igor Urra.

Following the meeting, a cocktail reception was held in the grand Smeaton Room, where members who had participated in the AGM meeting were joined by the rest of the guests as they arrived. During the reception, guests were able to enjoy a cold glass of Cuvée 1872 Brut cava kindly provided by Codorniú Raventós, patron of the Chamber, as well as El Aprendiz tinto and El Aprendiz Blanco red and white wines from Leyenda del Páramo. Ibérico ham was also served during the reception, as provided by Ibérica Restaurants; another patron of the Chamber.

Following the drinks reception and once almost all of the guests had arrived, including the Guest of Honour, all guests were ushered upstairs to the Great Hall. Once they had all taken their seats, a loyal toast was held to the King and Queen of both Spain and the United Kingdom, before the national anthems of both countries were played. Following this were the speeches, of which the Chamber’s new President, Eduardo Barrachina of White & Case LLP, spoke first. Among other things, he talked about the activities and developments that had taken place within the Chamber during the previous year and what he hoped that the following year would bring. The Spanish Ambassador then expressed his sincere gratitude to the institution for allowing him to share such an important evening with our members and attendees, before kindly introducing the Guest of Honour, Mr. David Lidington. He spoke in depth about Brexit and the changes that this has and would continue to bring about, while also describing the important relationship between Spain and the UK and how this should continue.

Once the speeches had concluded, guests enjoyed a delicious three course dinner which included roast beef. Members and their guests were able to meet each other, establishing new contacts and exchanging impressions of the evening.

We would very much like to thank our members and their guests for joining us on the occasion of our 131^st Annual General Meeting and for sharing such a special evening for our institution. We are truly grateful to our patron Raventós Codorníu for their contribution of the cava and Leyenda del Páramo for providing the wines that were served throughout the event as well as Ibérica Restaurants, patron of the Chamber, for providing the ham.

Please click here to access the complete gallery of pictures of the 131^st Annual General Meeting. For a short video on how the evening went, please click on the following link 130^th Annual General Meeting Video.

For further information about events in 2018, do not hesitate to visit our Upcoming Events section at www.spanishchamber.co.uk or subscribe to our newsletter to receive fortnightly updates straight to your inbox.

19/07/2018
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
129TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

On Wednesday 8th June we held the 129^th Annual General Meeting and Dinner, one of the most important annual events of our institution, at Drapers’ Hall. On this special occasion we were honoured to have Mr. Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, Chairman of Grupo Villar Mir and of OHL, as our Guest of Honour.

The members’ meeting was held at the premises of White & Case, member of the Chamber.

As it is traditional, the actual General Meeting, exclusively for members of our institution, preceded the drinks reception and dinner that would follow later in the evening. The members’ meeting took place at the premises of White & Case, member of the Chamber, while the drinks reception and dinner were held at the historic Drapers’ Hall, located in the heart of the City of London.

During the members’ General Meeting, the Executive Committee of the Chamber presented the Financial Statements of 2015, as well as the Memorandum of the activities and events organised by the Chamber during the mentioned year. Afterwards, H.E. the Ambassador of Spain presented a macroeconomic analysis of the Spanish economic situation and provided data regarding the bilateral relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom.

Everything was ready at Draper’s Hall for our guests to enjoy the dinner of our 129th AGM.

After the meeting, representatives of Spanish and British companies made their way to the drinks reception and dinner at Drapers’ Hall, one of the City’s 39 traditional livery companies still existing in London. The tastefully decorated venue provided an unforgettable backdrop for the nearly 200 attendees that had the opportunity to gather for this special occasion.

Upon arrival guests were led to the reception rooms, where they had the opportunity to interact and network with other attendees while enjoying a delicious Spanish ham, kindly sponsored by our member Spanish Ham Master, and tasting the white and red wines kindly provided by the Spanish winery Leyenda del Páramo. After the drinks reception was finished, the Master of Ceremonies informed attendees they should make their way for dinner, which was served at the splendorous Livery Hall.

Attendees had the opportunity to start business conversations with representatives of Spanish and Bristish companies during the drinks reception.

The proceedings of the dinner started with H.E. the Ambassador of Spain leading the traditional loyal toasts in honour of the Queen of Great Britain and the King of Spain. After the dessert was served, it was time for the traditional round of speeches. To begin with, the President of the Chamber, Mr. Javier San Basilio, took the floor to thank members for their continuous support and express his gratitude to all attendees for joining us on such a wonderful evening. He also emphasised the great results of the Spanish Chamber in 2015, gaining six Patrons since the last AGM and proudly presented OHL DESARROLLOS as newest Patron of our organisation.

From left to right: H.E. Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa, Ambassador of Spain; Mr. Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, Chairman of Grupo Villar Mir and Chairman of OHL; and Mr. Javier San Basilio, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

The President of the Spanish Chamber then gave the floor to H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa, who expressed his sincere gratitude to the institution for allowing him to share such an important evening with our members and attendees, and kindly introduced our Guest of Honour, Mr. Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, Chairman of Grupo Villar Mir and Chairman of OHL.

During his speech, Mr. Villar Mir thanked the attendees for supporting the growing Anglo-Spanish business community in London and expressed his gratitude to the Spanish Chamber for the invitation to be the Guest of Honour on such an important evening. He provided the audience with an interesting insight of the company he leads and also highlighted his proudness for their partnership with the Hinduja Group in the redevelopment of the iconic Old War Office building, as one of the most relevant projects for the political and social history of the United Kingdom. As a final note before closing his speech, Villar Mir underlined the importance of maintaining close historic, social, cultural and economic relations between the countries of Spain and the United Kingdom.

The magnificent Livery Hall was the perfect setting to held the dinner for this special occasion.

We would like to express our gratitude to our kind sponsors for the 129^th AGM Dinner: our member Spanish Ham Master , who provided a ham for the drinks reception, and the Spanish Winery Leyenda del Páramo for providing the red and white wines for this exclusive event.

Our proud sponsors Spanish Ham Master and Leyenda del Páramo

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to all attendees for their participation in both the meeting at the premises of White & Case and the dinner at Drapers’ Hall. We are thankful for your notes of appreciation and support.

The full picture gallery of the evening can be browsed by clicking here.

If you missed this event and want to be up-to-date on future activities, please visit our Upcoming Events section or sign up to our newsletter.

16/06/2016
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
127th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

On Friday 6th June we held one of the most important events organised by our institution, the 127^th Annual General Meeting. On this occasion, the meeting exclusively for members was held at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises. The Executive Committee of the Chamber presented the financial statements of 2013, as well as the full list of events and activities organised by the Chamber during that period.

Everything was ready for our members to enjoy the 127th AGM Lunch.

After the members’ meeting, the 127^th AGM lunch was held at one of London’s most iconic landmarks: the House of Lords, within the Palace of Westminster. Numerous representatives from our member companies did not want to miss this special occasion, so much so the event was indeed sold out in a couple of weeks.

This activity was possible thanks to the kind hospitality of Lord Daniel Brennan, QC, who was our host on such a remarkable afternoon.

After the necessary security checks and once inside the House of Lords, our guests could enjoy the sunny weather at the terrace during the drinks reception. Many of them took the opportunity to snap some pictures at the impressive views, with the London Eye as the backdrop.

Lord Daniel Brennan, QC welcoming attendees.

The proceedings of the lunch started with H.E. the Ambassador of Spain leading the traditional loyal toasts in honour of the Queen of Great Britain and the King of Spain. It was then the turn of Lord Brennan, our host, to welcome us as his guests with an opening speech in which he made reference to his longstanding passion and admiration for Spain.

After the main course, the President of the Chamber, Javier Fernández Hidalgo began the round of speeches thanking our host Lord Brennan for having made possible the event. He also took this opportunity to thank our Patrons and members for their continuous support. More importantly, he proudly informed the assistants that since the last AGM the Chamber has gained 6 new Patrons.

The President of the Chamber Javier Fernández Hidalgo during his speech.

Our President then introduced Lord Bell, our Guest of Honour for the lunch. Lord Bell is the Chairman of Bell Pottinger and one of the best known figures in the public relations sector in Great Britain. During his speech, he mentioned meeting and working with Margaret Thatcher during his successful publicity campaigns for the Conservative Party in the British General Elections of 1979, 1983 and 1987, which he noted was a turning point for him. He then went on to explain how the industry has evolved over the years, sharing insights and anecdotes with our guests.

Our guest of Honour, Lord Bell and H.E. the Ambassador of Spain Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa.

After Lord Bell, it was the turn of H.E. the Ambassador of Spain Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa to address attendees. The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to both Lord Brennan (for his hospitality and kind words about Spain) and Lord Bell (for his insightful observations).

Attendees enjoying the drinks reception at the House of Lords terrace.

We would like to thank all attendees for their participation in the Annual General Meeting and for sharing with us such a unique day. The full gallery of pictures can be seen by clicking here.

If you missed this event and want to be up-to-date on future activities, please visit our Upcoming Events section or sign up to our newsletter.

19/06/2014
126th Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday 26^th June we held our 126th Annual General Meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel at Park Lane in London. The event, which is one of the most important in our calendar, gathered numerous guests who represented several of our member companies.

Everything was ready for a remarkable evening at the 126th Annual General Meeting.

The AGM afternoon meeting started with the presentation of our financial statements and the activities and events held through the previous year. This edition of the AGM was also important as half of the members of the Executive Committee of the Chamber had to be renewed. Members could cast their vote by post or on the day at the electoral table set up at the entrance of the AGM. The members of the electoral table were in charge of registering the received votes and counting them in order to ensure the smooth running of the process.

Mr. Carlos Franqués, Treasurer of the Spanish Chamber, casting his vote at the electoral table.

We we would like to congratulate the companies that have been elected to the Executive Committee, and which are as follows below in alphabetical order:

Aqualogy Solutions & Technologies UK
Banco Santander
Caixabank
Colman Coyle LLP
H10 London Waterloo
Iberia
London & Partners
Meliá White House
NH Hoteles
Rodanto
Unicaja

After the meeting, attendees and the rest of the guests enjoyed themselves at the drinks reception. This was followed by the traditional dinner presided by H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa. Once speeches bagan, the President of the Spanish Chamber, Mr. Javier Fernández, opened the proceedings to highlight the achievements made by the Chamber since the Annual Golden Award in April. He then gave the floor to H.E. the Ambassador, who introduced our Guest of Honour. This year we were honoured to have Mr. Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, High Commissioner for Marca España, as our Guest of Honour. In order to find out more about Marca España please click here to visit their website.

Mr. Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, High Commissioner for Marca España, during his speech.

During his speech Mr. Espinosa de los Monteros made clear that it is more than worthy believing in Spain as a provider of quality products and services. As he showed through different examples, there is a growing number of Spanish companies leading innovative and modern projects worldwide across different sectors. He went on explaining that supporting and developing the talent pipeline will result in growing businesses, improved economy and enhanced life quality in the long term for Spain.

Our guests during the drinks reception at the 126th Annual General Meeting.

We would like to thank all attendees for their commitment and participation one more year in the Annual General Meeting and for sharing with us such a remarkable evening. Last but not least, we are thankful to Bodegas Protos for having kindly provided the wines for this event.

For furtehr information about upcoming activities, please browse our website www.spanishchamber.co.uk or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

02/07/2013

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