Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Tag: business development

  • “Infrastructure and Procurement opportunities in the West” event with Freeths LLP

    “Infrastructure and Procurement opportunities in the West” event with Freeths LLP

    On Tuesday 6th February 2018 the Spanish Chamber of Commerce held an event titled “Infrastructure and Procurement Opportunities in the West” in collaboration with Freeths LLP; member of the Chamber. Freeths is a major UK law firm with 11 offices in key cities, specialising in construction, energy, real estate and planning. The event took place at the firm’s head office in Manchester and constituted the Chamber’s first event to take place outside of London, marking the start of our efforts to carry out more sectorial events in different parts of the United Kingdom.

    The event saw a great turn out of 30 guests from approximately 25 companies from sectors ranging from construction to engineering, with many having travelled from cities such as London, Birmingham and Darlington. After an early start, guests had the opportunity to meet each other over a coffee before being asked to take their seats. They were then welcomed to the event and a series of introductions were made by James Driver, Partner at Freeths, who explained the structure of the day’s event.

    Steve Burns, Head of Economic Development at Bolton Council, was then the first to speak. He spoke about the town’s ‘Bolton 2030’ strategy for growth which focuses on factors such as employment, health, business growth, housing, embracing a digital future and the Bolton Vision partnership. He spoke about the scheme’s challenges but also the opportunities it brings, including housing and employment growth, before going on to describe Bolton’s town centre framework and the recent investment in this.

    Martin Lawton of Blacc Consulting LLP spoke next on the topic of manufacture led construction. He began by introducing his firm and what they do, detailing how they are construction, project, programme and portfolio management specialists who have a great deal of industry experience. He then described Blacc’s vision for revolutionising the construction industry and the evolution of the modular assembly toolkit, before providing a variety of case studies; looking principally at the layout of schools.

    David Fisken, Head of Business Attraction at the West Midlands Growth Company was the next to speak. He spoke of the company’s 7 remit areas before giving an introduction to the West Midlands and their recent major developments. He then spoke of the firm’s regional economic plan and the transformational and enabling sectors that this involves, highlighting the vital importance of digital in this. He highlighted the opportunities with transport, energy, life sciences and healthcare, housing, the High Speed 2 project and transformational regeneration projects. He finished his talk by highlighting the main motivations for investing in the West Midlands, which include connectivity, its rich and growing talent pool and the fact that it is the most successful UK region for FDI.

    Following a coffee break in which guests had the opportunity to share their impressions of the speakers, Andris Bankovskis spoke on the subject of UK energy. He began by highlighting that the three objectives of UK energy policy are the security of supply, sustainability and least cost before going on to speak about new energy technology and the opportunities developing in refurbishment, smart technologies and waste management to name a few. He finally went on to speak about several of the current energy projects in the UK.

    The final speaker of the morning was Jason Richards, Partner at Freeths, who spoke about the legislative framework for Public Private Partnerships and the UK Organisational Structure. He described the key features of a PPP framework, giving examples, before speaking about the main features of the UK’s organisational framework. He finally spoke about the Five Case Model, touching on Brexit, before providing a summary of the issues faced by investors.

    Following the last talk the guests had the opportunity to network with each other over lunch. As the attendees discussed the talks it was clear to see that they had found them useful and highly insightful. The success of this event was promising and we look forward to organising more events of this nature in the future.

    If you would like to know more about this kind of events and others organised by the Chamber, do take a look at the Upcoming Events section of our website or subscribe to our electronic newsletter for biweekly updates.

     

  • A BRIEF RECAP OF THE CHAMBER’S ACTIVITIES IN 2017

    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 2nd 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 28th 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 14th 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 6th 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.

  • ELEVATOR PITCH XXXII EDITION

    ELEVATOR PITCH XXXII EDITION

    On the morning of Thursday 30th November we hosted our most recent Elevator Pitch networking event, held in the stylish London office (based in Hammersmith) of Trison World, new patron of the Chamber. The event was chaired by Igor Urra, the Spanish Chamber’s Secretary General, who once all participants had taken their seats proceeded to explain the how event would work. The general format of the event is as follows:

    • One representative from each company is allowed to participate, with a maximum of 16 companies being able to take part. In addition, no more than two companies from the same sector can register for the event.
    • With something of a round table format, each participant begins by presenting their company and what they do to fellow guests, being given a maximum of two minutes to speak. Following this, each participant answers any questions other participants may have about their companies, before participants have a further chance to network more informally and without the previous time constraints over a late breakfast.

    This occasion saw 11 participants from a variety of sectors taking part: Buckles Solicitors (legal services),  Elastacloud (communications and IT networks), Global FDI (business consultancy services),  Trison World (audio visual integration), Melia White House Hotel (hotels and accommodation), Mishcon de Reya (legal services), Spanish Olive Oil School (education, training and learning), Sunfloret Translations (translation services), Synergym (leisure and sport management) and Your Architect London (architecture, interior design and engineering). Given that there were only 11 participants, the event was highly interactive with guests being able to learn a great deal about the other companies and explore potential routes for collaboration.

    We would very much like to thank all attendees who took part in this edition of the Elevator Pitch for having joined us, in particular a special thank you to Trison for hosting the session so successfully! Guests were even treated to a surprise following the main event, which saw them each being able to invent their own individual scent, inspired by different aspects of their personalities.

    If you have not yet participated in an Elevator Pitch event and are interested in doing so, 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 which will be held early in 2018.

  • Leadership in Focus Forum: Introducing an exciting new series of events

    On 2nd May we will be launching an exciting new series of events in collaboration with three members of the Chamber: International House, Avocets Consulting and Hill Networks, which will bring together business representatives to discuss best practices in leadership.

    ‘Leadership in Focus Forum‘ is aimed to create an open discussion and to debate skills that professionals should foster in their teams and companies and to encourage and share best practices for today’s leaders.

    They will run over 6 months, and the launch event is going to be held at the International House Premises , next 2nd May, so save the date in your calendar. The evening will kick off with some ice-breaker activities, giving the participants the opportunity to get to know each other in a fun and informal way. This will be followed by an introduction to the members who will be hosting the sessions, so they can share a little information about themselves and what they do. Finally, the attendees will have the opportunity to network before the evening reaches its conclusion.

    Leadership

    This series will also explore, among some others, topics such as: the importance of leaders understanding an international audience, managing multinational teams and incorporating key soft-skills into their leadership style. Each session will be chaired by the Chamber’s Secretary General and one of the collaborating members which include:

    International  House

    An established and well-known language school and cross-cultural training centre that provides  a wide range of courses from Executive business English courses to bespoke training programmes in 20 languages, delivered by native speaker trainers. Based in a spacious and fully-equipped school building in Covent Garden, they are a founder member and flagship school in the International House World Organisation.

    Avocets Consulting

    A management training and consulting firm specialising in training business professionals to communicate internationally. They offer training in presenting and pitching to international clients, international leadership skills and international team building.

    Hill Networks

    A cross- cultural training company who offers courses on leadership and working in an intercultural team, in addition to executive coaching. They also established the New Leader’s CLUB, a mentoring group for new and experienced managers and leaders who wish to enhance their leadership soft skills.

    The first two sessions within the Leadership in Focus Forum will take place on May 21st and June 20th at the Spanish Chamber premises and they will focus on international team building and presenting with impact respectively. Further information about the sessions and how to book your place will be posted soon in the UPCOMING EVENTS section on our website, newsletter, LinkedIn group and this blog .

    In the meantime,  join us for the launch event of this brand new forum and find out more about what good leaders are made of.

  • Behind the scenes: Meet the Chamber staff

    We are celebrating the 100th issue of our newsletter and we would like to take this opportunity to introduce the team that is behind every e-mail, newsletter, post, invitation (and even the  invoices) that you receive.

    As most of you know, the newsletter keeps you up to date with the Chamber’s news and upcoming events. This publication was conceived as a regular link between us and our network, which is expanding every day and it is about to reach over 3,500 contacts already.

    Since it was launched, the Chamber staff has always tried to find new ways to be a channel that not only links companies together, but also connects business to people at a more personal level.

    There are some members that are quite active in regard to attending our events, but there are many others that do not get the chance to come as often as they would like, or even have not had the opportunity to attend any of them at all. That is why, aside from telling you about what we do and the services we offer, we would like to tell you a bit about the team behind the Chamber.

    The Dream Team

    Igor Urra – Secretary General

    The Secretary General is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations at the Chamber. He is the glue that holds all the pieces together. Since his appointment, Igor has been meeting our existing members and Patrons, developing new avenues of collaboration with them and working on several new projects for the Chamber.
    Curious fact: He’s a die-hard Arsenal and Real Sociedad supporter. Beware Real Madrid fans, he’ll never understand you!

    Tom Newman –  Accounts and Member Relations

    For  every organisation it is crucial to manage the available resources in order to develop its mission and aim. Tom manages  the financial side of the Chamber and has made the sentence “I’m off to the bank” almost the official anthem of the Chamber. With a characteristic British elegance,  he is able to  develop new member relations  and engage them nonchalantly in our activities.
    Curious fact: Come rain or shine, you can bet Tom will spend his birthday at Ascot in hat and tails like the British gentleman he is.

    Cristina Carmona – Corporate Relations & Communication

    After having managed and organised the Chambers events for the last two years, Cristina is now focused on corporate relations, building professional alliances with like-minded Chambers of Commerce and corporate representatives in order to launch new activities.  She also looks to develop new relations with sponsors and to create attractive opportunities for them to gain visibility at our events. Cristina is also the Co-Ordinator of the Graduate European Programme. Curious fact: An avid reader, she’s highly likely to raid a bookstore  during her lunch break. That’s probably why she stays in often.

    Rubén Fernández – International Trade & Business Development

    The challenge to develop synergies between both the British and Spanish markets requires forward thinking and the ability to pick up on opportunities. Rubén is an expert in the field and has an extensive knowledge of the different tools and commercial actions that best suit the customer. He is in charge of building strong partnerships and links with local Chambers of Commerce in Spain in order to foster bilateral trade.
    Curious fact: Although a rare treat, his “tortilla paisana” has to be the best tortilla ever tasted in this office.

    María Prieto – Events & Communication

    One of the ways the Chamber provides its members with the opportunity to expand their network is through the organisation of events. Since joining the Chamber last year, María has been very involved in the organisation of different activities and has managed the LinkedIn group, keeping our members updated on activities, news and everything in between. She has recently been promoted to Events & Communication Co-ordinator, and you will be seeing a lot of her at our upcoming activities.
    Curious fact: She has rightfully earned the nickname “sopitas”, after living almost entirely on Pret-a-manger soups.

    The staff is also currently supported by three interns:  Annie, Elena and Mar, who help make possible the many activities we carry out. Now that you know us a bit better, come say hello at the next event. We’ll be happy to meet you!

    Keep posted on forthcoming activities by signing up to our newsletter or browsing the UPCOMING EVENTS section.

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