Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Tag: Networking

INTERNATIONAL TASTING: WINE, SPIRITS AND BEER 2018

On Tuesday 25th September 2018 we were delighted to take part in the annual International Wine, Spirits and Beer Tasting event. This event was hosted by a total of 16 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.

Over 400 guests gathered at the impressive Stamford Bridge, the home ground for Chelsea Football Club in south west London, which provided an impressive and memorable setting with elevated views of the whole pitch and fantastic, open views of the evening sky.

On this occasion, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium & Luxembourg, Canada, Colombia, The Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Switzerland were the participating countries, each with their own attractively decorated stand showcasing some of their finest wines, beers and spirits.

The International Wine, Spirits and Beer Tasting would not be possible without the invaluable collaboration of the sponsors. On this occasion, our member Raventós Codorníu was the sponsor of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce with two of their representatives operating the Spanish stand. They provided a generous selection of four different wines including two cavas, with vintages varying from 2011 – 2015 and grape varietals including 100% Pinot Noir, 70% Viura, 70% Chardonnay and 100% Tempranillo.

Raventós Codorníu is the business group which created cava and pride themselves in being the oldest family business in Spain and one of the oldest of the world dating back over 500 years. More than 150 of their international wines and cavas have received awards in the last 5 years and they are commonly known for their commitment to the earth and society by promoting the development of regional products and generating value in local communities through winery tours. Their commitment is to delight customers and they certainly delighted all those who sampled their wines at this unforgettable event.

With such an international range of beverages and backgrounds, the event did not 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 excellent selection of drinks, from Japanese sake to Mexican tequila and Finnish gin, and make recommendations to each other in a relaxed environment, resulting in a positive and lively atmosphere.

We would like to thank our member Raventós Cordoníu for their kind support by providing a generous selection of their delicious wines. Likewise, we would like to thank 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 for bringing this event to life and for making it such 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.

To find out what we have planned for the next few months, take a look at our Upcoming Events section on our website or subscribe to our electronic newsletter for fortnightly updates.

08/10/2018
MAHOU BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY

On Monday 17^th of September we were delighted to hold our second Mahou Informal Party of 2018 in collaboration with Mahou San Miguel, Patron of the Chamber, and Hispania, member of the Chamber, at their gorgeous flagship restaurant in the heart of the City. The restaurant spans over 9,000 square feet and forms part of the historical Lloyds Bank building while showcasing the best of Spanish lifestyle, gastronomy and culture.

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Conveniently located for most of our attendees and with a beautiful sunset outside, the upstairs space started to fill up quickly and there was a relaxed atmosphere as guests caught up with one another after a long summer break and established new connections. The bar certainly proved to be a popular meeting point as guests enjoyed chilled Mahou beers whilst enjoying Hispania’s delicious tapas that were circulating around the room. These included empanada de atún, croquetas, ensaladilla rusa and a selection of jamón ibérico and cheeses, finished off with chocolate and pistachio brownies.

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Mahou is one of Spain’s most prominent beer brands and has been a vital part of Madrid’s gastronomy culture for over 125 years. It has a clean, refreshing flavour which makes it the ideal companion for Spanish cuisine.

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We would like to thank everyone who attended this event and helped to make it such a wonderful evening, with a special mention to our sponsor for the event, Mahou San Miguel, for making it all possible.

Pictures of the evening will be uploaded soon. If you missed this event and would like to take part in our next Mahou Informal Party, keep an eye out for any announcements found in the Upcoming Events section, active Twitter feed and in our fortnightly newsletter.

24/09/2018
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
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
Human Capital Forum: first and second editions

For 2018, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce has been delighted to introduce a brand new events series: the Human Capital Forum. The forum aims to create a space for learning and discussing relevant topics in the areas of organisational development, leadership, change management and talent. Meeting every three months, the event is open to representatives of member companies who are responsible for HR and its related fields and professions. The forum is chaired by Mónica Hernanz, Managing Director at The Client Academy and Adjunct Professor of Organisational Behaviour at IE Business School.

The first meeting of the series took place at the Chamber’s offices on Wednesday 25^th April, with the topic being: “positive psychology in the workplace: is it possible (and desirable) to be truly happy at work?” The guest speaker on this occasion was Vanessa King, a positive psychology, happiness and resilience expert. A board member for Action for Happiness and author of the book “10 Keys to Happier Living”, she regularly speaks and carries out workshops both nationally and internationally on the subject of well-being, resilience and workplace creativity.

Vanessa began the seminar by exploring the definition of happiness, explaining that it has two forms: hedonic and eudaimonic and how it compares to the notions of wellbeing and resilience. She went on to explain what determines happiness of work and the ways in which it can benefit employers if their staff are kept happy. She then proposed the discussion of what employers can do to increase the happiness of their employees and what their main advice for doing this would be.

The second edition of the Human Capital Forum took place on the 4^th July, this time to discuss the topic of “the human challenge of digitalisation: how are companies’ cultures changing them for a digital future?”. Also chaired by Monica Hernanz, this edition welcomed two guest speakers from IBM’s Talent and Engagement Practice from the London and Madrid teams: Isaac Cantalejo Fuentes and Sunaya Sahans.

The session began with all of the participants introducing themselves and describing the main challenges of digitalisation faced by their companies, of which a variety were suggested owing to the various sectors that were represented. They spoke in particular about the changing face of recruitment owed to digitalisation, with the industry being more online and fast paced than ever before. The speakers then went on to discuss the key digital transformation trends that HR Directors should be mindful of, as well as what can be learnt from companies both leading and struggling in the journey to create a more digital organisational culture. Following the presentation, participants of the forum discussed where they believed the priorities for investment should be for HR Directors in the wake of an increasingly digitalised world. Over a networking breakfast following the forum, participants expressed their views of the session; expressing how they had found it both relevant and thought provoking.

The next edition of the forum is scheduled to meet in November, with the topic being ‘the #MeToo movement in the office: how have sexual harassment and gender politics changed in the workplace in 2018 as a result of societal change?”. Towards the end of the year, members of the forum will also have the opportunity to suggest the topics of future forums in 2019.

The Human Capital Forum’s ultimate aim is to highlight the strategic value of all company’s greatest assets- their workforce. If you are interested in finding out more about this initiative, please contact Hannah.sanders@spanishchamber.co.uk

16/07/2018
ANNUAL PATRONS’ DINNER 2018

On Tuesday 20^th March the Spanish Chamber organised the Annual Patrons’ Dinner. The event was held at the Spanish Embassy and H.E. the Ambassador of Spain Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagües was our exceptional host for the evening.

Our guests were welcomed with a selection of canapés that they could enjoy while tasting the selection of cava and wine, which was kindly sponsored by our Patron Raventós Codorníu, as well as beers kindly provided by our Patron Mahou-San Miguel during the pre-dinner reception. This was the perfect opportunity for new Patrons to introduce themselves and get acquainted with the rest of representatives in attendance.

After the reception, Patrons proceeded to the dining area to take their seats and get ready to enjoy a three-course dinner which consisted of pumpkin risotto with chestnut pesto, grilled sirloin steak with braised pork cheek and dauphinoise and mascarpone cheesecake with peanut butter.

Before dinner was served Mr. Javier San Basilio, President of the Spanish Chamber, opened the evening with a special speech expressing his gratitude for the support that Patrons provide to this institution and warmly thanked the Ambassador for kindly welcoming the Patrons on his first event with the Spanish Chamber.

He also mentioned the new Patrons that the Chamber has gained since the last year’s dinner which were: DLA Piper, Trison, Ibérica Restaurants and Sacyr.

After the President, it was the turn of H.E. the Ambassador Mr. Carlos Bastarreche Sagües, who began his speech by thanking the Spanish Chamber for the organisation and gave an overview of the current economic and political situation in the UK and Spain in the context of Brexit.

After the speeches, it was time for guests to enjoy the dinner and later to move on to the main reception room, where coffee and petit fours were served. Attendees enjoyed thus the end of the event in a comfortable atmosphere and could exchange impressions with the Ambassador and the President of the Chamber. This was the perfect closure for this exclusive gathering.

We would like to thank our Patron Raventós Codorníu for their generous support providing the wines and cava served during the event and also special thanks to our Patron Mahou-San Miguel for kindly sponsoring the beer and water at this special evening.

Finally, we are grateful to our Patrons for their attendance and we look forward to seeing them at the next Patrons’Event.

To see the complete pictures of the evening, please click here.

If you would like to be updated on forthcoming activities, do not hesitate to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Alternatively, you can also check out our event in the UPCOMING EVENTS section within our website.

02/07/2018
Elevator Pitch XXXIV Edition
The latest edition of our popular Elevator Pitch networking events was held on Tuesday 16^th May at our patron Ibérica’s beautiful flagship London restaurant in Marylebone.

On this occasion the event moderator was Abel Plasencia, International Trade Manager of the Spanish Chamber. After the guests had arrived and briefly met each other, before grabbing a coffee and taking their seats, Abel welcomed all participants to the event and explained the event format. As always, this is as follows:
- Participation is limited to one representative per company and a maximum of 16 companies can take part in each edition.
- Only two companies of the same sector can register for the event.
- Each attendee has two minutes to explain the work of his company to the other participants. Following this, everyone can ask questions to their fellow participants about their companies. They then have the opportunity to network more informally and without the previous time constraints over a late breakfast.
- Everyone leaves with a business card of each person who took part.
This edition saw 12 companies from a variety of sectors taking part, both members and none members of the Spanish Chamber. These were the Mandeville Hotel (hotels and accommodation), Crescender (business consultancy services), Forma 5 (furniture manufacturers), Synergym (leisure and sports management), Ibérica (bar, restaurant and catering services), Continental Insurance & Mortgage Consultants (insurance), Jobandtalent (recruitment agency), Graziano Longo (banking and financial services), Trade Advisors Ltd (business consultancy services), C & C Bespoke Events (event management), Hacienda Villarta (wines and other alcoholic beverages), IE Business School (education, training and learning) and a freelance translator and marketer.

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

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

If you have not yet participated in an Elevator Pitch event and are interested in doing so, we encourage you to keep an eye on our newsletter (released twice a month) as well as the UPCOMING EVENTS section of our website for information about the next one.
21/05/2018
II ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENT EDUCATION

This month we had the pleasure of participating for the second time in the “II Annual Conference on Entrepreneurial Talent Education” event organised by the Vicente Cañada Blanch Spanish School, which aims to promote entrepreneurship outside of higher education.

The event took place on Tuesday 6th at the school’s premises. Our Secretary General, Mr. Igor Urra, along with the school’s director, Ms. Carmen Pinilla and the Head of the Spanish Embassy Education Office in the U.K., Mr. Gonzalo Capellán, welcomed the students and gave them a brief summary of the history of the Chamber and the various services it provides.

He also encouraged the students to think outside the box and reminded that they had a lot to offer employers given their dual Spanish and British background.

After this introduction the event continued with a series of speeches about the labour market given by representatives from some of our member companies. The participants included: Ms. Nuria Corominas from Román y Asociados PR Consultants, Mr. David Lucas from Bluefin Group, Ms. Raquel Barrera and Ms. Mar Gayá from Diversitas Institute, Ms. Patricia Témes from Forma 5, Mr. Juan Carlos Machuca from Uría Menéndez, Mr. Mikel Lotina from IDOM UK and Mr. Nacho Morais from Frank Consulting.

On Thursday 8th March, some of the students from the Vicente Cañada Blanch school visited the Chamber’s offices to learn more about our activities and meet some of our staff. Nerea Esgueva, Head of Corporate Relations and Abel Plasencia, Foreign Trade Manager, discussed their career paths with the students and what the main responsibilities of their current roles.

They went on to speak about the wide range of job opportunities that London can offer to young people and they both agreed on the great value of being fluent in English. Finally, they encouraged the students to always do their best and to find what they are passionate about.

The students then went on to visit the Spanish Tourism Office where the Head of the Office, Mr. Javier Piñares, explained the main responsibilities of the Office and the vital importance of tourism to the Spanish economy. He discussed with them the main differences between Spanish and British tourists and the future prospects for this sector.

We would like to thank the Vicente Cañada Blanch Spanish School for organising such an insightful and interesting event and for including the Spanish Chamber in its organisation. We sincerely hope that the event was helpful for all of the participating students and has shed some light on their future prospects.

We encourage you to check the Upcoming Events section of our website to keep up to date with future Spanish Chamber events, seminars and other activities.

29/03/2018
CAF WILL RECEIVE THE ANNUAL GOLDEN AWARD 2018

On Tuesday 12th April the Spanish Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Golden Award event at the Spanish Embassy.

The Annual Golden Award is one of our most important corporate events of the year which identifies a Spanish company with a presence in the UK whose performance in the previous year has been outstanding. This year CAF will receive this recognition for their remarkable achievements over the course of 2017. Mr. Andrés Arizkorreta, President of the company, will be present at the event to receive the award.

With over 100 years since its establishment, CAF has been operating in the UK since 1994 when it won the contract to manufacture Heathrow Express trains. Since then they have worked on large scale projects such as the diesel trains for the NIR and the tram networks in Edinburgh and Birmingham. The firm is 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.

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. They are currently building a new factory in Newport (Wales) which will begin operations later this year.

CAF is a multinational firm which manufactures trains and conducts feasibility studies, civil works, electrification, signalising and maintenance and system operations. The company boasts a workforce of 8,500 people across their main factories in Beasáin, Zaragoza Irún, Castejón and Linares; as well as others in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, France and the UK.

In addition, CAF’s sales reached 1,447 million euros in 2017 and they achieved a net profit of 42.5 million euros. Moreover, the firm has undertaken projects in over 35 countries including providing metro units in Washington, Rome, Mexico City, Bucharest and Sao Paulo; as well as trams in Belgrade, Edinburgh, Nantes, Sydney and Stockholm. They have also fabricated diesel and commuter trains in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the USA and high speed trains in Turkey and Norway.

Finally, in Spain CAF is one of the most prominent providers within the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE), providing metro units, trams and the latest innovative trains to cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Vitoria, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Granada.

We would like to thank our Patron Ibérica Restaurants and our Benefactor Estrella Galicia for kindly providing the ibérico ham and the beer that will be enjoyed during the ceremony.

This event is exclusively for members of the Spanish Chamber. For further information about this award and to find out more about the activities that we organise for Chamber members, we encourage you to visit the UPCOMING EVENTS section of our website and our WordPress blog.

26/03/2018

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