Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom

Tag: #Spanish Chamber of Commerce in GB

A NEW EDITION OF THE “TWO WEEKS PROGRAMME” IN LONDON

On Friday 29^th July the Spanish Chamber of Commerce hosted an informative session that was part of “The Two Weeks Programme”, an initiative jointly organised by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Valencia University (UV).

This is the fifth year in a row in which the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain takes part in this exciting initiative. The delegation that came to London was led by Mr. Antonio Reig, Prof. Dr. Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and coordinator of the programme.

The “Two Weeks Programme” takes place once a year and it gives 20 students from the above universities the opportunity to travel to London for a two-week stay. During the programme the participants attend a course about recruitment processes and visit prestigious companies from different industries related to their field of studies, such as Energy, IT, Industrial Production, Technical Consultancy, Financial Engineering, Construction and Real Estate.

The participants of the “Two Weeks Programme” from the UPV.

The session hosted at the Spanish Chamber provided further information about the role of the institution and the opportunities available in the UK for young graduates.

To start off, Ms. Cristina Carmona, Head of External Relations and Communications, welcomed the participants on behalf of our institution and spoke about the main services provided by the Chamber and the activities we organise throughout the year. This topic proved of special interest for the students, who took the opportunity to enquire further about it.

Ms. Cristina Carmona (Spanish Chamber of Commerce) welcoming the participants along with Mr. Geoff Curran (Energy Live News).

The next speaker was Ms. Sofía Vázquez, Co-founder of Bookingenglish, a company specialised in sourcing English courses, assessing candidates CVs and finding placements for graduates. She offered the participants of the Two Weeks Programme useful tips to be successful at interviews and selection processes, and highlighted the importance of making a first good impression.

She also mentioned other things to take into consideration such as the need to be flexible in a competitive and demanding market and shared her experience as co-founder of a business and the challenges it presents.

Ms. Sofía Vázquez, Co-Founder of Bookingenglish, during her talk.

Finally it was the turn of Geoff Curran, Founder and Commercial Director of Energy Live News, a leading energy news site in the United Kingdom. Mr. Curran shared relevant information about the background of the company and focused on explaining how to survive and thrive in business by providing an inspiring talk full of day-to-day examples to follow based on his previous experience.

Ms. Cristina Carmona closed the informative session and received a commemorative plaque from Mr. Antonio Reig as a memory of this fifth collaboration between our institution and the participants of the “Two Weeks Programme”.

Mr. Antonio Reig (UPV) handed a plate to Ms. Cristina Carmona (Spanish Chamber of Commerce) to mark this visit.

We would like to thank all the speakers of this informative session as well as the students who have taken part this year in the “Two Weeks Programme” for their interest and involvement.

If you wish to obtain further details about the programme and how it works, have a look at the following video on last year’s edition.

03/08/2016
INFORMAL SUMMER PARTY

On Tuesday 5^th July we welcomed the summertime with our traditional Informal Summer Party which on this occasion was kindly sponsored by PortAventura World, member of the Chamber.

This is one of our most popular events as it marks the end of our activities until September, so members take this opportunity to say farewell before their holidays and share their summer plans.

The party was a great success and over 150 guests gathered together, with the opportunity to learn first-hand about the new projects of PortAventura World while sipping delicious cocktails and canapes. The venue certainly contributed to create a relaxing but engaging atmosphere and allowed attendees to catch up with fellow members.

The spacious venue allowed attendees to mingle in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

Once the event was in full swing, our Secretary General Mr. Igor Urra, welcomed guests on behalf of our institution and introduced the representatives of PortAventura World: Ms. Coro Miguel, Head of Sales, and Mr. David Sánchez, Senior International Sales Manager.

They took the floor to thank everyone for joining such a wonderful evening and explained in further detail how PortAventura World will be welcoming new and exciting projects in 2017, including a Ferrari-themed park. They went on to show a video presentation that allowed attendees to discover and learn about the full extent of the PortAventura World experience.

From left to right: Mr. David Sánchez, Ms. Coro Miguel (representatives of PortAventura World) and Mr. Igor Urra (Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain).

After the speeches, it was time for the prize draw, where guests were in with the chance to win a weekend stay at PortAventura World. The lucky winners were Javier Arbina, from Arbina restaurant; Jose Saras, from Preiskel & Co., both members of the Chamber; and Paula Enríquez, from SCA Ontier, Patron of the Chamber.

One of the winners of a weekend stay at PortAventura World.

We would very much like to thank everyone who shared this evening with us and congratulate the winners. We are also extremely grateful to PortAventura World for having kindly sponsored this event and allowing our members to learn first-hand about their new projects.

The event gathered over 150 guests from different business sectors.

This Informal Summer Party is the icing on the cake to a fantastic first semester and it is now time to work on new activities for the rest of the year. We will be back in September with the next edition of the International Wine Tasting on Tuesday 20^th September, so please save the date in your diary.

If you missed our Informal Summer Party or just want to find out about other activities that the Spanish Chamber is organising from September onwards, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section within our website.

14/07/2016
BREAKFAST SEMINAR “EMPLOYMENT LAW: WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2016”

On Thursday 14th April, we had the pleasure of holding the seminar “Employment Law: What to Expect in 2016”, organised in collaboration with Levenes Employment, part of Levenes Solicitors, member of the Spanish Chamber.

On this occasion, our Secretary General, Igor Urra, received attendees on behalf of our institution and introduced the speakers from Levenes Employment: Rachel Lester, Senior Solicitor and Shahzad Ayub, Solicitor.

From left to right, the speakers from Levenes Employment: Shahzad Ayub, Solicitor and Rachel Lester, Senior Solicitor.

To kick off the session, Shahzad Ayub introduced the company and revealed the main four aspects that would be covered during the session: Holiday Pay, National Living Wage, Gender Pay Reporting and Zero Hours Contracts.

After this brief introduction, he made reference to the minimum requirements and recent decisions taken on Holiday Pay, as well as explaining what payments should be included and how to calculate them properly.

Afterwards, the speaker focused on the five different rates of National Minimum Wage according to the different categories of worker by age. More importantly, he emphasised on one of these; the National Living Wage, which was introduced on 1 April 2016 and applies to workers aged 25 or over, and concluded this part of the talk explaining which workers are entitled to be taken into account.

The attendees were listening attentively throughout the session.

Once Shahzad had finished his discourse, Rachel Lester took over to talk about the Gender Pay Gap Reporting, which is expected to come into force on 1^st October 2016 in order to guarantee that male and female receive equal pay for equal work. In this sense, she focused on the information that employers will be required to publish and explained how to calculate both the mean and median pay.

Rachel then went on to explain which employers are affected and covered, as well as the consequences of non-compliance and the steps that employers should consider to prepare themselves for the new requirements.

To conclude the seminar, the speaker provided the attendees with useful information about the Zero Hours Contracts, which set out the terms of the relationship between an employer and a casual worker, and summarised how they can be of assistance with these issues.

The event then moved on to the Q&A session, where the representatives of Levenes Employment responded to all the questions from the attendees. Once the session finished, participants could enjoy an interactive networking breakfast while sharing thoughts and discussing further all the ideas covered in the talk.

Attendees had the opportunity to discuss further during the networking breakfast.

Before finishing, we would like to thank all attendees for participating as well as the team of Levenes Employment for creating a very enjoyable and dynamic atmosphere and for delivering such a practical and interactive talk.

Last but not least, we encourage you to keep updated on all the activities of the Spanish Chamber by visiting our UPCOMING EVENTS section. You can also subscribe to our weekly electronic newsletter in order to receive updates on the latest activities of the Chamber!

29/04/2016
AN EVENING AT ST. PAUL’S

The Spanish Chamber of Commerce hosted a very special cocktail evening on 20^th October 2015. Our members had the privilege to enjoy the dazzling views of St. Paul’s Cathedral from the exclusive Sky Bar atop Grange St. Paul’s Hotel.

Set up ready for the presentation of the partnership at Grange St. Paul’s.

The event gathered around 120 representatives from other member companies who were introduced to the benefits of the partnership that the Chamber has acquired with Grange Hotels, including discounts in some of their services, special rates and much more!

On such an occasion, we had a premium selection of cured meats & Ibérico ham kindly provided by Arte Ibérico UK.

Igor Urra, the Spanish Chamber’s Secretary General, welcomed attendees to the event at Grange Hotels’ flagship property.

The Secretary General stated: “The Spanish Chamber of Commerce is always keen on exploring synergies and new avenues of collaboration that can also add value to our members. The partnership we have acquired with Grange Hotels is a great example of this, as one of our main goals lies in the promotion of relations between member companies.”

Igor Urra, Secretary General of the Chamber, pointed out the openness of the Chamber to exploring new partnerships.

Igor presented Tony Matharu, Managing Director of Grange Hotels, who took the stage and addressed a very eloquent speech about the history, milestones achieved and philosophy of Grange Hotels, highlighting its involvement in, and the value of “establishing long-term relationships”.

Tony Matharu, Managing Director of Grange Hotels Group, during his engaging speech about the story behind the business.

Grange Hotels has 17 luxury hotels in London, all 4 or 5 star rated, and has developed and extended partnerships with some of the capital’s most iconic attractions.

The partnership agreement we have acquired with Grange Hotels will allow member companies from the Spanish Chamber to benefit from a great range of advantages included in the collection’s loyalty scheme: from discounts in accommodation, to offers at some of the top local attractions, such as the city’s latest art exhibitions and concerts. This programme has been created by Grange Hotels along with their global representation company, Global Hospitality Services (GHS), which was also represented on the evening.

To round off a magnificent presentation and official launch of this agreement, we hosted a raffle that gave one of the attendees the chance to enjoy a super luxurious Champagne night for 2 at Grange St. Paul’s Hotel. The lucky awardee was Adriana Agudo, from Scornik Gerstein.

Beauty sight view of St. Paul’s Cathedral from the hotel outdoor terrace.

The star on the night was, undoubtedly, the outdoor terrace and the magnificent view of St Paul’s Cathedral which many of the guests indulged in. It could well be a symbol of what Grange Hotels represents: tradition and luxury, with a local twist.

04/11/2015
INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRITS TASTING 2015

On Wednesday 23rd September the Spanish Chamber was proud to take part in the 7th edition of the International Wine & Spirits Tasting. This annual event is organised by several Chambers of Commerce in London. The event’s main goal is to broaden attendees’ network by providing members from the different chambers and related organisations with the opportunity to access an international audience. For this edition, the Wine Tasting counted on one new addition: the Belgium Chamber of Commerce whom joined participants from the previous edition: Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

As the name of the event states, the evening was driven around the wide variety of wines & spirits from diverse regions of the 13 countries that were represented in the event. This time we had a record number of attendees, over 300 guests gathered at the magnificent Church House Conference Centre, located steps away from Westminster Abbey, to taste a selection of wine, beer and spirit varieties from around the world. Delegates from all the companies walked their way around the different country stations and dispersed themselves throughout the Assembly Hall where the event was held.

This year the event counted with almost 300 attendees.

On this occasion, the Spanish Chamber had two sponsors, one for the wine and one that provided the attendees with the best “Manchego cheese” in the world. Representatives from Codorníu Raventós had the opportunity to showcase their products to a great and varied audience. During the event there were many curious individuals and lovers of the Spanish gastronomy that stopped by the Spanish stand to taste the wines presented, Viña Pomal Centenario Reserva 2009 and Ánima de Raimat 2014 and the fabulous Anna Blanc de Blancs cava while getting some guidance through the tasting. Codorníu Raventós has 450 years of history behind it and eight wineries in the most important appellations within Spain, as well as two outside Spain – in California and Argentina. This expansion has made Codorníu Group one of the most prestigious winemaking companies in the world.

Cristina Oyarzun from Codorniu at the Spanish Chamber stand

Moreover, akey aspect of the event is the importance of the UK wine & spirits market. Great Britain is one of the main worldwide wine markets, in numbers; it is the sixth biggest market in the world regarding the buying and selling volume.

This fact was reflected on the wide variety of products that were presented during the event. We could taste a great selection of white, red, and sparkling wines, aside from the Tongerlo Blond beer imported from Belgium to a Mexican spirit called “Sotol”, without forgetting the sweet ice Canadian wine that was surprising once again.

Attendees were able to travel around the world with their senses: one minute they were in Austria, trying raspberry wine, next they jumped to Japan where they were indulged with sake, only to cross to the other side of the hemisphere to enjoy the popular Canadian iced wine.

The attendees had the chance to enjoy more than 40 different kinds of wines & spirits from around the world

We would like to express our gratitude to members and colleagues from the other Chambers for their hard work and effort to produce such a magnificent event. Big thanks to Church House for hosting the event, as well for all the support and immaculate work to make such a delightful evening possible!

Please click here to access the complete gallery of pictures for this event.

If you missed this event or just want to find out about other activities that the Spanish Chamber is organising in the coming weeks, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section within our website or subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

15/10/2015
THE XVII EDITION OF THE GRADUATE EUROPEAN PROGRAMME – INDUCTION WEEK

On Monday 14th September, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new edition of the Graduate European Programme. The programme offers university graduates the opportunity to undertake work experience in London at the same time as they attend different workshops. The programme, which this year has 12 participants, started with an Induction Week which included several talks and visits to institutions.

The Secretary General Mr. Igor Urra, along with Ms. Cristina Carmona, Head of Corporate Relations and Communication and Co-ordinator of the Programme, welcomed the group on Monday 14th September at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce premises. After the encouragement words from the Secretary General, who urged candidates to make the most of this opportunity, Cristina Carmona delivered a session aimed at helping candidates to succeed at the interviews they would be facing later in the week. The session also provided participants with useful tips to write a CV and to face a personal interview.

Ms. Cristina Carmona and Ms. Rosa del Campo during their talk to the participants.

Following a break, participants had the opportunity to meet Ms. Rosa Del Campo, Commercial Relationships Manager at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), who explained the role of the UKTI and how they support overseas companies to land in the UK, but also how they help UK-based companies to enter new markets. The session concluded with an overview of those countries with a significant foreign investment presence in the UK, and provided examples on how Spanish companies have increased their internationalisation plans in recent years.

Later that day, three former participants of the Graduate European Programme visited the premises of the Chamber. Ms. Sandra Del Campo, Ms. Carmen Villanueva and Ms. Sofía Marcoartu shared their experience with the attendees and explained how taking part in this programme eventually led them both to find a job in London. They encouraged this year’s participants to make the most of the work experience. The talk concluded with a round of questions about life in London, hints to do well at the interviews and the differences between work routines in Spain and UK.

From left to right Ms. Cristina Carmona, Ms. Sandra del Campo, Ms. Sofía Marcoartu and Ms. Carmen Villanueva, as they explained their experience as former participants.

Before starting the interviews phase, on Tuesday 15th September the induction week followed with a visit to the Spanish Embassy in London, where participants were welcomed by Mr. Juan López-Herrera, the Minister Counsellor. He provided this year’s candidates with an overview of the main areas of work of the Embassy in the country and why the diplomatic service is important. To conclude the visit, the participants had some time to make a few questions to Mr. Juan López-Herrera.

Mr. Juan López-Herrera with the GEP participants after the talk at the Embassy.

Later on the afternoon, the participants had the chance to meet two top journalists, Roberto Casado from Expansion and Jordi Barcia from RNE. They went on to offer an overview of the life of a foreign press correspondent, the way they work and the main advantages and inconveniences of being a correspondent. At the end of their talks and after the Q&A, Mr. Barcia showed the participants his portable radio-set and explained them how he works when he is not in his studio.

From left to right, Jordi Barcia, Cristina Carmona and Roberto Casado.

Next on the agenda, on Friday 18^th was a visit to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where the participants where kindly welcomed by Mr. Antonio Oporto, Board Director for Spain and Mexico. Mr. Antonio Oporto started by explaining participants the historic context where the Bank was created so they could better understand its scope of action. He went on to share his insights on how current affairs can have an impact on the work of the EBRD, especially in regard to new countries where the bank operates. A very interactive Q&A followed the session where participants were able to learn more about specific areas of interest for the bank.

Mr. Antonio Oporto with the GEP participants during the talk at the EBRD.

We would like to thank all the speakers for the different sessions of the Induction Week and the institutions that kindly welcomed the participants of the XVII of our Graduate European Programme. We will be following their progress in London and encourage them to make the most of this unique experience.

25/09/2015
SUMMER HAS ENDED, BUT OUR EVENTS HAVE JUST STARTED!

Although the gloomy weather has taken over nothing can stop our busy calendar of events. The first activity will be the XVII edition of the Graduate European Programme, which offers university graduates the opportunity to undertake work experience in London during 6 months. The programme officially starts on 14^th September with the Induction Week, when participants will attend different talks and visit various companies and institutions.

The participants of the XVII Graduate European Programme visiting the Spanish Embassy.

On Wednesday 23^rdSeptember, it is time for a new edition of the popular International Wine and Spirits Tasting networking event. In this case, CODORNIU RAVENTÓS, Patron of the Chamber, will be providing the Spanish wines. The event will be organised in collaboration with another 12 chambers of commerce in London so don’t miss this chance to enjoy a truly international evening and register right now! If you are interested in further details, please click here.

The last International Wine Tasting was a success. Do not miss it this year!

Also, on 7th October another edition of our successful Elevator Pitch will be hosted at LA TASCA, one of our members. For those of you that have never attended, this event provides participants the opportunity to explore synergies among one another, but they only have 2 minutes each to introduce their companies. This is a way of exploring new avenues of collaboration and meet like-minded professionals. Click here for further information.

But if you do not really like to network, a few days after, on the 13^th October, in collaboration with AVOCETS CONSULTING, members of the chamber, we have the right event for you: Networking for people who don’t like networking. This activity will improve your abilities to communicate with confidence when meeting someone new, create a presence, and most importantly it will give you useful tips to convert contacts into referrals. The event will be at THE KENSINGTON HOTEL, part of THE DOYLE COLLECTION also member of the chamber. You can book your places here.

Learn how to be a professional networker on Tuesday 13th October.

If networking gets too tiring and you need a relaxing, but also interesting afternoon, we have the perfect combination. Our Afternoon Tea in the luxurious BENTLEY HOTEL, member of the Spanish Chamber, will be on Monday 19^th October. The event will be led by the expert in protocol Richard Birtchnell, Toastmaster and Past President of the prestigious Society of London Toastmasters, who will talk about the traditions and etiquette of the Afternoon Tea. If you would like to join us, click here.

Richard Birtchnell, Toastmaster and Past President of the Society of London Toastmasters, will be leading our Afternoon Tea event.

Finally, on 22^nd October we will have a seminar led by BLICK ROTHENBERG, member of the chamber. This activity will focus on different aspects of taxes and exemptions for expats living in the UK. Save the date for this event, more information will be soon available on our website.

And it does not finish here. There is still much more to come so if you want to be up to date, do not hesitate to check out our website or sign up for our weekly newsletter totally free of charge.

16/09/2015
TELEFONICA DIGITAL LTD | NEW PATRON OF THE CHAMBER

We would like to welcome Telefónica Digital Ltd. as a new Patron of the Spanish Chamber.

Telefónica was created in Madrid in 1924. With more than 90 years of history, nowadays this Spanish company is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world with a presence in 21 countries and a customer base of almost 330 million accesses around the world.

Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy. With the aim of implementing its international presence, Telefónica entered the United Kingdom in January 2006 after buying O2.

With its best in class mobile, fixed and broadband networks, and innovative portfolio of digital solutions, Telefónica is transforming itself into a ‘Digital Telco’. Telefónica Digital Ltd. is Telefónica’s hub in London and Europe’s most active centre of digital innovation, measured in both start-up activity and digital employment. It has become both a European and World leader in the advancement of innovation and in customer adoption of digital services. Currently, a significant proportion of Telefónica’s digital businesses are based and run out of the Telefónica Digital Ltd. offices in London.

Should you want to know more about our new Patron, please visit their website: www.telefonica.com

20/08/2015
A NEW EDITION OF THE “TWO WEEKS PROGRAMME” IN LONDON

On Friday 24th July the Spanish Chamber of Commerce hosted an informative session that was part of “The Two Weeks Programme”, an initiative jointly organised by the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the Valencia University.

This is the fourth year in a row in which the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain takes part in this exciting initiative. The delegation that came to London was led by Mr. Antonio Reig, Prof. Dr. Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and coordinator of the programme.

The “Two Weeks Programme” takes place once a year and it gives 20 students from the above universities the opportunity to travel to London for a 2-week stay. During the programme the participants attend a course about recruitment processes and visit prestigious companies from different industries related to their field of studies, such as Energy, IT, Industrial Production, Technical Consultancy, Financial Engineering, Construction and Real Estate.

The participants of the “Two Weeks Programme” from the UPV

The session hosted at the Spanish Chamber provided further information about the role of the institution and the opportunities available in the UK for young graduates.

To start off, Ms. Cristina Carmona, Head of Corporate Relations and Communication welcomed the participants on behalf of our institution and spoke about the main services provided by the Chamber and the activities we organise throughout the year. Among these, she focused on The Graduate European Programme, which shares similar goals with ‘The Two Weeks Programme’. This topic proved of special interest for the students, who took the opportunity to enquire further about it.

The next speaker was Mr. Martín Carazo, a longstanding collaborator of the Two Weeks Programme and director of a company focused on the management and IT consulting services. He provided the attendees with an overview about the job market in the UK focusing on these sectors and what potential opportunities there are for recent graduates.

From left to right: Mr. Antonio Reig, Ms. Cristina Carmona, Mr. Sean Foley, Mr. Fermín Martín, and Mr. Martín Carazo.

Finally it was the turn of Fermín Martín, Chief Financial Officer, and Sean Foley, Acquisition and Development Projects Manager both from Grupotec Renewables, one of our Patron companies. Mr. Martín and Mr. Foley explained that Grupotec is an international company that offers engineering and consulting services, while developing, building, and financing renewable energy projects around the world. Being experts in the field of energy and engineering they shared their insights on these sectors in the UK and how they are generating opportunities that can be very interesting for graduates with a technical and scientific background.

Ms. Cristina Carmona closed the informative session and received a commemorative plaque from Mr. Antonio Reig as a memory of this fourth collaboration between our institution and the participants of the “Two Weeks Programme”.

We would like to thank all the speakers of this informative session as well as the students who have taken part this year in the “Two Weeks Programme” for their interest and involvement.

28/07/2015
DALE CARNEGIE TRAINING | NEW BENEFACTOR OF THE CHAMBER

DALE CARNEGIE TRAINING, NEW BENEFACTOR OF THE CHAMBER

We would like to welcome Dale Carnegie Training as new Benefactor of the Spanish Chamber.

Founded in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has evolved from one man’s belief in the power of self-improvement to a performance-based training company with offices worldwide. They focus on giving people in business the opportunity to sharpen their skills and improve their performance in order to build positive, steady, and profitable results.

Dale Carnegie Training emphasizes practical principles and processes by designing programmes that offer people the knowledge, skills and practices they need to add value to the business. More than 8 million people have experienced Dale Carnegie Training in the key areas of leadership, sales, team member engagement, customer service, presentations, process improvement and management skills.

Connecting proven solutions with real-world challenges, Dale Carnegie Training is recognised internationally as the leader in bringing out the best in people.

Should you want to know more about our new Benefactor, please visit their website: www.dalecarnegie.com

30/06/2015

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