On Wednesday 5th July, we had the pleasure of celebrating our second “Mahou Informal Party” of the year, which was organised in collaboration with Mahou – San Miguel, Patron of the Chamber. The event took place at Dry Martini, the cocktail bar at the Meliá White House, which provided the perfect venue for the evening.
This event was our Summer Party, which was the perfect occasion to say goodbye to our members until the end of the summer. The party was also a great event to enjoy a cold craft beer and learn more about the Spanish brewer company. Attendees also had the chance of enjoying the taste of the delicious selection of bites.
The Summer Party was the second one of a series of amazing parties in collaboration with Mahou- San Miguel, a Spanish family business with 125 years of history and international presence in over 70 countries, with United Kingdom being one of its main markets, where the company has had presence for more than 25 years.
If you have missed this “Mahou Party”, you can still take part in the next one which will be announced shortly. If you want to have a look at how the evening went, click here for the pictures of the event.
We would like to thank everyone for joining such a wonderful evening, with a special mention to the sponsor of the event Mahou- San Miguel for making possible this fantastic event.
If you want to find out more about it and the upcoming activities the Chamber is organising, we recommend that you have a look at our UPCOMING EVENTS visiting our website or subscribing to our weekly newsletter
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain organised in June the first edition of the Spanish Tapas Tour, a new gastronomic event that brought to London the best flavours from Spanish cuisine.
Based on one of the most important events in Spain, the week of the tapas, The Spanish Tapas Tour took place from 12th to 18th June. During that week, 10 of the best Spanish restaurants in London offered a Tapa and a drink at a fixed price, with plates that represented a wide range of regions from the country.
Arbina Offered a “Tazacorte” octopus ink tempura on a bed of Galician sand and planckton; Barrica, Aubergine, jamón & manchego ‘lasagne’ with an almond vinaigrette; Boquería, Suckling pig, aubergine torrija, quince and blood orange; Brindisa, smoked anchovies with mojo borage and crostini and Copita, sardines & beetroot – pickled egg with capers, membrillo & a black olive puree.
Drakes Tabanco offered presa ibérica with Café de Paris butter; Ibérica, baby carrot tempura with homemade tartare sauce; Hispania, salmorejo with flavours of the sea; Sagardi, ‘Roxario’ ciderhouse-style salted cod omelette, and Tapas Revolution offered ham croquettes.
During that week, more than 350 tapas were sold and the public could try real Spanish flavours and felt just as if they were in Spain. The Spanish Tapas Tour also had its own passport, where people got a stamp after tasting the tapa of each restaurant.
The participants of the Spanish Tapas Tour had the chance to take part in two different contests. The first one gave them the opportunity to win a city break to Spain. They just needed to sample at least 4 different tapas and choose their preferred one. A raffle took place among the eligible passports and a lucky winner will now travel to Spain. We would like to thank Iberia Express and NH Hotels for kindly providing the flights and the hotel stay for two people.
The most highly valued tapa from the public vote was the Tazacorte octopus from Arbina. We want to congratulate and thank them for their active involvement on this event.
A second contest was held on Instagram. People should upload a picture of their tapa using the hashtag #SpanishTapasTour. The most liked picture won a hamper of typical Spanish products, thanks to Eatapas.
We would like to thank all the participant restaurants and the public that participated in the Spanish Tapas Tour. We hope to see all of you in the next edition!
Please click here to see the official video for the Spanish Tapas Tour.
On Monday 19th June, we had the pleasure of organising the Technical Day for the Natural Stone and Granite sector, along with Roca, member of the Spanish Chamber, and the Granite Cluster Association.
The event was hosted in the magnificent Roca Gallery, an outstanding space designed by Zaha Hadid Architects in Chelsea, and was the perfect occasion for gathering some relevant companies within the construction, interior design and architectural sector.
On this occasion, our Foreign Trade Manager, Abel Plasencia, gave a warm welcome to the attendees on behalf of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain and introduced the four speakers of the morning: Mr. José Ángel Lorenzo, Managing Director at the Granite Cluster Association; Pablo Menéndez, architect and co-founder of MAM Architects; Igor Russo, associate at Flanagan Lawrence and David Bromell, Manager at the Roca London Gallery.
To kick off, Mr. Lorenzo gave a brief summary about the many possibilities of granite as a construction material. In this regard, he highlighted its quality control assurance and named the Galician granite as the “best in the world”.
Mr. José Ángel Lorenzo gave a brief summary about the possibilities of granite.
After this speech, Mr. Menéndez began his presentation explaining some of the different uses of the granite and said this material is part of the culture of Spain. In addition, he reminded that some of the most important buildings in Spain, such as the Cathedral of Santiago, are entirely made from granite. Mr. Menéndez continued his presentation showing some relevant architectural projects made with granite like a cemetery in Finisterre or a family villa in Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Pablo Menéndez, architect and co-founder of MAM Architects, during his presentation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Russo gave some examples of relevant architectural projects made with natural stone and explained the use of granite and natural stone in the UK. Before concluding, Mr. Bromell gave a brief summary about the history of Roca and highlighted that the company has been settled in the UK for more than 20 years and has over 120 employees.
Mr. Igor Russo (standing), associate at Flanagan Lawrence, gave some examples of relevant architectural projects.
To conclude the technical day, participants were invited to enjoy breakfast, whilst given the opportunity to discuss the session’s ideas and concepts further with the speakers.
Attendees had the opportunity to network over breakfast
If you missed this event or simply want to know what we are up to next, have a look at the UPCOMING EVENTS section on our website or subscribe to our electronic newsletter for weekly updates.
On Thursday 8th June, we had the pleasure of holding the breakfast seminar “Brexit: The General Data Protection Regulation”, organised in collaboration with our Patron SCA Ontier, who hosted the event, and our member Haymarket Risk Management.
With Brexit as the key focus, this session’s aim was to explore and analyse the current regulation for Data Protection, and how the new regimen is going to change some important aspects in the UK legal framework.
On this occasion, our International Trade Manager, Abel Plasencia, gave a warm welcome to the attendees on behalf of the Chamber and introduced the Speakers: Ms. Yao Trinh, Associate at SCA ONTIER, and Mr. Richard Kusnierz, Divisional Director and Advanced Investigative Data Analyst at Haymarket Risk Management.
To kick off, Ms. Trinh explained the current situation of the GDPR in the European Union. She also described the impact that this area has suffered with the Brexit. Following this, she developed the changes to data protection laws under the GDPR focusing on the major innovations of the EU General Data Protection Regulation. She closed her speech listing the consequences in the case that companies do not comply with the new GDPR before 28th May 2018, listing the Liabilities, Remedies and Penalties.
Richard Kusnierz (standing), Divisional Director and Advanced Investigative Data Analyst at Haymarket Risk Management, during his presentation.
After this presentation, Mr. Kusnierz from Haymarket took over. He talked about how the personal data of employees impacts the company and gave some useful tips to protect it from security breaches. Once this was explained, he listed the penalties established on actual regulation and put some examples of how this is going to change with the implementation of the new GDPR regimen.
To conclude the seminar, a Q&A round took place in order for participants to expose their doubts and questions to the experts. Before the seminar was over, participants were invited to enjoy breakfast, whilst given the opportunity to discuss the session’s ideas and concepts further with the speakers.
We are grateful to our member Haymarket Risk Management and SCA ONTIER, Patron of the Chamber and kind host of this session, for delivering such a dynamic and engaging session. We would also like to thank all attendees who joined us.
If you want to find out about other activities organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section on our website. In addition to this, you can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter in order to receive updates and information about our events
We would like to welcome CLH Pipeline System (CLH-PS) Ltd. as new Patron of the Spanish Chamber.
CLH-PS is the only independent provider in the UK dedicated to the storage and distribution of liquid fuel through pipelines. The company is part of the Spanish CLH Group, the leading company in Spain for oil product transportation and storage and a European leader in the downstream refined oil storage and pipeline logistics sector that through international expansion has become a global reference for the industry.
CLH-PS was created in 2015 following the privatisation of the Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS) by the UK Government’s Ministry of Defence and nowadays distributes ground and aviation fuels through its 2,000 kilometres of pipeline and 15 storage terminals around England and Scotland.
The network supplies some of the UK’s major civil and military airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester. CLH-PS also offers fuel logistical support to blue chip clients within the Oil and Energy industry.
Should you want to know more about our new Patron, please visit their website: www.clhps.uk
On Tuesday 6th December we held our 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner, whichtook place at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall, one of London’s traditional Livery Halls and one of the oldest still in activity. On such a special occasion, we welcomed nearly 200 guests who did not want to miss the opportunity to be part of the last corporate event of the year.
In fact, the Gala Dinner was the cherry on the top of a busy calendar of events our institution has organised during 2016 to celebrate its 130th years of activity during which it has paved the way for Spanish businesses to thrive in the British market and vice versa.
This black-tie dinner was presided by the Ambassador of Spain, H.E. Mr. Federico Trillo-Figueroa and we counted on the attendance of Mr. Álex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways, as our Guest of Honour.
From left to right: H.E. The Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Álex Cruz, Mrs. Mª José Molinuevo and Mr. Javier San Basilio, President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.
The proceedings began with a drinks reception, allowing guests to interact with each other while enjoying a glass of cava or wine, both of which were kindly provided by our Patron Codorníu Raventós.
After the reception, guests were ushered to the Great Hall where dinner would be taking place and went on to take their seats. The proceedings of the dinner started with H.E. the Ambassador of Spain leading the traditional loyal toasts in honour of the King of Spain and the Queen of Great Britain.
Speeches began after dessert was cleared with the President of the Spanish Chamber, Mr. Javier San Basilio, taking the stage to welcome guests on behalf of the institution and thanking them for their outstanding support on the celebration of our 130th Anniversary.
He went over the achievements of the year, which have included the gaining of new members and Patrons, and warmly thanked our Guest of Honour for having accepted our invitation before giving the floor to H.E. the Ambassador of Spain.
Attendees enjoying the warm atmosphere.
In his speech, the Ambassador recalled the longstanding relationship between Spain and the UK and how the two countries should aim to strengthen their links. These words are of special relevance in a year that has been marked by the outcome of the British referendum in June and its potential implications for countries in the European Union with significant commercial links with the UK.
After the Ambassador, it was the turn of our Guest of Honour, Mr. Álex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways. In his address to our guests, Mr. Cruz highlighted the different challenges he has faced throughout his career in the changing landscape of the aviation sector, which has undergone an unprecedented overhaul since the appearance of low-cost carriers.
The President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Javier San Basilio, during his speech.
In fact, Mr. Cruz mentioned that in the 9 months he had spent in his current post at British Aiways he had incorporated his know-how in order to make the Heathrow-based airline more competitive whilst ensuring a great level of customer service. Mr. Cruz also announced the ambitious plans of British Airways, which include new routes from Gatwick to New York, and new connections with Spain, which is a key destination for British travellers.
In his final remarks, he went on to explain the impact Brexit could have on the industry, and reminded attendees that British Airways had opted for a neutral position in the run-up to the vote in June. He hoped the negotiations to leave the EU would not harm a sector that has already been affected by the depreciation of the sterling and which is at the core of the British economy.
Our Guest of Honour, Mr. Álex Cruz, Chairman and CEO of British Airways.
When speeches ended, our guests could engage in further networking and greet Mr. Álex Cruz and the rest of attendees. The atmosphere was vibrant and relaxed as our Patrons, members and their guests mingled and exchanged their impressions of the evening.
We would very much like to thank our members and their guests for joining us on the occasion of our 130th Anniversary and for sharing such a special evening for our institution. We are truly grateful to our kind sponsor Codorníu Raventós for their contribution with the wines and cava that were served throughout the event.
The event gathered nearly 200 guests, who could enjoy the impressive atmosphere at Merchant Taylors´ Hall.
For further information about events in 2017, do not hesitate to visit our Upcoming events section at www.spanishchamber.co.uk or subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly updates in your inbox.
On Friday 29th 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.
On Tuesday 5th 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 20th 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.
On Tuesday, 14th June we held the workshop “Effective Communications and Human Relations Preview”, organised in collaboration with Dale Carnegie, Benefactor member of the Spanish Chamber. This two-hour workshop provided attendees with useful tools and techniques that would help them communicate more effectively and strengthen interpersonal relations.
Our Secretary General, Igor Urra, gave a warm welcome to all attendees on behalf of our institution and gave the floor to Ms. Alina Maraghelis, the speaker for this session.
Ms. Alina Maraghelis, the speaker from Dale Carnegie Training.
To kick off, she introduced the objectives of Dale Carnegie’s programme and talked about the three essential aspects to keep in mind in order to achieve success, what is also known as the Triangle for Success or Pyramid of Success: Skills, Knowledge and Attitude.
After that, Alina briefly highlighted the importance of using memory links while communicating. This explanation was followed by some practical exercises in which attendees were put to the test and had to remember the name of the rest by linking them to images and ideas.
All the participants had the chance to put into practice their memorization skills with some practical exercises.
Taking as a reference Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, she went on to explain the main principles that apply if we are to improve human relations in an effective way and mentioned how emotional and behavioural changes in individuals lead to better results in their communication styles.
Once the session finished, Alina encouraged attendees to share their thoughts and comment on her contributions. The Q&A session provided participants the opportunity to enquire further on how to enhance relationships and foster cooperation at working environments.
The attendees during the Q&A session.
Before the event was over, participants were invited to enjoy the breakfast, time when both the attendees and the speaker were able to discuss further the ideas the session had covered over a cup of coffee.
We would like to thank all attendees for joining us and particularly to Ms. Alina Maraghelis from Dale Carnegie for delivering again such an interactive and productive presentation on effective communications and human relations.
If you want to find out other activities that the Spanish Chamber of Commerce is organising, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section within our website. In addition to this, you can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter in order to receive updates with our events.
On Tuesday 7th June we had the pleasure of holding the workshop “Emotional Intelligence at Work”, organised in collaboration with The Client Academy, Benefactor of the Spanish Chamber.
On this occasion, our Secretary General, Igor Urra, received attendees on behalf of our institution and introduced Ms. Mónica Hernanz, Managing Director of the company and our speaker on the day.
To kick off, Mónica started the talk by explaining relevant information about the background of the company and herself before tackling what would be the main content of the workshop: what Emotional Intelligence is and its applicability on some working areas.
Ms. Mónica Hernanz, the speaker from The Client Academy during the session.
Furthermore, Mónica went on to describe the main features of highly emotional intelligent individuals and talked about how this concept has changed throughout the years. In particular, she focused on the EQi 2.0 test, which is considered as the most used and validated Emotional Intelligence test in the world and consists of 5 different areas: self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal, decision making and stress management.
To elaborate on this, the speaker provided attendees with an Emotional Intelligence self-scoring test by following the EQi 2.0 model, in order to evaluate their skills in comparison to most business people they know while explaining every relevant concept.
The attendees listened attentively during the workshop.
To conclude the workshop, Mónica briefly summed up the whole presentation and showed how an investment in Emotional Intelligence produces tangible results in businesses by sharing some successful cases in multinational companies.
Once the session finished, participants were invited to enjoy the breakfast; time when both the attendees and the speaker were able to discuss further the ideas the session had covered.
Participants had the opportunity to network and exchange their opinions about the session.
We would like to thank all attendees for joining us and particularly to Ms. Mónica Hernanz from The Client Academy for delivering such an interactive and productive presentation on Emotional Intelligence.
If you want to find out other activities that the Spanish Chamber of Commerce is organising, we encourage you to keep an eye on our UPCOMING EVENTS section within our website. In addition to this, you can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter in order to receive updates with our events.
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The most highly valued tapa from the public vote was the Tazacorte octopus from Arbina. We want to congratulate and thank them for their active involvement on this event.
