The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK gathers its Members at the historical Palacio de Santoña in Madrid
The networking event brought a number of esteemed guests from both private and public institutions together
Yesterday evening, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom held its II Annual Business Reception in Spain, which took place at the historically significant Palacio de Santoña in Madrid. The event allowed Chamber Members to network amongst the wider Spanish-British business community, and included representatives from other regional Chambers of Commerce across Spain.
The event was attended by both H.E. the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. José Pascual Marco, and H.E. the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Mr. Hugh Elliott, as well as the Excmo. Sr. Pascual Navarro, the Minister for the European Union of the Spanish Government, amongst other esteemed guests.
Since its establishment in 1886, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce continues to grow and prosper, this year has been no exception. The evening was a pertinent example of the institution’s ability to successfully connect British-Spanish businesses, as well as to bridge the gap between both public and private institutions. This was exemplified by the attendance of important Spanish investors, representatives from several ministries, large and small companies, regional Chambers of Commerce and the wider civil society.
Acquired by the Dukes of Santoña in the 19th Century, around the same period that the Chamber itself was established, the Palacio de Santoña proved an excellent venue for this occasion, superbly embodying the historical significance and longevity of the institution. The palace is particularly recognised for its artistic value and decorative richness in all of its rooms.
The president of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Ángel Asensio gave an introductory speech to inaugurate the event. He expressed his wish to “agradecer la relación institucional y colaboración entre la Cámara de España en Reino Unido y la Cámara de Madrid con el fin de impulsar la internacionalización de nuestras empresas potenciando las relaciones comerciales entre ambos países. España y Reino Unido somos socios comerciales de primer nivel, un 46% de nuestro tejido empresarial tiene relación comercial con el mercado británico, siendo Madrid el principal destino de la inversión británica”.
The Chamber boasts an extensive network of Members and 45 Patrons, many of which were in attendance yesterday evening. During his speech Mr. Eduardo Barrachina, President of the Spanish Chamber, stated that “esta Cámara sigue creciendo en número de Socios, de Patronos, sigue creciendo en número de actos y actividades y sobre todo, crece en influencia”. The President highlighted the importance of the British market for Spain, emphasising that “nuestras empresas son parte de la transformación económica del Reino Unido”.
The Chamber’s close relationship with the Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom was exemplified by the attendance of H.E the Ambassador of Spain. Mr. José Pascual Marco. During his speech, the Ambassador expressed that “en el último año y medio la Cámara de Comercio en Londres ha adquirido un 30% más de miembros. El trabajo que hace junto con la embajada creo que es un ejemplo de colaboración público-privada y demuestra el valor del modelo asociativo cámara”.
H.E the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Mr. Hugh Elliott, acknowledged the importance of British-Spanish bilateral relations, both culturally and economically. He called attention to “la colaboración excelente entre las dos embajadas”. It was evident that the relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as that of the Chamber and the British Embassy, have never been stronger. The Ambassador added that “seguiremos trabajando para asegurar que la colaboración siga existiendo”.
This sentiment was expressed further by the Excmo. Sr. Pascual Navarro, the Secretario de Estado para la Unión Europea of the Spanish Government, who posited that “estamos en una nueva etapa de las relaciones entre España y el Reino Unido”. The Minister took the time to congratulate the Spanish Chamber for it’s recent 135th Anniversary.
With its continued growth and visibility, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK intends to carry on with promoting and furthering the economic and commercial relationships between Spain and the United Kingdom. The event was commemorative of how far the Chamber has come and its firm commitment to supporting Spanish companies that are looking to enter the British market.