Another amazing year is coming to an end and what better way to celebrate the arrival of the new one than with an Informal Party surrounded by fellow members?
As we could not think of a more suitable alternative, get ready for our Informal Christmas Party on Tuesday 10th December. If you have not registered yet, then hurry up as places are going fast!
However, before the last event of the year; it is time to look back at some of the activities and events we have organised throughout. Among them, one highlight was the Lladró Annual Golden Award, hosted at the Spanish Embassy in London. The event rewards a Spanish company in the UK for outstanding performance and this year the distinction went to BBVA.
Our guests enjoyed an evening reception at the Spanish Embassy during the Lladró Golden Award.
At our Annual General Meeting 2013, held in June, we had the pleasure to count on Mr. Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, High Commissioner for Marca España, as our Guest of Honour. Furthermore, this year our AGM was also very important as elections to the Executive Committee were held during the event. We would like to congratulate again the companies that have been elected and those who have renewed their place on our board.
In addition to the above, the Spanish Chamber also organised a wide range of activities, including seminars, networking events and informal parties like our International Wine Tasting Event or the Halloween Informal Party, just to name two of them.
Moreover, the Patrons’ Club has offered three exclusive activities for our Patrons in 2013, which have included the traditional annual dinner at the Spanish Embassy, a qualifying match for the Fifa World Cup 2014 at Wembley Stadium, and a Blind Wine Tasting.
On the other hand, in Spetember the XV Edition of our Graduate European Programme kicked off. This year 14 participants will be carrying out work-experience at London based companies for 6 months. The programme includes Business English classes and workshops at Regent’s University London to complement the participants’ work experience.
The participants of the XV Editions of our Graduate European Programme during the first they of the Induction Week.
Last but not least, our Trade and Business Development department has kept busy and delivered several commercial agendas and trade missions. Among them, we would like to highlight two actions organised for the Chambers of Commerce of Soria and La Rioja.
Back in June our Secretary General Igor Urra and our Head of Business Development, Rubén Fernández, attended the First International Conference of Businesswomen in Rural Areas, organised in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Soria. The aim of this mission was to foster businesses relations and activities run by women in non-metropolitan areas. The encounter took place at The Regional Food Academy of Harper Adams University in Edgmond and 60 entrepreneur women gathered together from several rural areas in both Spain and the UK.
Participants at the First International Conference of Businesswomen in Rural Areas.
In November we worked with the Chamber of Commerce of La Rioja and Logroño City Council to arrange several meetings with UK Universities and Chambers of Commerce with the aim to promote and develop educational and commercial exchanges between La Rioja region and UK-based institutions.
We are very grateful to our members for their continuous support across all the different activities we have carried out this year – and for the ones to come in 2014. Special thanks as well to all those companies who have shown interest in our events and have joined in some of them over the past 12 months.
To mark the end of another exciting year, we are holding the last event of 2013 in Mahiki, which will give our Informal Christmas Party a warm and cheerful Hawaiian twist. It will be the perfect opportunity to end the event season and say aloha to fellow members and colleagues until next year. Remember that places are limited and only confirmed guests will be admitted in the venue, so don’t forget to book your place if you want to join us on such occasion.
Moving forward, the Spanish Chamber is ready to start 2014 with more and new activities. In fact, we are looking forward to welcoming back our members and seeing them at our New Year’s Welcome Dinner on the 31st January. This Gala Evening will count on the attendance of Mr. Jaime García-Legaz, Secretary of State for Trade, as our Guest of Honour and tickets for the evening can be bought from our website at www.spanishchamber.co.uk.
In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at our Informal Christmas Party on Tuesday 10th December. Don’t miss it!