Workshop on “Communication for EU projects”

On February 18th and 19th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, organized an online webinar on “Communication for EU projects”, in collaboration with the member company Vision Communication Consultancy.

This webinar enabled professionals tasked with branding, public affairs, marketing communications, or community engagement to plan, execute and assess a comprehensive and effective social media campaign for their European agencies, organizations, programs and projects.

During the first session, an introduction of the communication for EU projects was made with an explanation of the different existing EU projects. The reality of the consortiums in European projects was explored as well as the need to adapt the communication strategy of the project to the different contexts.

In the second session, deeper look toward the European projects’ communication was done by exploring the social media management, the different communication products, and the need for an appropriate management of the events.

All along both journeys, participants had the chance to get to know cases of success and failure of communication in various European projects and how to effectively design and manage communication in projects granted by the EU.

Workshop on “Erasmus+ KA2 Project: Ready to get funded”

On November 24th and 25th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, in collaboration with its member company CWC Consulting, organized a workshop on “Erasmus + KA2 Project: Prepare to receive funding”, which was given by Paloma Cantero, CEO of the company and expert in European affairs, European financing and network development.

The workshop gave the attendees the opportunity to better understand the Erasmus + program and the different funding opportunities within it. Specifically, the training addressed, in the first place, the different key actions, as well as their priority activities. Subsequently, the speaker moved to a more practical perspective, where she explained to the participants the different stages of the project application cycle: from registering on the program platform and obtaining an IOD number to tips, tricks, and best practices for writing and successfully submit a project proposal.

Lastly, during this training, which lasted a total of 4 hours, Paloma Cantero individually advised the participants on some key issues such as the creation of a consortia or the specific rules to participate in Belgium.

Online training on “Public advice strategies and dialogue with European institutions

On November 17th and 18th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organised the second edition of the “Public advice strategies and dialogue with European institutions” course, aimed exclusively at Spanish companies and associations. Due to the health measures in force in Belgium following Covid-19, the training was held in virtual format.

About twenty representatives of Spanish companies and sector associations participated in the training, interested in learning first-hand about the tools that will allow them to establish an effective dialogue with the various institutions of the European Union, anticipate regulatory risks and opportunities and effectively influence the various phases of the legislative process.

The training was held by prestigious professionals from multinationals, business organisations, Spanish reference bodies, as well as members of the different European institutions.

The first session began with an introduction by Pablo López Álvarez, Vice-President of the Chamber and Senior Managing Director of FTI Consulting, who presented the training programme and gave an overview of the dialogue with the European institutions. Afterwards, the European affairs consultant, Ignasi Guardans, gave a general overview about the institutional structure of the EU, its adjacent ecosystem, and the reality behind the legislative process.

After that, the European public affairs consultant Ángel Rebollo from Must & Partners intervened and presented the role of the consultancy firms around the European institutions, the impact that Covid-19 has had and the perspectives after it.

The session continued with the Permanent Delegate of the CEOE in Brussels, Patricia Cirez, who provided the perspectives of national business associations to the EU and the basic tools for monitoring and, where appropriate, contributing to the legislative process. Her presentation was followed by Carlos Rodriguez Cocina, Director of European Regulation and of the Brussels Office of Telefónica, who presented the functions linked to public affairs directors and the relationship with other actors in companies in highly regulated sectors. Besides it, Bert Dehandschutter, lawyer at Racine Advocaten, briefly presented some advice on the legal process to be followed for the opening of a representative office in Brussels.

The day was completed with speeches by Diego Canga, head advisor, and Félix Fernandez-Shaw, Director of International Cooperation and Development Policy, who outlined the reality of the European Commission’s work in its field of competence and its relationship with the various stakeholders.

The second session began with Raúl Fuentes Milani, Deputy Permanent Ambassador Representative of Spain to the EU, who explained the structure and work of the Council of the European Union and the European Council in the regulatory process, as well as gave some insights of the process of negotiations both between Member States and between institutions.

Afterwards, Ignacio Sánchez-Recarte, Secretary General of the European Wine Companies Committee (CEEV), presented the role of the sectorial business associations and the strategies used to approach the European institutions in the legislative process. Then, Ruth Estrada, Partner of Schuman Associates, and Marie Latour, Director of the Zabala Innovation Consulting Brussels office, presented the various funding opportunities for companies through European projects such as Horizon Europe or the future recovery and resilience funds.

Susana Solis, MEP for Renew Europe, presented the activity of the European Parliament and the day-to-day work of MEPs in regulatory activity. In this legislative activity, Solís highlighted the great value for parliamentarians of knowing first-hand the impressions and realities of companies and sectors in order to calibrate possible regulatory impacts.

The conference ended with presentations by Giuseppina Curreli, Director of International Affairs at Vinces Consulting, who highlighted the vital importance of the EU transparency register for companies and institutions; Luis Simón, Director of the Brussels office of the Real Instituto Elcano and lead researcher, who presented the role of think tanks and the current status of Spanish influence in the EU; and Xavier Quer Pietx, Manager of everis, who detailed the key points for accessing European public contracts.

The training was closed by Marta González Benguria, General Secretary of the Chamber, who thanked all the speakers and attendees for their participation in this second edition of the course and highlighted the role played by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg as a support entity for Spanish companies interested in defending their interests in Europe.

 

 

Online training course on “Preparing for the European Institutions competition tests”

Last Saturday 19th September, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized an online training course on “Preparing for the European Institutions competition tests” with its company member ORSEU.

This 6-hour training course was aimed at graduates & professionals willing to work as a permanent civil servant in the European Institutions. This training course studied the 4 computer-based tests present in the Administrator competition (AD5) which are also applies to any other EU competitions organised by EPSO. The trainer explained in detail how the competition tests work and went in detail into the methodology of each computer-based test. The participants had the opportunity to practise on tests questions which were then corrected as well as they had the chance to ask their questions. At the end of the training day, the participants acquired the basics in each of the computer-based tests to improve their score at the EU competitions.

ORSEU is one of the leading specialists in the preparation for the EPSO EU competition tests. ORSEU is recognised for the emphasis on understanding the methodology that has been trialled and tested by thousands of candidates.

 

In collaboration with:

EU Funding Week for non-profit organizations – Project Management

On June 16th, 17th and 18th the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized the EU Funding Week for non-profit organizations – Project Management in collaboration with Fondos Europeos. This webinar was destinated for beginners and aimed to give an introduction to all the relevant aspects of EU projects with an special focus in Non-Profit Organizations. The audience featured a great diversity of organizations with consultancy firms, civil society organizations or small business.

During the first session the attendants had the opportunity to have a quick introduction to the EU funding dynamics by understanding what is an EU project, the differences between shared/direct/indirect management. Speakers gave an approximation on what the next European strategy for the 2021-2027 period will be with topics such as recovery funds, green deal, etc. Despite the next MFF has not been approved yet, some general lines could be given as well as an update on the current status of the negotiations.

On the second day of the workshop, attendants learnt how to get involved on the different EU funded projects by applying for the correct fund, choosing the ideal call, planning activities and budget or joining a consortium. The need of geographical balance in consortium, the importance to define clearly the different roles or the financial split among members of the consortiums were also highlighted. Finally the different online platforms and tools to apply for EU projects or join consortiums were also explored.

Finally, on the last session of the webinar, the audience had the opportunity to know more in detail what the management of EU projects looks like by focusing on the financial, administrative and communication sides of the project management as well as the due legal framework for the different phases. All those aspects were explored based on real cases in different funds by exploring the different milestones, key performance indicators (KPI), deliverables, etc.. And last but not least, attendants learned to deal with difficult situations that may occur within an EU project management or in a consortium as well as some tips and tools were given to solve this kind of situations.

During the conference, the participants were able to raise their doubts about the exposed information. The doubts were solved on a permanent basis by the speakers and were both written down or spoken out loud.

From the Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg we want to Fondos Europeos for their presentation and dedication, as well as the participants for their presence.

Webinar on “Social Media Management for Businesses”

On May 14th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce of in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a webinar on “Social Media Management for Businesses”, in collaboration with Philippe Schifflers, digital marketing consultant and online trainer. The webinar had more than 30 participants.

The Social Media Management for Businesses webinar was designed for profiles looking to level up their Social Media, regardless of the industry or company size.

To ensure the viability and lifespan of your Social Media project, it is vital to understand the importance behind a Social Media audit, the elements behind a Social Media strategy, how to engage with customers, understand GDPR, collaborate with stakeholders & influencers, effectively manage events & online reputation, learn how to work with a Social Media calendar and navigate through a Social Media crisis.

This training was delivered in English.

 

Philippe Schifflers began with an introduction explaining the role of the Social Media Manager. Next, he explained the different social networks such as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. and the different strategies of these.

He also talked about how to create a calendar to manage and organize social networks.

 

He mentioned the importance of “Stakeholders” and “Influencers” in the world of networks, the employee advocacy in social media, the value of having a good reputation, how to manage a crisis and about the General Data Protection Regulation.

Finally, the different necessary tools that someone dedicated to the Management of Social Networks should know were also detailed. Such as Canva, Get Emoji, Feedly, RSS Feeds, Google Alerts, Slack, Buffer, Hootsuite, Bitly, etc.

 

During the conference, the participants were able to raise their doubts about the exposed information.

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce of in Belgium and Luxembourg we want to thank Philippe Schifflers for their presentation and dedication, as well as the participants for their presence.

Webinar on “Writing for the web”

On May 8th, the Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg organized a webinar on “Writing for the web”, in collaboration with Manuel Pueyo of the company Bigkids, member of the EmprendeBelux program. The webinar had more than 40 participants.

Nowadays, the web pages offer the opportunity to reach out to more people. The objective of this webinar was to present and explain to the participants the different tools necessary to adapt their messages and content to the reading habits of network users. This requires becoming a content designer.

The training was aimed at a huge variety of organizations such as law firms, NGOs or professional services that decide to invest in digital content as a way to promote and improve their messages to all potential stakeholders. Also for web publishers who want to update their strategy or for anyone who writes on a website and seeks to improve their productivity, creativity and efficiency.

This training was given in English.

Manuel Pueyo, content strategy consultant, started with an introduction to digital content in which he showed the different tools to digitize work and to reach out his clients through different adapted methodologies. The different techniques used in the writing of web pages were also exposed through a practical case. In addition, concepts such as “inbound marketing” or “outbound marketing” were seen, as well as content marketing being a good opportunity to prioritize users.

Finally, the different methods for writing in the context of the web, which are based on the planning of texts and some principles of web writing, were also detailed.

During the conference, the participants were able to raise their doubts about the exposed information.

From the Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Belgium and Luxembourg we want to thank Manuel Pueyo and Bigkids for their presentation and dedication, as well as the participants for their presence.

Cooking workshop with Adrián Mancheño, chef of the Hispania Restaurant Brussels

The Chamber organized last April 30th a cooking workshop with Adrián Mancheño, chef of the Hispania Restaurant Brussels, on April 30th.

Spanish gastronomy is not only one of the best in the world in terms of quality and diversity but also in innovation, creativity and modernity, and its chefs have become the best ambassadors of the country. The aim of this initiative is to present Spanish gastronomy to our members with the help of Spanish professionals in Belgium.

The chef cooked it version of the traditional meatballs with Iberian prey, truffled potatoes and pickles that delighted all the participants. At the end of the workshop, a debate was held where the attendees could ask all the questions to the chef.

Adrián Mancheño has been trained in some of the most prestigious restaurants in Spain, such as Casa Gerardo, Restaurante Coque or El Celler de Can Roca. He currently leads, along with Marcos Morán, the Hispania Restaurant Brussels.

In May 2019, Adrián with Hispania received the Gold Delta Award as the best restaurant in Brussels and it is listed as a recommended restaurant in the Michelin Guide since 2018. 

Here you can see the recipe.

 

In collaboration with:

European Tender Week

On April 27th, 28th and 29th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, organized a webinar on “European Tender Week”, in collaboration with Karine Brück.

This webinar aimed to provide participants with information on European tenders, with two levels both for beginners and experienced users. Karine Brück, who conducted the webinar, has over 15 years of experience in European tenders and is the founding partner of Karine Bruck International (Ecosolve SL).

This webinar was aimed at European companies interested in learning how to prepare and manage European tenders which offer a great opportunity in the midst of this global crisis. Thus, thanks to the webinar the participants received all the necessary information so that their companies, from very different sectors, can take advantage of these new opportunities offered by European tenders.

In the first session, the concept of European tenders was introduced and its core functioning was explained. At the beginners’ level, participants were explained the types of tenders, market opportunities, basic requirements for participation, and the main advantages and difficulties often encountered in the process. At the advanced level, a practical analysis of the procedure and the administrative terms and legal documents required was made.

In the next session, the beginners’ group worked on a preparation strategy and the speaker made basic recommendations to avoid the most common mistakes of companies that are applying to this type of European procedure for the first time. Moreover, the main sources of information and how to find the most interesting opportunities for each company were analysed. At the advanced level, the key elements for a winning technical proposal and the best practices on its elaboration process were worked on.

In the third and last webinar, both groups worked on a practical example of a bidding process. The speaker explained in detail, from the identification of the opportunities of the tenders to recommendations and practical advice, also including a methodological proposal of preparation and key elements to be taken into account. In addition, after each session question rounds were conducted, in which participants could raise doubts about the information presented and about their company’s specific sector.

The Chamber wants to sincerely thank Karine Brück once again for her enriching presentation and her enormous dedication, as well as to the participants for their attendance.

Webinar on “Where are the business opportunities during the coronavirus?”

On April 16th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce of in Belgium and Luxembourg, organized a webinar on “Where are the business opportunities during the coronavirus?”, by the mentor Karine Brück, founding partner of Karine Bruck International (Ecosolve SL). The webinar was attended by a dozen companies.

The webinar was aimed at European companies interested in learning how to identify the sectors of opportunity that still exist during this global crisis and how SMEs can take advantage of them.

She mentioned the difficult and unprecedented situation that we are going through and that implies a drastic change in the global economic environment. Several topics were mentioned like the supply chain and demand collapse, the financial constrain, the investment freeze in addition to some global economic impact estimations.

Then, some clear guidelines for companies to confront this crisis were given, such as, workforce protection, supply chain stabilization, customer engagement, financial stress testing and nerve-center integration. She also proposed the creation of a Crisis Management Center as a key instrument for monitoring the situation and creating crucial future strategies for the survival of the enterprise. Ms. Brück recommended, especially for the short- and medium-term wellbeing of the company, to modify the sales strategy and to improve communication within and outside the company for reducing uncertainty and strengthen coordination.

In a broader perspective, an overview of the situation by sectors was given including the identification of the ones that will be leading the market in the coming months. Moreover, from a macroeconomic perspective, she provided the participants with the most helpful tools to identify new international tradepartners that could play a decisive role in the future trade activity of the companies.

Finally, she also gave some insights on multisectorial opportunities and she focused on potential tenders that could be interesting for most of the industries.

After the presentation, a Q&A was featured where the participants could ask their doubts about the information explained.

The Chamber wants to sincerely thank Karine Brück for her amusing and enriching presentation.