Webinar “European Tenders and Opportunities as an Expert”

On the 6th, 7th and 8th July the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, organised the webinar “European Tenders and Opportunities as an Expert”.

During the three days our member Karine Brück, founding partner of Karine Bruck International (Ecosolve SL), shared her experience on European tenders with the participants.

On the first day, Karine Bruck explained the difference between a European call for projects and a call for tenders, as well as the new financial framework 2021-2027. She also shared some tips on how to identify opportunities at the European level.

During the second and third day, participants discovered the complete process to prepare an offer, from creating international consortiums to finding experts, through both theoretical knowledge and case study analysis.

On the last day, participants had the opportunity to present their questions and get advice from an experienced consultant.

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, we would like to thank Karine Bruck for her collaboration and dedication and the participants for their presence.

Webinar on “EU Funding Week for non-profit organizations- Project Management”

On May 27th and June 1st and 3rd, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg organized the training on “European Funding for Non-Profit Organizations – Project Management” in collaboration with FondosEuropeos.eu and LocalEurope.
During these three days of virtual sessions, the best tools and competences to access and manage European funds in the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 were presented to the participants.

In addition, during these three sessions, different topics were discussed, among which it is worth highlighting the European funding, the search for partners and projects, as well as the administrative, financial and communicative Management necessary for a succesful operation.blank

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg we would like to thank FondosEuropeos.eu  and LocalEurope for their collaboration and dedication and the participants for their presence.

Webinar on “Content Marketing”

On April 15th and 16th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce of Belgium and Luxembourg organised a webinar on “Content Marketing”, in collaboration with Philippe Schifflers, digital marketing consultant and online trainer.

Content marketing is a strategic initiative used by many companies that dedicate resources to creating and sharing valuable content aimed at attracting, retaining and pleasing their target audience. Once the company earns the trust and a relationship is built, it is much easier for their followers to become customers, and ultimately ambassadors for their brand.

During the first session, the trainer gave a brief introduction about content marketing and the advantages of its use. Additionally, he explained how to optimize blogs and their content for SEO. He also shared with the participants some tips on how to measure the effectiveness of the strategy. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about real cases of good practice by companies and get advice on how to manage the different aspects of content marketing.

In the second session, Schifflers explained in more detail how to create content for social networks, and the different tools available to create and optimize newsletters and landing pages and recommended participants to create quality and timeless content.

From the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce 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 “Social Media Management for Businesses”

On March 11th and 12th, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce of in Belgium and Luxembourg organised a webinar on “Social Media Management for Businesses”, in collaboration with Philippe Schifflers, digital marketing consultant and online trainer. The webinar featured more than 20 participants from different business and organisations.

Social media has become a critical part of any business or organisation activity and therefore it is now more important than ever a correct and smart management of this channels to maximise opportunities and prevent crisis, regardless of the industry or company size. The webinar was designed for profiles looking to level up their corporate Social Media skills.

 

The webinar started by highlighting the needed and important role of the Social Media Manager as well as the relevance of Social Media Audit, the elements behind a Social Media Strategy and Social Media Calendar. The elements on marketing and best practices in Twitter and Facebook were also seen in this session. The participants had the chance to get to know real cases of good practices by companies and get insights and tips on how to manage this different aspects.blank

On the last session, the extreme relevance of events, stakeholders, influencers and reputation management on the different channels was also explained as a way to boost the impact and visibility of any organisation or business. Crisis management on social media and the importance of GDPR and privacy compliance was also covered. Good practices, examples and tips on LinkedIn, Youtube and Instagram was also presented with an special emphasis on the different target audiences and profile of each social network. And last, but not least, the speaker presented a wide set of online tools useful for social media management.

During the workshop, 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.

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 blankrepresentatives 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 regulatorblanky 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.

blankAfter 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, blankbriefly 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 blankrelationship 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, blankand 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.

blankSusana 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.blank

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 blankBelgium 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.

 

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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 Orgblankanizations. 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.

blankFinally, 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.

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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.

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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.