Author: BCCG Bristol – The British-German Chamber in Bristol

New BCCG subregion in Bristol & South West

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Kai von Pahlen, a lawyer at DAC Beachcroft, has launched a new branch of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany (BCCG) at an event held at the international firm’s Bristol office.

German-born Kai, a litigation lawyer, has been meeting with other Bristol professionals, as well as Business West (which includes the Chambers of Commerce for both Bristol and Bath), UK Trade & Industry (UKTI) and the Bristol Hannover Council (which represents one of the oldest twinnings between Britain and Germany), with a view to establishing a local branch of BCCG in Bristol, to promote British-German trade. The branch will cover the entire South West, with Bristol serving as a hub.

BCCG Deputy Lord Mayor
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Bristol Cllr Alastair Watson and Kai von Pahlen

The official launch of BCCG in Bristol took place on 18 April 2016, in the presence of a host of local dignitaries and distinguished professionals and entrepreneurs. Those included HM Lord-Lieutenant Mrs Mary Prior, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Bristol Councillor Alastair Watson, James Durie (Chief Executive at Bristol Chamber & Initiative at Business West), Dr Ann Kennard (Chair of the Bristol Hannover Council) and Mr Tim Illston (Honorary Consul for Germany). Even the Director of BCCG, Mr Andreas Meyer-Schwickerath, flew in from Berlin to attend the launch.

BCCG Tony and Lord Lieutenant
HM Lord-Lieutenant Mary Prior and Tony Cherry (Regional Senior Partner at DAC Beachcroft)

Commenting on the launch, Kai said: “Trading with Germany is a significant part of the British economy so we think it’s important for businesses and professionals in Bristol to benefit from the wealth of experience that BCCG has to offer.”

If you would like to attend the launch event or to find out more about the activities of BCCG Bristol, please email Kai von Pahlen kvpahlen@dacbeachcroft.com or visit www.bccg.de/bristol

An introduction to trading with Germany – 18 April

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The official launch of the BCCG in the South West of England, will take place on 18 April 2016, from 5pm to 7pm. We will give practical advice on trading with Germany and share the stories of businesses in the South West who have successfully sold their products/services on the German market. If you’d like to attend and have not registered yet, you can register here.

Present local food at the Marksmen Fun Fair in Hannover

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In July 2016, Hannover (Bristol’s twin city) will host its annual big Marksmen Fun Fair (from July 1st until July 10th). It is the largest Marksmen fun fair in Germany, and maybe even world wide – full of music, full of tradition and lots of fun.

This year, as it is Hannover’s 775th birthday, the city would not like to give businesses the opportunity to present local food from your town and country, without even having to pay the usual stand fee.

If you know someone who might be interested in this opportunity, please get in touch (bristol@bccg.de), we will then connect you with the team of the  Marksmen Fun Fair. If you’re interested, please contact us by mid April.

BCCG launch event on 18 April

~ BCCG Bristol – The British-German Chamber in Bristol ~ Leave a comment

Kai von Pahlen has launched a new branch of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany (BCCG) at an event held at the international firm’s Bristol office.   German-born Kai, a litigation lawyer, has been meeting with other Bristol professionals, as well as Business West (which includes the Chambers of Commerce for both Bristol and Bath) with a view to establishing a local branch of BCCG to promote British-German trade.

The official launch of BCCG in Bristol is scheduled to take place on 18 April and has already generated significant interest with a host of distinguished professionals and local entrepreneurs set to appear.  Those include Tim Illston (Honorary Consul for Germany), James Durie (Executive Director at Business West), Hilary Charman (International Trade Adviser at UK Trade & Investment), Dr Ann Kennard (Chair of the Bristol Hannover Council) and Andreas Meyer-Schwickerath (Director of BCCG, flying in from Berlin).

James Morris, Partner and Chairman of Claims Solutions Group at DAC Beachcroft, attended the meeting on the firm’s behalf. Afterwards, he said: “We are very pleased with the work that Kai has done for BCCG. Bristol is a city with strong international trading connections and it deserves to have its own BCCG branch. As a firm, we have been receiving more and more instructions involving cross-border advice between the UK and German-speaking jurisdictions.. This has resulted in the creation of our firm’s designated German Desk, of which Kai is a member. I look forward to seeing BCCG grow in Bristol and beyond.”

PwC’s regional leader for the West and Wales, Katharine Finn added, “The UK and Germany enjoy a trading relationship valued at over £90bn annually and we encourage our clients and contacts to support this vital trade. We work closely with a number of German businesses trading with the UK and vice versa and we actively support companies hoping to do business between the countries. This ranges from understanding local regulations, including accounting, tax and other commercial matters. PwC encourages anyone interested in trading with Germany to make use of the networking opportunities the BCCG offers”.

Dr Ann Kennard, Chair of the Bristol Hannover Council, said, “Founded in 1947, Bristol-Hannover Council has seen countless visits and exchanges between the two cities from all parts of society, and continues to be a very lively partnership.  Recently and especially in the year of the Green Capital, there have been high level discussions on transport, energy and the environment, and we are very keen to support wider business links between the two cities.  We welcome the new German Chamber of Commerce here in the South-West.”