Winter 2012 International Business Networking Reception Featuring the Governor of Delaware, Jack Markell
On Thursday, February 23, 2012, the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia collaborated with the Chilean, French, German, Israeli, Japanese, and Swedish American Chambers of Commerce, and The World Trade Center of Delaware for a business networking reception with the Governor of Delaware, Jack Markell.
The second annual international business networking program celebrated the success of the State of Delaware as a destination for global enterprise. Over 250 guests, including leading figures from the international business and diplomatic communities in the region gathered for this event at The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts in Wilmington.
Governor Markell spoke about the importance of international trade and commerce to the State of Delaware and introduced key members of his cabinet.
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Ferry ‘cross the Mersey…well, actually the Delaware
On Tuesday, March 6, 2012, the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia hosted a very special networking event and sit down dinner at The British Chip Shop in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The BABC’s inaugural event in the region was a resounding success! The cordoned off private section was at capacity with 30 members and friends.
Ed Strojan and Gary Neese, proprietors of the British Chip Shop and English Gardner Gift Shop, treated BABC guests to an excellent selection of specialty beers, including Yards Brawler, Boddingtons, and Double Chocolate Stout. The traditional British pub menu included such delicacies as welsh rarebit, roasted beet and goat cheese croutons, bangers and mash, chicken and mushroom pie, and fish ‘n chips to name just some of the choices.
Jane Rosenberg, Executive Director of the BABC reported: “The beer was consumed so quickly we were tapped out within the first hour of the event.”
As any good host would do, the proprietor quickly replenished the assorted specialty beer, and after a few welcome remarks from Hope Krebs, BABC Board President, the intimate group was invited to sit and enjoy dinner. There was not a morsel of food left on anyone’s plate when the meal was complete. Traditional British tea and biscuits along with Cadbury’s famous candy bars were served for dessert. Guests remained at the event long after it was over, continuing to mingle and enjoy the atmosphere.
The BABC encourages those who were unable to attend the program to take the quick trip to New Jersey to check-out the British Chip Shop and English Gardner Gift Shop. http://www.thebritishchipshop.com/
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A Global Economic Update & International networking Reception with Ryan Wang, US Economist, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
On Thursday, March 29, 2012, over 125 executives from the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, the Chilean, French, German, Irish, and Swedish American Chambers of Commerce gathered for a Global Economic Update and Networking Reception with Ryan Wang, US Economist, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
Mr. Wang gave an informative overview of the current state of the US economy. He discussed changing trends in US industry production, household income, and the economic growth and unemployment rates. A dynamic question and answer session followed Mr. Wang’s presentation.
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Exclusive Breakfast with HRH The Prince Edward KG GCVO
On Friday, April 27, 2012 the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia hosted an exclusive breakfast in the presence of HRH The Prince Edward KG GCVO at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia. One hundred and twenty of the regions leading business executives and local and UK government officials and dignitaries gathered for this Royal event and discussion about the importance of investing in youth education and activities. Breakfast attendees included: The Honorable Michael A. Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia; Oliver Franklin, Honorary British Consul of Philadelphia; Nick Astbury, British Deputy Consul-General; Carlos Giralt Consul of Mexico; Dan Phelan, Senior Advisor to the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline; Hope Krebs, British American Business Council President; Carole Gravagno, Chair, Queen’s Jubilee Education Foundation; Andrew Swinney, President, The Philadelphia Foundation; Jay and Neil Shah from Hersha Hospitality (the new owners of The Rittenhouse Hotel); and BABC members and friends.
Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, spent two days in Philadelphia to honor his mother’s 60th Anniversary as queen and to support the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Philadelphia Chapter. He is Chairman of the International Council of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association, a youth development program which operates in 132 countries. The program, named after Prince Edward’s father, was launched in Philadelphia in 2009.
During the first day of his visit, Prince Edward met with Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants from schools throughout the City, and like his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, planted a tree at Girard College. Later he was met by Gary Marshall, CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management and BABC Board Member, and his family for a private tour of Independence Hall. Following a brief history lesson, Prince Edward attended a private reception to recognize the Commonwealth Societies at an invitation-only dinner at The Restaurant School for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program. Several BABC members, including Board Member Charles Carrington from Deloitte & Touche and Young Professional Group Co-Leader Toby Wallace from Aberdeen Asset Management, had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Prince Edward. Both Brits, Toby and Charles are Duke of Edinburgh Award recipients, and are very involved with the Philadelphia Chapter.
On Friday morning, Prince Edward was greeted by Mayor Nutter for a BABC breakfast in the Grand Ballroom of The Rittenhouse Hotel. Before breakfast began Prince Edward informally addressed BABC Leadership and thanked everyone for the warm reception, asking a few questions about the Organization and the companies that were represented.
Oliver Franklin, British Honorary Consul and veteran BABC Board Member, spoke of the BABC’s two-decade long existence and important role of promoting trade and investment between the Greater Philadelphia region and the UK. Oliver mentioned the start of Brit Invasion 2012 – commencing with Prince Edward’s visit and culminating in August when the Olympic Games are finished – and encouraged everyone to attend upcoming BABC events.
Prince Edward graciously stepped up to the podium and eloquently addressed the crowd. He congratulated the Duke of Edinburgh Award recipients for their dedication and work, and thanked the BABC and the City for the warm welcome. He was deeply impressed with the pride Philadelphian’s have for their City and history, and said he was sorry he was unable to spend more time.
Mayor Nutter’s Announcement
Mayor Nutter thanked Prince Edward for his visit, and commended him for his dedication to supporting youth. The Mayor explained the City’s similar commitment and focus, and announced that GlaxoSmithKline and The Philadelphia Foundation together gave $1 million dollars to the Philadelphia Youth Network to fund summer programs and a new bio-medical industry employment training program. He thanked GlaxoSmithKline and The Philadelphia Foundation for their generosity and challenged each person in the room to make a contribution. He explained the $1 million dollars was part of the $5 million gift GlaxoSmithKline had announced last year for the youth of Philadelphia. Toward the end of his speech, Mayor Nutter made a fantastic, surprise announcement.
“The Philadelphia Foundation has matched that gift two-for-one – contributing another $10 million. This is the type of partnership between business and philanthropy that can make a dynamic impact in our community. The Foundation is in the midst of a comprehensive study of the out-of-school time needs of older youth, and the city looks forward to working with them on serving our young people.”
Following the remarkable declaration Mayor Nutter introduced Dan Phelan, Senior Advisor to the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, to talk more about GlaxoSmithKline’s philanthropy. Dan commented on the positive partnership GlaxoSmithKline has with the BABC, and discussed the Company’s heritage in both Philadelphia and London. He explained that GlaxoSmithKline’s donation to the City and the Duke of Edinburgh’s award program will change more than 500 young lives through the summer work-ready programs.
“We are delighted The Philadelphia Foundation has added $10 million dollars to double GSK’s $5 million gift.”
Dan thanked Andrew Swinney, President of The Philadelphia Foundation for his leadership and support, and closed the formal remarks portion of the breakfast by reiterating GlaxoSmithKline’s heritage in Philadelphia and London, and the Company’s continued commitment to the community. Dan thanked the BABC for bringing everyone together for this memorable event.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/phillycityrep/sets/72157629597012248/
Links to Press Clips
Click the below links to access press about the BABC and Prince Edward’s visit to Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
http://articles.philly.com/2012-04-26/news/31410903_1_prince-edward-duke-girard-college
The Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article_email/APd456a870ce104a8a8b61dface6dc3b7c-kEyUDBkMTQyNTI2NmEyODY3Wj.html?mod=wsj_share_email
The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/prince-edward-to-visit-ph_0_n_1455295.html?ref=email_share
CBS Local News
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/7051032-prince-edward-pays-a-visit-to-philadelphia/#.T5q8_Fs4Hwo.email
The Philadelphia Inquirer News Brief
http://mobile.philly.com/business/?wss=/philly/business&id=149266465
Click here to read the press release issued by The Mayor’s Office about the
http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/mayor-nutter-announces-gsk-and-the-philadelphia-foundation-to-provide-1-million-dollar-grant-for-summer-youth-programs/
Young Professional Group Kick-off Networking Happy Hour
On Tuesday, May 1, 2012 the BABC hosted the Young Professional Group (YPG) kick-off networking event and happy hour at Jack Wills University Outfitters. The purpose of the BABC YPG, a sub-group of the overall BABC, is to provide a forum for BABC members under the age of 40 to develop valuable business contacts within the British American business community and to exchange ideas and information with a cross section of industry professionals, trade and government officials.
Hope Krebs, BABC Board President welcomed all 50 guests, and stated: “The BABC YPG members are viewed as the next business leaders in the Greater Philadelphia area with an interest and focus on promoting the commercial relationship between our region and the UK.” She mentioned the YPG inaugural event was part of the BABC Brit Invasion 2012 series of programs featuring: British Royalty; BABC Young Professionals; local businesses supporting London 2012; and numerous opportunities to network and enhance commercial ties between the Greater Philadelphia region and the UK.
Hope introduced BABC YPG Co-Leaders, Wil Block, Vice President and Premier Relationship Manager with HSBC Bank, and Toby Wallace, Senior Relationship Manager, Endowments & Foundations with Aberdeen Asset Management, to say a few words. Wil reported on the focus and scope of the YPG, and Toby discussed his recent adventure – rowing across the Atlantic Ocean!
Objectively, the YPG will foster professional ties and enable participants to build valuable business connections. BABC YPG gatherings will fully engage the under-40 members; programs and events will focus on speakers that will provide education and foster leadership development. The BABC YPG will also include an active social element, as well as a focus and outreach for the benefit of the local community specifically in education, mentoring and leadership development for youth in the Philadelphia region.
The evening concluded with a business card raffle drawing for two weekend passes to the 2012 Collegiate Rugby Championship generously donated by USA Rugby Sevens.
Special thanks to: Jack Wills for inviting the BABC YPG to use their incredible retail space for the YPG kick-off networking event and to The British Chip Shop for catering the delicious British inspired food and beverage.
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The Business behind the Rings – 2012 Summer Games
On Tuesday, May 8, 2012 the British American Business Council hosted “The Business behind the Rings: 2012 Summer Games” a panel discussion and networking event at The Hub, Cira Centre in Philadelphia. Approximately 100 people gathered to learn about the food service, transportation, media and business investment aspects of London 2012. After almost an hour of networking, Hope Krebs, BABC Board President welcomed guests and introduced Bill Decker, Co-Owner of the Hub and Chairman of ShelterBox USA. Bill briefly discussed ShelterBox’ mission, and welcomed people to visit the display tent. He thanked the BABC for donating a portion of proceeds to ShelterBox, a British-based international, disaster relief organization.
Hope thanked all event supporters for participating in the Business behind the Rings program. She spoke about the BABC and provided an introduction to moderator, Kenneth Shropshire from The Wharton Sports Business Initiative, David W. Hauck Professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and Special Counsel, Duane Morris LLP.
Ken talked about his personal history and experience with the Games, working with athletes, cities, media, and corporate supporters before inviting Nick McInnes, Director, UK Trade & Investment USA and Deputy Consul-General, British Consulate General, New York to the podium. Nick commenced his discussion with an inspirational video about London “open for business.” He explained the year 2012 is “all about GREAT for the United Kingdom – great sport, great legacy and Great Britain.” London 2012, The Queen’s Jubilee, and the “Great” marketing campaign launched earlier this year, are bringing billions of dollars of business to the UK. Nick’s overall discussion of US and other investment in Great Britain was the perfect lead-in to the presentations given by executives from ARAMARK, British Airways and NBC/Universal.
Matt Offner, Director of Financial Planning & Analysis at ARAMARK discussed ARAMARK’s Olympic & Paralympic history. He gave an overview of the London Games; provided a detailed timeline; showed the Olympic village food tents design and construction; discussed staffing, supply chain and logistics; and ARAMARK’s Olympic legacy. Perhaps the most staggering aspect of Matt’s presentation was the statistics of how much milk, produce, etc. ARAMARK will need to serve up to 70,000 meals a day.
John McDonald, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Americas Division for British Airways spoke about what the Games mean for the airline’s business and marketing strategy in 2012. John discussed the challenges of British Airways’ dual branding – the difference between marketing to the US and the UK. He explained the many misconceptions about being an Olympic sponsor, and the significant impact serving the Olympic Games can have on a company.
Thomas Togneri, Director, Olympics and Sports Sales at NBC Owned Television Stations spoke about the Comcast/NBC Commitment; the lead-up to the Games; the rules of the road; and the scope of advertising opportunities. Comcast won the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games for $4.5 billion through 2020. In Tom’s own words, “broadcasting the Games is the most powerful medium there is. There will be 17 days and nights of story lines – the ultimate in reality TV.”
Following the panelists coverage of London 2012 business investment, food service, transportation, and media, there was a dynamic Q&A session. Attendees asked excellent questions focusing on revenue-related issues, marketing, media and logistics.
Gold Medal Sponsors: ARAMARK, British Airways, NBC10, UKTI, and The Wharton Sports Business Initiative
Silent Auction and Swag Donors: Aberdeen Asset Management, British Airways, The Dandelion, The Philadelphia Eagles, The Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Triathlon LLC, Philadelphia Union, The Trestle Inn, UKTI, and USA Rugby Sevens
Click here to view pictures from the event
Click the below links to access press about the BABC’s Business behind the Rings: 2012 Summer Games panel discussion.
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20120513_Comcast__Aramark_also_have_visions_of_Olympic_glory.html
