The Leading Brands of Spain Association, the Spanish Council of Chambers of Commerce and the Spanish Exporters and Investors Club formally constituted the Business Committee for Internationalisation on 13 January. This entity was designed to be a permanent platform for the analysis and elaboration of ideas to reinforce the internationalisation and competitiveness of Spanish companies. These ideas will be presented to the Government and to the other public Administrations so that they may be taken into consideration in the formulation of new public policies and strategies in these fields.

The Report of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum’s 10th Anniversary was presented and given out to attendees of the Forum’s 10th Anniversary commemoration event held on 15 December in the conference hall of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce. The report lists the activities carried out by the Forum over the last ten years, as well as the main milestones the institution has reached since 1999. Accordingly, the information on these activities is organised into the following chapters, depending on the profile of each project: Ambassador Brands and Image of Spain; Research and Publications; Training and Circulation; and Institutional Co-operation and Communication.

The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Miguel Sebastián, presided over the 10th Anniversary of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum commemorative event where he emphasised the government’s commitment, through its relevant bodies, to the leading Spanish brands and the part they have to play in conveying an image of Spain’s quality and prestige overseas. The minister also announced his ministry’s support for the project to enhance the competitiveness of Spanish brands and for the Leading Brands of the EU Meeting, which the Leading Brands of Spain Forum will organise next year in Barcelona with the support of La Caixa and IESE and coinciding with the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

On 26 November, the headquarters of the Spanish Professional Football League was the scene of a meeting of the Ambassador Brand and Image of Spain committee, the organisation founded to develop the Ambassador Brand Plan presented by the Leading Brands of Spain Association in 2008. This committee is chaired by Antonio Abril, Deputy Chairman of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum and Member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Inditex, with the deputy chairmanship held by Jaime Montalvo, Managing Director for Promotion at the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade. It comprises company representatives, relevant government bodies and experts in the fields of brands and international promotion.

Through a sponsorship agreement signed with the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard, the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE) will assist and participate in a business seminar to be held from 2 to 5 May, 2010 in The Harvard Faculty Club (Cambridge-Boston, Massachusetts).