This coming 7th November a Gala Dinner will be held in London to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain. During this event the presentation of awards to publicly acknowledge the Friends of Spain Brand in the United Kingdom, an initiative of Leading Brands of Spain Forum, will take place. Both the Chamber of Commerce and the Leading Brands of Spain Forum are working together to organise this event, which will be presided over by Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias. Top representatives from the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom will also be present.

On 3 May, the Prince and Princess of Asturias presided over the fourth edition of the accreditation ceremony of Spain Brand Honorary Ambassadors, consisting of Rafael Nadal (Sports), Antonio Garrigues (Business Management), the Instituto Cervantes (Communication) Inma Shara (Culture), the Vicente Ferrer Foundation (Social Action), the Spanish national football team (extraordinary accreditation) and Santiago Calatrava (Science and Innovation), who was unable to attend the ceremony because of his schedule. The awards, granted by the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE), recognise the role of these individuals and institutions, in their respective activities, in giving prestige to and strengthening the international image of Spain.

Russia, one of the ten largest world economies and a member of the Big Four, is currently an important market for Spanish companies and shows great promise for the future. Therefore, with the aim of strengthening the bonds of friendship between Spain and Russia, especially the economic and commercial facet of this relationship, on Monday 28 March the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE) held the Day of the Leading Brands of Spain in Russia.

On 10 March, the Leading Brands of Spain Association (AMRE) held its Annual General Assembly at Las Rozas Soccer City (Madrid), home to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). During the meeting, the accounts for the year 2010 were officially closed and the 2011 business plan was approved. AMRE then held a roundtable debate on ‘The success model of Spanish sport and its connection to public and corporate governance’.

On 17 February, the First Spanish National Forum on Marketing and Sales for SMEs was staged in Valencia. This event was organised by Garrigós & Llopis, a company specialising in marketing and human resources. The Forum was attended by over 500 professionals and business leaders from all over Spain and received institutional backing from the Valencian Generalitat and from representatives of business organisations in the Community of Valencia.

The Leading Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE) is now working on its programme of activities for 2011. One of the main features of these activities will be the accreditation ceremony for the Spain Brand Honorary Ambassadors (EHME), the organisation of an event to promote Spanish brands in London, scheduled to coincide with the gala given by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, which will be celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011, and organisation of a similar event in Russia, within the framework of the Russian Year of Spain, which has been agreed upon at government level on both sides.

On 20 October, The Leading Brands of Spain Association (AMRE) presented its recent programme of Brands with High International Potential (MAPI) in Vigo. This programme will be implemented both nationwide, through an agreement with the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX), and at regional level, through various agreements drawn up with regional organisations and institutions for promotion abroad.The first of those agreements was signed precisely on 20 October with the Galician Institute for Economic Development (IGAPE), which will participate with AMRE in implementing the MAPI programme in Galicia.