British Chamber of Commerce

The British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic has been active for just over fifteen years. Its members include more than 200 companies, ranging from multinationals to entrepreneurs. Some of the names on their roster include Marks and Spencer, Vodafone, and Prague College. The BCC is certainly not limited to British companies, but is open to anyone who does business with the United Kingdom.

Organization
The BCC is a solely independent member-based organization. It receives no state support, which means it has a greater degree of independence in pursuing its aims. Overseeing the chamber’s activities is an eleven-member board, comprised of a mix of local and British members. Members come from the banking, business and legal professions. The board is elected at an annual general meeting held in May.

Events
One of the most visible ways the BCC engages with the local business community is through its workshops and events. The calendar is quite full as they hold about four events per month. The tone of the events can range from serious briefings about addressing corruption in the Czech business environment and skill-based workshops in which people can learn about using social media or improving their English skills for business to more informal events. The BCC has put on wine-tasting evenings, polo courses, days at the races, golf events, and Christmas carols during the festive season. Mr. Went mentioned that the social events are often British themed, so the chamber appeals not only to people’s commercial concerns but cultural interests too.

“We see all non-members as potential members, and they are always welcome to attend the majority of our events,” Mr. Went said.

Role in Society
The role of the BCC extends beyond bringing business people together and promoting business with the UK. The chamber also tries to promote what Mr. Went described as traditional British values. These are: integrity, fairness, and business friendliness. The chamber achieves these aims through the aforementioned briefings but also through working groups one of which looks at the issue of diversity.

One concrete program they have is called the Equilibrium Programme, which is running again in 2013. The program is a mentoring scheme for senior professional women. The idea is to foster women in junior positions with skills to take on senior positions. The mentor and mentee meet once a month for two hours, and the program is in English. The initiative is clearly worthwhile given that the senior management positions are mostly held by men.
   
The chamber has worked to increase public awareness of the UK Bribery Act and its effect here. The act makes bribery by British companies punishable even if outside the UK, so Czech companies with any British links would be affected. To make its members aware, the BCC held a seminar in conjunction with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to better inform its members.

Information is crucial to the chamber’s activities. They produce a magazine called Focus which has features on the business environment. For example, the recent issue includes a feature on Moravia, the growing tech industry in East London, as well as an interview with David Černý. In addition, they have an e-newsletter called The Tube.

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