The Prague Post
December 5th, 2008
Endowment Fund     Business Listings ONLINE      Reservations      Classifieds    star Gift Subscriptions
Prague Property

Home » Archives » News

New UK business group gains traction after chamber split

Local firms express positive reactions to nonprofit's launch

By Benjamin Thomas Cunningham
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
February 13th, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Jo Weaver, founder of the British Business Forum
enlarge
COURTESY PHOTO
Simon Rawlence, the new head of the British Chamber of Commerce
enlarge
There’s a new kid in town on the networking circuit, and his name is the British Business Forum (BBF).
At least two deals were brokered at a recent inaugural lunch, according to founder Jo Weaver, as heavy-hitters from Prague’s business community discussed what they might want out of such a nonprofit. Members see the new group as a way for senior managers of Czech companies to meet, attend seminars and the like. Weaver is owner of the marketing/public relations company JWA Associates and former president of the board of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) in Prague.
Weaver resigned from the chamber in October after five board members complained there was a conflict of interest between her company work and her chamber work.
She countered by saying that board members had approved every contract between her company and the chamber. No impropriety was found, and 135 members voted to oust the existing board.
“We can learn from our mistakes, all of us,” Weaver said. “We can learn from our mistakes, all of us. We are not trying to be a chamber, we are trying to provide something different. But we are a nonprofit owned by five people, and we can promise that every penny that the organization receives will be ploughed straight back in, to the benefit of all of our members.”
Depending on how you look at it, the new group faces a lot of competition, however. There are also American, Canadian, German, Dutch and Nordic business groups, among others.
Despite the fall turmoil at the British Chamber, everyone now seems to have a positive outlook about the forum.
“On cooperation or competition; I expect a bit of both, mutual invites to some functions, etc., but I accept that it’s a free market and the new BBF will require BCC to change to meet the challenge,” said Simon Rawlence, the new British Chamber president.
British Chamber member Corinthia Towers Hotel, however, is still waiting for the other shoe to drop, said Miroslav Forejtek, who handles the office of the general manager.
“We were waiting to see what will happen, and we cannot really judge as these changes happened just recently,” Forejtek said.
But many, including Jonathan Hallett, managing partner for the Czech Republic and Slovakia at Cushman & Wakefield, are jumping in with both feet. Like many other foreign companies, Hallett said his real estate firm is a member of BBF, a financial patron of the British Chamber, a member of the American Chamber and that he personally serves in the British General Managers Club.
“Business is about working with people, so the more contact you have, the better,” Hallett said. “It’s key that all business is about communication and relationships.”
King Sturge’s real estate consultancy in Prague may also get involved with both British groups after attending the BBF lunch, said Paul Harper, regional director of project management for Central and Eastern Europe.
“People who started the forum decided they felt the chamber had become too big and the focus had shifted slightly,” Harper said.
At the same time, the American Chamber is working with like-minded groups to create a combined force to advocate for business interests with the Czech government, said Weston Stacey, executive director of the American Chamber. Already under discussion are how tax and labor codes affect foreign companies, Stacey said.  
“Our focus is on trying to find ways to unify the business voice, not just the foreign business voice, but all business voices,” Stacey said. “The Council on Czech Competitiveness is going to be founded on that reason, suggesting policies that will improve the competitiveness of the country.”

Benjamin Thomas Cunningham can be reached at bcunningham@praguepost.com


Other articles in News (13/02/2008):

Browse the Current Issue

If you enjoyed this article, why don't you subscribe to the print version!
We accept secure online transactions provided by PayPal and Moneybookers

Be the first to add a comment!


Full Name: *
City: *
E-mail: **
This comment can be published in the print version of The Prague Post
Enter the text on the right:
 visual captcha
Comment: *
* Required field. In order to be approved for display, comments must have a first and last name and a city.
** E-mails are required and will only be used for internal purposes.

Most visited in Business Listings

Hotel booking
The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.