Executive Director July 2018

A platinum event

Celebrating the best of the UK-Japan relationship

In our 70th anniversary year we are aiming to host the biggest and best event in the history of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ): the 2018 British Business Awards (BBA).

Launched in 2008, our not-for-profit gala event recognises excellence while showcasing success and innovation across all industries. The event also acclaims the important social contributions made by organisations through their commitment to community, ethical behaviour and sustainability.

For more than a decade, the BBA has been a lively celebration of British activity in Japan and a hearty sign of the strength of the UK—Japan commercial and cultural partnership. It is an event that you, your colleagues and friends do not want to miss.

For the second consecutive year, our black-tie gala will be held in the Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s main ballroom.

We promise guests a 5-course meal, matching wines and the chance to win fabulous door prizes. And, thanks to the hotel’s General Manager Steve Dewire and team, lots of visual surprises!

An early-bird discount on tables for the 2018 BBA will run until 31 July 2018. More than 150 seats have now been booked.

Are you a champion? 
From 31 July, you can put yourself in the running to win a 2018 BBA trophy—a hanko of approval for your business and a conversation starter for clients and friends for many years to come.

Submitting a nomination to win a BBA trophy provides organisations with the opportunity to review business performance and highlight core strengths, setting a benchmark for industry standards.

Nominations are judged against specific criteria, founded on the BBA values of success, innovation and ethics. The BBA employs a well-defined and tested framework to ensure that the judging process is fair and free of influence.

Full circle sponsorship
We are so pleased that the headline sponsor of the 2018 BBA is KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin. KI NO BI, or Beauty of the Seasons, was co-created by David Croll, a long-term member of the BCCJ and previous BBA winner, having lifted the trophy for Best Entrepreneur in 2011.

A veteran of the British and Japanese drinks scenes, Croll has been a consistently generous in-kind sponsor of the BBA for several years, providing guests with a martini bar in 2012, gin and tonic stand in 2014, and even a bottle of whisky for each table at our particularly lively 2015 BBA.

He promises all of this year’s attendees a very special treat. Croll said: “We are delighted to be able to showcase KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin, a real example of UK—Japanese collaboration, at such a prestigious event.”

With KI NO BI’s tagline “inspired by tradition”, there could be no more appropriate sponsor for our 70th anniversary gala.