What a year 2012 has been for the UK: the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the record-breaking and, in my opinion, best ever Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the event everything has been leading up to … the British Business Awards (BBA).
The awards ceremony will be held at the Conrad Tokyo hotel in Shiodome on Friday, 2 November.
This year, the UK has enjoyed an almost unparalleled level of global exposure (rather too much, in the case of certain younger royals).
But for the rest of us, the focus of the world’s spotlight has given us a great opportunity, not to rest on our laurels, but to build on the positive impressions created by these events.
It has been a great year for the UK–Japan business relationship, too.
Championed by Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Japan, business interests in Britain continue to be aligned with those here.
More investments from Japanese firms are pouring into the country that they know can be relied on and which will support them: the UK.
British business interests in Japan were recognised in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Honours List earlier this year. Two of the UK’s titans of industry in Japan (and I am proud they are fellow BCCJ Executive Committee members and friends), Richard Thornley and Ray Bremner, were among those on the roll of honour.
Innovators such as Dyson and Brompton Bicycle Ltd—makers of the folding bicycle presented to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda by Cameron during his recent visit—continue to amaze and turn heads in Japan, a country that is rightfully proud of its own innovation and cutting-edge design.
It is truly an honour that Emerson Roberts, CEO of Brompton Bicycle, will be our guest speaker at this year’s BBA ceremony. The event will provide a great opportunity to rub shoulders with one of the UK’s leading businessmen and innovators.
The BBA is also an opportunity for all of us to celebrate everything that is great about the UK’s business relations with Japan: from the industrial giants Rolls-Royce plc and Nissan Motor Company Ltd, and the market-changers Unilever and Robert Walters, to the champions of diversity that are BT Japan, and the entrepreneurs who continue to bring fresh ideas and new directions to the business community here.
We want you to be a part of the celebrations to make this year’s BBA the largest, most diverse and greatest BBA to date.
The plans are all in place for an evening of spectacular entertainment, including the sumptuous service of the Conrad and wonderful drinks and superb raffle prizes provided by our sponsors.
However, the one and only thing that will make the BBA great this year is you, the members, as well as the chance to spend time with friends and colleagues from the chamber.
If you have not already, please visit the BCCJ website or phone the Secretariat to book your tickets to be part of the premier British business community event.
This is also a wonderful opportunity to impress your friends with everything that is great about Britain.
See you there!
