Membership of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) has many benefits: a wide range of interesting and informative events, promotional opportunities, useful information, great entertainment and enhanced access to key bodies and influential people. But perhaps the most powerful benefit of all is the BCCJ membership network.
We enjoy one of Japan’s most active and influential business networks, driven by 900 professionals with a shared interest in promoting UK and Japan business relations. In the wider BCCJ ecosystem, membership also allows access to the British Embassy Tokyo and key policy makers in Japan, as well as dignitaries from business, government, political and royal circles. Moreover, it provides opportunities to engage at a senior level with British and Japanese executives.
We believe that the more we grow our network, the stronger it will become. Every time we welcome a new member, the collective skills, experience and knowledge of the BCCJ member ecosystem grow a little bit more, too. For that reason, we have launched a new Member-Gets-Member (MGM) scheme to continue growing the collective strength of our network.
The BCCJ exists to encourage more British business in the Japan market and more Japanese investment in the UK. Accordingly, the new MGM scheme targets individual or corporate members of any nationality who are working on this mission.
As the majority of the current individual and corporate membership is British, we are particularly interested in attracting more Japanese members. We believe that having a good balance of British and Japanese members will lead to a more stimulating network, a greater reciprocal understanding of business culture and the creation of more productive business and personal relationships for everyone involved.
How does it work?
The MGM scheme is very simple, and all members can take advantage of it. Each member who introduces a new member—in any membership category—will receive a credit to their BCCJ account equivalent to 50% of the new member’s first annual membership fee. This credit may be used against the cost of the existing member’s membership fee or to cover event participation fees.
So, the benefit is clear for existing members but what about that of new members? Well, new members gain access to the same member benefits that are enjoyed by existing members. It’s not every day you find something so simple yet so beneficial for both members and the chamber.
How can I apply?
It’s very easy and should only take a few minutes. Either pick up one of the bilingual MGM forms at a BCCJ event or ask the BCCJ office (info@bccjapan.com) to send you a form by email.
The company or individual applying for membership fills out a few contact details, and the introducing member validates the form by providing their membership details. Then it is ready to submit, by hand, post or email to the BCCJ office.
We feel sure that you already know many potential members with an interest in promoting UK–Japan business relations. They will be the people and businesses that you already interact with in Japan on a day-to-day basis: your customers, suppliers, business partners and others in your business network.
Please do help the chamber (and yourself) by using this scheme. There is no limit to the number of new members you can introduce and, with every new member, our network gets stronger, leading to more business opportunities for all involved in the BCCJ.
www.bccjapan.com/join-section/member-gets-member-scheme
