Being a member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) has many benefits. You can attend a wide range of informative and interesting business-to-business events, enjoy promotional opportunities, receive useful market intelligence and gain enhanced access to key organisations and influential people. And, of course, you get BCCJ ACUMEN every month.
But perhaps the most powerful benefit of all is being plugged into the BCCJ membership network. Driven by some 1,000 professionals with a shared interest in promoting UK and Japan business relations, we are one of Japan’s most genuinely active, useful and welcoming business communities.
Through the wider BCCJ ecosystem, membership also allows access to the British Embassy Tokyo and key policymakers in Japan. This includes leaders from trade and investment as well as political circles. It also provides opportunities to engage at a senior level with British and Japanese executives.
Every time we welcome a new member—whether a company or individual—the collective skills, experience and knowledge of our ecosystem grows a little bit more. And the more we grow our network, the stronger and more influential it will become.
BCCJ in 2019
Currently, of our 200-plus member companies, about 90% are considered British. Of our 1,000 delegates, the split between Japanese and non-Japanese is roughly 50–50.
Many of our current members are interested in connecting with more Japanese businesses and individuals. Indeed, a 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. Diversity is the engine that powers opportunities and success.
Member Gets Member
For these reasons, we launched in 2016 the Member Gets Member (MGM) scheme. It is very simple: each member who introduces a new member—in any category—will receive 50% of the new member’s first annual fee, in the form of BCCJ credits. This credit may be used against the cost of the existing member’s membership fee or to cover event participation fees, such as a seat (or a table!) at the British Business Awards (happening this year on 8 November at Hotel Gajoen).
The objective of the MGM scheme is to foster a wider network, to increase expertise and knowledge throughout the BCCJ ecosystem, as well as to boost participation at BCCJ events—for the benefit for all members.
How to apply
To take advantage of the MGM scheme, 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 prospective company or individual should fill out a few contact details, and the current member should validate the form by providing his or her signature. Then it is ready to submit to the BCCJ office—by hand, email or post.
Take a moment to think about the people and businesses you currently interact with on a day-to-day basis: your customers, business partners, suppliers and other vendors. Could any of them become valuable and active members of the BCCJ thanks to their interest in promoting UK–Japan business relations?
Please do help us to grow the chamber—and give back to your own business network—through the MGM. If you know a company that might be keen to join our vibrant and growing network of professionals, contact us at info@bccjapan.com
