The British-American Business Council,
Chicago
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MEMBER FEEDBACK * How important is your BABC Chicago membership to you? E-mail your feedback to Chris Brenkus. Thank you!
A Successful
SAVE THE DATES *October 5 - 5:30 - Monthly Pub Night at Elephant & Castle, 160 E. Huron. First drink sponsored by Elephant & Castle. *October 16 -6-8 pm- International Business Card Exchange. sponsored by the Chicago based international business and trade organizations. Place: Wolf Point Ballroom, 15th Floor, Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, 350 N. Orleans St. Free appetizers, cash bar. $20 advanced registration. $30 at door.. $9 parking available on -site. To register contact Martha at the French-American Chamber at 312-578-0444 or e-mail Martha at mquinlan@facc-chicago.com. *November 2 - Monthly Pub Night. *November 9 - Festival of British Cheese & Wine Networking Reception. November 14, 5:30-7 p.m. BABC New Member Reception, hosted by the British Consul General. Meet fellow new members, BABC Board of Directors, British Consul General, and Consulate staff. If you have missed attending a New Member Reception, contact Chris Brenkus at cbrenkus@babcc.org for an invitation to the November 14th reception. November 15, 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. TransAtlantic Partnership and its Implications to the U.S. and E.U. Economies. The British-American Business Council, Chicago is co-sponsoring the Executives’ Club of Chicago’s half-day conference which will take place at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. You may register for the entire conference or for any of the individual sessions online at www.executivesclub.org or by filling out the attached registration form. BABC members are eligible for The Executives’ Club of Chicago membership price for all sessions on this day. These rates include $36.50 for the breakfast, $100.00 for the mid-morning session, $57.50 for the luncheon or $150.00 for the entire conference. Those who register online should indicate their association with the BABC, Chicago in the notes section of the registration so that you will be charged accordingly. * December 8, 6-Midnight - Twelfth Annual British Christmas Gala at the Cultural Center-Yates Gallery, sponsored by American Airlines. This year the BABC Chicago is partnering with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois to raise funds for children with life-threatening illnesses. Stay tuned for more details. For more info on BABC events in other cities, click on the following link: BABC Calendar of Events. As a member of the BABC Chicago, you are welcome to attend other BABC chapter events at the member price. For more info on UK Arts & Entertainment programs, click on the following link: UK Regional Arts & Entertainment Programs in the Midwest.
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ANGLOFILE September 2006
BREAKING INTO THE
AMERICAN MARKET By Victoria Mellor, CEO, Melcrum Breaking into the American market is one of the most difficult things for a British business to achieve. Here Victoria Mellor, CEO and founder of Melcrum, a London based research and training company, explains her route to success. I am often asked, what’s the secret of starting up in America? In my case, there can be no substitute for actually gaining the experience of working there myself. In 1995, together with my marketing manager and fellow Melcrum founder, I was fortunate enough to be sent out to work in Chicago challenged with establishing a North American base for my former employer – a business to business publisher. Naïve to the challenges ahead, we launched our first marketing campaign to sell subscriptions to a newsletter we published on employee communication. Our early success gave us the impetus to start up our journal aimed at the emerging discipline of employee communication. And so by 1996 we had returned to London and launched our own business Melcrum. The knowledge and network of contacts we had acquired during our time in Chicago proved invaluable and so confident were we of our prospects in the US that we launched our very first marketing campaign there. Thanks to the American Airlines frequent flyer program, I did a city-by-city tour attending conventions and meeting potential customers. So from day one, and still a “kitchen table” operation, we have achieved an impressive 40% of our customer base in North America. As our customer base grew and we added more product offerings, it became clear that one day our ambition would be to have a fully staffed office in Chicago. However, one challenge we faced was to provide excellent customer service from London, a city in a different time zone and without the advantage of a toll free number. By 2001, we made the decision and started to put plans in place to hire some space and set up an outpost in Chicago towards the end of the year. Unfortunately, the events of 9/11 interrupted our plan. I was on one of the first flights out of London to Chicago and vividly remember there being more crew than passengers. We stuck it out for about six months, but clearly the economic environment wasn’t going to favour a start up operation and we took the decision to withdraw. Although we were bruised and battered from our time there and a little poorer for it, we never lost sight of our goal to establish a base in the US. It was really a matter of waiting until things improved. By September 2003, with the green shoots of economic recovery evident, we made the decision to go back and launch a major professional development conference on employee communication in Chicago. By trading on the contacts we made back in the ‘90s we hired a crack team, mostly home based moms who were attracted by the flexibility we offered. Today our Chicago operation runs its own conferences, training, a membership Web site, Webinars as well as marketing Melcrum’s extensive range of publications and contributes 40% of Melcrum’s overall revenues. So often we are asked, “Why Chicago?” Of course, there are other major US cities with better climates, but few rival the Windy City for cost effectiveness, flight connections and, most importantly, the variety and quality of its restaurants. Victoria Mellor still collects frequent flyer miles and can be regularly spotted in the international terminal at O’Hare. She lives in west London with her fellow Melcrum cofounder and husband Robin Crumby and son Jake. Contact Victoria on Victoria.mellor@melcrum.com or visit www.melcrum.com Melcrum is pleased to offer fellow BABC Members 15% off all Melcrum publications, journals and professional development programs. Please contact Melcrum in Chicago at 312.527.4791.
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The
global executive education to
its new campus in the heart of
The University of Chicago
Graduate School of Business has permanent campuses on three continents:
North America, Europe, and
The GSB in
London
now provides a series of Executive Education Seminars using the same world
renowned Chicago GSB faculty that facilitate the Executive MBA programs.
If you are in London on the following dates or believe your UK colleagues
may benefit from attending one or more of these courses, contact Chris
Brenkus. BABC members receive a
discount on the courses below.
Want to know ... Who's
Shipping What? Where?
The 2007 editions of the
global trade and transport industry’s standard desktop references – The
Directory of U.S. Importers and The Directory of U.S. Exporters – are
now available. |
MEMBER TIPS Fall back To Basics . . . Come To Door County
Fall is always a special
time of the year. The air is changing, the weather is cooler, and the
holidays are just ahead. All the wonderful memories you have of Fall are
in the air and in the landscapes of Door County waiting for you to stop
on by, this Fall. And while you're in Door County, visit BABC Member Gary Sedan's Made in Britain Store to shop for fine gifts and collectibles exclusively made in Britain. For accommodations stay at BABC Members John & Nicola Friend's Britannia Bed & Breakfast, 100% British-owned and voted by "Inn Traveler" Magazine as one of the top 15 best waterfront inns in North America. If you love the Fall, you will love it even more in Door County!
Do you have a restaurant, hotel,
travel, or other tips you would like to share with fellow members? If so,
kindly e-mail your recommendations to
Chris Brenkus.
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS Peter Woan, husband of BABC member Rebecca Woan, has written a book that explains everyday terms used in banking, insurance, investing, real estate, tax and the workplace. Rather than attempting a listing of every known term, the author has selected only those terms typically encountered by most Americans. The explanations aim to be concise but still sufficient to provide a working knowledge. The book is written for anyone who might need a handy and compact reference source, especially individuals "starting out" such as recent graduates. It would also be helpful to ex-pats just arrived in the U.S. who are confronted by finance language that while often familiar is also uniquely American. For complete details on the book, visit the web site: http://www.practicalguide.info.
To get the BABC discount, BABC members must order by sending an e-mail to pwoan@practicalguide.info and mention the BABC." WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Please join us in welcoming the following new members:
John & Nicola Friend Britannia is a British Bed & Breakfast on Lake Michigan, Wisconsin and is 100% British-owned.
Ian Halligan National CPA firm that is part of the RSMI International affiliation. Spread the Word about the BABC Chicago to your colleagues and those who you think would benefit from BABC Membership. Kindly direct them to our Web Site or e-mail Chris Brenkus to send your contacts' information. 2006 Anglofile Newletters
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