Make BABC Chicago’s annual Christmas luncheon the first stop on your party circuit this holiday season–the premier holiday event for the British-American community.

The festivities include cocktails, delicious food, networking, exciting raffles, and a live auction benefiting the British Summer Studies Program.  This elegant holiday event is perfect for client entertainment, networking, and celebrating the season with colleagues and friends.  And stay for the After Party to continue the festivities and networking!   Business attire.

Reserve your ticket(s) and/or table(s) today and start putting together your invite list now!  Click below to register:

A VERY BRITISH CHRISTMAS – REGISTRATION

Thanks to our Raffle & Auction Contributors!

American Airlines -  roundtrip air transportation to exciting destinations

Anglotopia.net - stay tuned!

Antler Luggage - full set of luggage:  The Liquis collection sculptured and designed to bring you the ultimate strength and lightweight solution in upright cases.

Boeing – Gift basket of Boeing model airplane and space-themed goodies.

British Consulate-General, Chicago - dinner for 4 at the British Consul General’s residence

Chicago Strategic Consulting - personal cosmetic plan, including 1 silk peel microdermabrasion treatment for silky smooth skin and 1 Botox or Dysport treatment to reduce frown lines or crow’s feet, provided by Carolyn I. Jacob, M.D., Chicago Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology

Cubs Extravaganza –   4 tickets to a Cubs game (mutual choice, excluding Platinum games); lunch for 4 at Rockit Bar in Wrigleyville; and an autographed Cubs’ memorabilia, donated by Chris Kelleher, LinkedIn

Emissary Chicago -  a great Sake Tasting experience, education, and materials with some take home bottles for a group of 6-8 people!

Hotel Burnham – one-night weekend stay in suite accommodations

InterContinental Chicago - luxury hotel stays at exciting destinations:  New York, Budapest, Athens, Chicago …

Made in Britain – 26″ x 20″ wood- framed pub mirror made in England and reproduction of an old Coca Cola sign.

Mintel - Two club level tickets for Arsenal –the premier league football

New Chicago Beer Co. - Join proprietors Samuel and Jesse Evans and take the (guided) reigns in crafting ales at their New Chicago Beer Company. You will be involved in choosing hops, malts, and yeasts, and working on the equipment.  The new brewery is located at “The Plant,” a fresh, innovative approach to using sustainable energy sources and ecologically friendly techniques for brewing.

Palomar – One night stay in a King Deluxe Room and $75 gift card for Sable Kitchen & Bar

The Redhead Piano Bar – $50 gift certificate

III Forks – Dinner for two

Roka Akor - Omakase dinner for two

Sax Chicago - Bed & Breakfast packagee:  one night of room & tax in deluxe accommodatons and breakfast for two.

Stevens & Associates

Wyndham Chicago – One night stay and breakfast for two at Caliterra Bar & Grille

STAY TUNED FOR MORE EXCITING RAFFLE/AUCTION PRIZES

Have an item you’d like to donate?  Contact Chris

Stay tuned for more exciting raffle and auction prizes.  Do you have an item you would like to donate to the raffle/auction?  Kindly contact cbrenkus@babcc.org. 

Proceeds

Proceeds from the raffles and live auction are used to send deserving Chicago high school students—chosen by Horizons-for-Youth, to the British Studies Summer program, which is a two-week study/travel program in the UK that strives to bring British history to life by enabling students to explore and connect with art and events from the past 400 years of British history.  This is a life changing experience for these students—many of whom have not travelled outside Illinois.

Check out the pictures from our British Consul Awards Dinner.  Warm congratulations to the 2011 recipients:  Boeing, Chicago Shakespeare, and Laurence Geller.  Special thanks to our sponsors Baker & McKenzie, Boeing, Wells Fargo International, and the InterContinental Chicago; and to our featured speakers, Robert Chatterton Dickson, British Consul General, Chicago, and Deputy Mayor Mark Angelson.

If you would like a copy of any of the photos, e-mail cbrenkus@babcc.org.  Thank you.

BABC Chicago member, Scott Markman, CEO, Monogram Group spoke with Ad Age about his company’s latest survey of Americans’ perceptions of Chinese brands. Below is a reprint of the article appearing in AdAge Global:

By: Ad Age Staff Bio
RSS feed Published: October 06, 2011 

Why the U.S. Marketplace Is Prime for Chinese Products

Americans are increasingly open to buying Chinese products, according to a survey by The Monogram Group, so President Scott Markman is advising Chinese marketers to make the jump into the U.S. market now.

Based in Chicago, Mr. Markman has been helping Chinese brands grow internationally since 2007. He hired China experts and started visiting the country, where he tried to explain the importance of American marketing concepts to technocratic Chinese executives.

Mr. Markman spoke with Ad Age about his company’s latest survey of Americans’ perceptions of Chinese brands.

Ad Age: Your survey this year showed that 24% of Americans believe goods made in China are high quality, up from 16% in 2008. And there was a drop in the percentage of Americans who believe Chinese goods are low quality, down to 39% from 55%. What’s behind the shift?

Mr. Markman: In the last two or three years there’s not been any sort of poisoning stories in the national press about products coming from China, so it’s a little bit of that. People tend to have short memories. … But we all make perceptions on a handful of data points and fill in the dots. The problem with China is a lot of the dots out there are about shoddy quality.

China’s price times quality equals value ratio is on the ascent. They’re going in the right direction. Gradually China — in the collective sense — needs to continue going up that curve; it needs some bellwether brands to lift the whole perception.

Ad Age: One finding from the study is that more Americans are open to purchasing Chinese products in categories such as computers and cars. But interestingly, the trend also includes categories such as toys, herbal products and soaps and shampoos. Were you surprised?

Mr. Markman: Those were the biggest shockers to us. Categories we queried were purposefully all over the place. Some of the news stories about dangerous products being recalled were about toys. And products like soaps and shampoos are personal things.

With soaps and shampoos, we took that as a powerful signal that American consumers are open to considering excellent Chinese products and brands that do their work correctly and follow global branding standards. The real missing piece for Chinese companies is the marketing piece, it’s what they don’t value and don’t understand. There’s often the perception that ‘I make a very good product, get it on the shelf and it’s going to sell.’

Ad Age: What needs to be done to change this perception?

Chinese don’t tell their stories in an American way. I can guarantee you the first image on the homepage of 90% of Chinese companies’ websites is a bird’s-eye view of their factory, because it’s important to them to say to the world, ‘We’re legitimate, we’ve very big’ and the best way to show that is the roof of their gazillion-square-foot factory.

The second thing is always an image of the chairman-CEO sitting at his desk, scowling. Third, they show scans of their quality certificates. And, if they take the time to develop branded imagery, it is Chinese faces smiling, looking off into the sunset … life is good, life is harmony.

Would Kraft ever do that? Of course not. To an American, it comes off as goofy, but this stuff is infused in every Chinese website. And you say, “Look it’s fabulous for you in China but here in the U.S. it means nothing or is going to take you off message. So are you going to invest $40,000 to American-fy your website or not?” Well, a lot of Chinese companies won’t.

Ad Age: Which Chinese brands have done a good job of marketing themselves in the U.S. market so far?

Mr. Markman: Lenovo and Haier are the two brands spending tens of millions of dollars on major campaigns, so from a sheer investment spend, they are the two guys playing the game at a world-class scale. Their brand awareness numbers, I promise you, while on the rise, are pretty low. They will have to do this for years to become a household name. Haier is a big sponsor of the NBA, so they are absolutely headed in the right direction.

After these two companies, there’s a massive drop-off. There’s really nobody else pouring people, time and money into brand building that are even close to those guys. I think very soon Li-Ning will be the next one because an American company [Chicago-based digital marketing firm and joint venture partner Acquity] is bringing them into the U.S. market and they’re going against Nike. So if anything, they’ll have to overspend. Will they do it skillfully and not just copy the leaders? I’m not sure.

For more info on the study, contact Scott Markman at the Monogram Group.

Interested in fellow member responses to the recent BABC Chicago benefit survey ?  An executive summary of the survey results follows.  The BABC Chicago Board of Directors is using your valuable feedback to develop programs and activities for 2012! 

Thank you for participating. 

 

 

BABC Chicago Membership Benefit Survey

August 2011 – Executive Summary

 

The survey was sent to 285 members; 73 lapsed members; and 163 non-members.  Approximately 78 people participated.  75% of respondents are current BABC members.

Just over half of the respondents described themselves as doing business in the US, versus just under half who cited doing business in both the US and the UK.

The global headquarters of 70% of the respondents is here in the US.

The revenue size of member companies is well distributed, across small, medium and large.

Three-quarters of companies have more than 5 employees here in Chicago.  However, more than half of the survey respondents report that their typical number of BABC event participants is one, or none at all.

After Hours is the most widely attended event of the past 12 months.  Availability is the most commonly cited reason for not attending BABC events.

 The three most important membership factors are i) networking, ii) access to business and government leaders and iii) business-themed events.

We had tested the concept of the BABC offering business forums.  The response was overwhelming: 92% of respondents are in favor.  Breakfast-timed events ranked #1, followed by lunch, then dinner.  There are a number of suggested program themes within the survey responses.

Overall, 62% rated the value of BABC membership as good, 33% fair and 5% poor.

 If you would like a copy of the full results, including comments, e-mail cbrenkus@babcc.org.

Royal Pies are the speciality at the Pleasant House Bakery–the first true British pie shop in Chicago (Bridgeport area).  Our pies are handmade and feature high-quality meats and produce, much of which we grow ourselves at our own Pleasant Farms. 

Our Royal Pie varieties include steak and ale, mushroom and kale, chicken balti (curry), cold pork pie, and special new pie varieties each week. We also make a lovely, traditional Cornish pasty as well as our own bangers, streaky bacon, and other British specialties. Our Friday fish and chips night has become very popular.

Pleasant House Bakery offers dine-in and take-away, as well as catering (delivery available). Catering options include pies and pasties, various fresh sides, and custom menus, in addition to catered tea services (including pastries and tea sandwiches). 

Here is a sampling of the positive press for Pleasant House Bakery:

            2011 Best of Chicago: Savory Pies

– Chicago Magazine

            2011 Best of Chicago: Best Chef Downshift, Vegetable Division, Art Jackson

- Chicago Reader

            “It is my favorite new restaurant of 2011.”

– Chicago Tribune, Food Reporter Kevin Pang

 

Pleasant House Bakery’s Royal Pies make excellent options for catered events, including:

            – Holiday parties and other celebratory occasions

            – Office meetings (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

            – Sporting events

            – Cocktail parties 

We are proud of our bakery and believe our delicious foods would ideally suit your clientele. More information about our bakery and menu is on our website, http://www.pleasanthousebakery.com.

We look forward to having the opportunity to serve you and encourage you to contact us with questions about how we can help make your next event a success. 

Pleasant House Bakery | 964 West 31st Street, Chicago, IL 60608 | 773-523-PIES | pleasanthousebakery@gmail.com.

    Boeing, Chicago Shakespeare Theater & Laurence S. Geller, President & CEO, Strategic Hotel & Resorts, Inc. are proudly named by the BABC Chicago as recipients of the 2011 British Consul General Award.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS AUG.  31.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER:  British Consul General Awards Dinner

     The awards will be presented at a BABCC dinner on September 21, 2011, from 6-10 p.m., sponsored by Baker & McKenzie LLP, Boeing, Wells Fargo International, and the InterContinental Chicago.  Click here to register:  British Consul General Awards Dinner

            Boeing is among the world’s leading aerospace businesses, specializing in the manufacture of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems.  Headquartered in Chicago, Boeing employs more than 166,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries. This represents one of the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere. The company’s long-standing relationship with British industry, the armed forces and the air transport industry dates back over 70 years. Today, the UK remains a critically important market, supplier base and a source of some of the world’s most inventive technology partners.    In addition to its own local presence, Boeing has an extensive network of industrial and academic partners and suppliers across the UK. Through these relationships, Boeing is helping to create and sustain thousands of high-grade, high value jobs in the British aerospace industry and wider economy. Boeing’s expenditure also stimulates new capital investment in the UK industrial base, which helps companies maintain their competitive edge.   Boeing is being honored on its 10-year anniversary in Chicago, its average annual $1 billion sourcing from the UK and its expanded presence in the UK through Boeing Defense UK.  John Tracy, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President for Engineering, Operations and Technology will accept the award.

            Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is nationally recognized as a Regional Theatre Tony Award recipient whose resident playwright forms the core of its programming.  The Theater offers a broad spectrum of theatrical experiences year-round, engaging and entertaining audiences from all walks of life and from around the world.  Through its World’s Stage Series, CST regularly imports and showcases artists from the UK and across the globe, including productions from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the National Theatre of Scotland.  Chicago Shakespeare contributes to this international exchange by sending some of its best works abroad, including the Olivier Award-winning CST production of Pacific Overtures at London’s Donmar Warehouse, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Theater’s Edinburgh Fringe First Award-winning production Funk It Up About Nothin’, which played at London’s Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2011.  Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is being honored for regularly engaging world class artists from throughout the UK, sharing its American brand of theater abroad, serving as the largest employer of Chicago actors, and attracting nearly 200,000 patrons including 40,000 students and teachers in metropolitan Chicago. Barbara Gaines, Artistic Director, and Criss Henderson, Executive Director, will accept the award.

            Laurence S. Geller, a British national, and President and CEO of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc., is receiving a special individual award for his over 40 years of service to the lodging industry and for his tireless civic and philanthropic efforts.    An authority on Winston Churchill, Geller founded Strategic in 1997 after heading Geller & Co., a gaming, tourism and lodging advisory consultancy. Before that, he was an executive with Hyatt and London’s Metropolitan Hotels. He is known for his hands-on approach to his properties, high-end hotels and resorts in gateway cities and destinations in the United States, Europe and Central America.

     Mr. Geller serves on the boards of Children’s Memorial Hospital and the American Jewish Committee.  He also serves on the President’s Council of the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.  Laurence is a member of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Board, and in May, 2011, he was appointed Chancellor of the West London University (formerly Thames Valley). Mr. Geller has played a leading role in the Churchill Centre & Museum at the Cabinet War rooms in London as one of the original founding members in 1995 and now proudly serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Churchill Center.  He is also Ambassador for North America for the Hotel and Catering Institutional Management Association of the U.K.

     “I am pleased to congratulate this year’s recipients,” remarked Saul T. Caisman, President of the BABCC.  “Despite the difficulties and challenges facing the worldwide economy, Boeing, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Laurence Geller continue to set high standards for leadership, innovation, cultural exchange, and philanthropic activities.” 

Previous recipients of the British Consul General Awards include Kraft and the Five Ten Group (2010); Aon Corporation and BigHand (2009); George W. Buckley, Wm. Wrigley Company, Manpower, Inc., and TradingPartners (2008); Tate & Lyle and Neogen (2007); Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. and the British School of Chicago (2006); RR Donnelley and Gripple, Inc. (2005); Dyson,, Mintel USA, and Newark InOne (2004); and Robert Culshaw, former British Consul General Chicago (2003).

The BABC Chicago recognizes that as our business environment changes, so do your needs. In this regard, the BABCC Board of Directors is committed to identifying relevant business and professional programming and services that will continue to support you in achieving your professional and business goals, as well as attracting new members.

We kindly ask that you take 5-7 minutes to answer the following 19 questions. Your answers/comments are anonymous. Please respond by August 31 and you will receive a $20 credit good toward a BABCC event.  Click here:  BABC CHICAGO BENEFIT SURVEY. 

Thank you for your assistance in helping to shape your BABCC.

Over 100 BABC Chicago members and guests enjoy a fun day at Arlington International Racecourse.  In addition to cocktails throughout the day, a lovely lunch buffet and fun horseraces, guests learned about the exciting new British Airways and American Airlines aliiance.  Throughout the day there were raffle drawings between races, culminating in a fun game of Heads and Tails to win a Boston package:  2 tickets to Boston Ballet and behind the scenes our, first-class air transportation for two to Boston courtesy of American Airlines, and hotel accommodations provided by InterContinental Boston.  The Grand Prizes:  2 lucky winners each won two round trip air transportation to London.  Congrats to all the winners and thanks to everyone who participated in this memorable afternoon.