ENB - Entrepreneurs Network Barcelona

This year ENB were invited to take part in a Macro-Networking event held on Thursday 21st of May at the Día del Emprendedor at the Palacio de Congresos, Barcelona. ENB were invited together with several other Barcelona networking organisations to make a 2-minute presentation on the organization and their offering to the Barcelona Entrepreneur market.

With aproximately 150 entrepreneurs in the audience that morning it was not only a great opportunity to promote ENB, but also to meet other networking organizations and mingle with entrepreneurs who were perhaps unfamiliar with the networking possibilities available in the city.

The event was organised by Barcelona Activa, and there are now dicussions between the participating networks to create a common forum in the future to promote all the networks through a possible series of events.

The morning was a great success and ENB hope to be participating again next year!

The ENB Team

This month’s ENB meeting will be taking place on THURSDAY 14TH MAY, kicking off with our first edition of our ‘ENB Pitch-UR-Business’ evening starting at 7.30pm. (See below for more details). This will be followed as usual with our ENB Social Meeting in the hotel bar from 8.30pm onwards.

Schedule:
19.30h – 20.30h ENB Pitch-UR-Business
20.30h onwards ENB Social Meeting + 2-minute open Elevator Pitches

Location:
Hotel Casanova, C/Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 559 (corner of Gran Via and Casanova, metro Universitat or Urgell).

All those wishing to attend as part of the audience for the ENB Pitch-UR-Business, please send us an email with your full name and we will be sure to put you on the list of attendees. Please send the email to: info@networkbarcelona.com

We look forward to seeing you there.
The ENB Team

ENB Pitch-UR-Business

We have 5 ENB members pitching this new business venture / idea to a panel of expert judges who will be looking at each business and deciding which member has the best most viable proposal. Members of the audience will also be asked to vote on the best pitch and both winners will be announced in the Social Meeting later on in the hotel bar.

We are privileged to have as judges on our panel:

• Jonathan Dykes, CEO IH Language Services Group
• Amelia Roversi-Mónaco, Independent Business Consultant, ARM Consulting
• Michael Egan, Accountant, Spence Clarke & Co
• Jeaninne Horowitz, Associate Professor, Dept. Economics and Business, Pompeu Fabra University
• Mathieu Carenzo, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CEFIE) at IESE

The ENB businesses / ideas being presented in the evening are:

Presenter 1
Business: TheAblo, www.theablo.com
Insght: TheAblo designs spaces and experiences: business, sales and brand positioning events, either permanent or ephemeral, assuring our clients the highest level of notoriety and optimal exposure for their products and services.

We are more than creative designers: TheAblo creates spaces, objects and promotional strategies; we handle their production, assembly and construction, from the conceptual phase to the final delivery, working with the most competitive manufacturers and reliable suppliers in the market. We achieve this through flexible and dynamic professional collaborations tailored to each client’s specific needs.

At TheAblo we approach every project with the certainty that our clients do know what they need, what they like and what they consider aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, we start by listening carefully to our clients and then we use our know-how and expertise to create functional and innovative ways of satisfying our clients’ needs.

Presenter 2
Business: Bonita World, www.bonita-world.com
Insight: Bonitaworld media productions is a German/Spanish company, offering its clients a wide range of services in the areas of film and video, photography and the organization of events throughout Spain and Germany.

Since many years the team of bonitaworld media productions, whose main office is in Barcelona, Spain, has provided services to national and international production companies, corporate organizations and television stations.

Presenter 3
Business: PhyMen Coach Barcelona, www.phymencoach.com
Insight: In this fast modern world people are more and more looking for individual high quality life. Working hard, doing intensive sports, travelling to new places and living a happy social life; all ‘normal’ things. But what if your energy is not enough to succeed in all your aims? What if you notice you are out of energy at work, sporting hurts, active travelling is impossible and you have to cancel parts of your social life?

At those moments you might need someone to find out where things went wrong and even more important how to get back on track. A ‘PHYsicalMENtal Coach‘ is trained to look for possibilities to help you get better. Maybe only by physical assistance or by the combination of physical and mental help.

The PhyMen Coach is an unique new concept when you just need a helping hand to achieve more in your daily life, work, travelling or sports. Working from your needs and your home; high level (English!) personal coaching on demand.

Presenter 4
Business: Law At Work, www.lawatwork.net
Insight: Our mission - to revolutionise the conservative world of legal services! We deal with many forward thinking organizations such as Amazon and Expedia and have recently launched a new service here in Spain – initially in Barcelona.

We are an international company that works in collaboration with local law firms to offer a new service for small and mid sized companies to help them manage employment-related issues more easily. It is a type of outsourced HR/legal support the objective of which is to keep clients out of court rather than bill them for as many hours work as possible!

The service was designed very carefully from scratch and blends aspects of HR management, employment law and insurance to address the various negative aspects of traditional legal provision that we found many clients had when we asked them i.e.:

Uncertainty over the cost of advice
Too technical and complex advice
Difficulty getting advice at the moment it is needed in the business
Advisors not sharing the risk of things going wrong

Our company and service model originated in the UK where it has been very well received by SME employers and we are now expanding throughout Europe. We always try to adapt the service as much as possible to local needs so I am very keen to get feedback from local businesspeople in Barcelona.

Presenter 5
Business: Barcelona Wine Club, www.barcelonawineclub.com
Insight: The Wine Tasting Club lays its hat at the Crisalus Language and Cultural Center, a great venue right in the heart of the city. If you are passing by our neighborhood, stop in for an adventure in discovery. Learn about the wine industry in English, including the hidden gems of the Catalan wine country, that is, the smaller boutique and family-operated wineries producing outstanding wines and cavas. Our intention is to bring these less-known wines and cavas to the attention of wine lovers here in Barcelona.

With the activity hosted at The Wine Center of Barcelona, there is now an urban winetasting venue to eliminate the need to travel to the wineries to do some fabulous winetasting! We also wanted to facilitate an exchange between winemakers and wine drinkers, and create an environment where people could learn in a group format and have fun. At The Wine Center of Barcelona, we’ve built a unique concept – a new approach to education, a new way of exchanging ideas, a new forum for discussing that which brings us together around the table…. that is, the fruit of the vine.

We will be hosting many classes and courses, including how to pair wine with food. Understanding how wine works with food will make both taste better. Taste an incredible flight of wines and learn how different foods change your perceptions of the wines. By the end of these sessions, you will know what to look for in any wine, why certain wines work well with certain foods, and how to make any wine taste better by serving it correctly. Our knowledgeable stewards and instructors will show you the basics of wine tasting and food pairing in these hands-on, plain-language classes designed to be deliciously fun. Be prepared the next time you are faced with a restaurant’s daunting wine list or when you come upon aisle after aisle of wines at the grocery store.

We will be asking for a donation of 5 EUROS per person to attend this event. This donation will go towards the ENB fund for future events and hiring of audio and visual equipment. We hope we can count on your support!

CONFIRMED ATTENDEES:

1. NICK LESSER

2. LUCY DAVIS

3. TONY ANAGOR

4. SCOTT DOANE

5. BEN NEALE

6. MARKUS RUF

7. KOEN WILLEMS

8. FELIPE ARAUJO

9. SANDRA LUND

10. JONATHAN DYKES

11. AMELIA ROVERSI-MONACO

12. MICHAEL EGAN

13. JEANINNE HOROWITZ

14. ANDREW FUNK

15. CRAIG MCGLAUGHLAN

16. LESLEY CANNELL

17. NICOLE TRAD

18. NUNU RONEY

19. NICK PLACE

20. DIEGO SILES SERVIO

21. SASCHA FROEHLICH

22. DR SUSANNE MUELLER

23. ISABEL SABADI

24. DANIEL LESSER

25. THIAGO MELO

26. ALICIA OSES

27. FRANCESCO CIGALA

28. CELINA TAMAGNINI

29. ANETTE KRAGDHAL

30. PATRICIA ZEEGERS

31. RON MARIJT

32. JAMES WARDELL

33. KIMMO SORAMAKI

34. DAVID LOSADA

35. CARLOS PEREZ

36. CECILIA LIU

37. MELANIA OAKS

38. ALICIA ALFONSO

39.PATRICIA MARTÍNEZ

40.ISABEL MOGA

41.MITCH BERMAN

42.MASSIMO ZITTI

43.CECILIA  LIU

This month we will be hosting our second Speed-Networking event. Due to the success of the last event held at the end of 2008 and due to the increasing demand from members, we thought it was about time we held another.

This time we are delighted to have the guidance and advice from Speed-Dating expert and ENB member Sarah Allibone of Date Club www.dateclubspain.com. Sarah will be guiding us through the “dos and don’ts” of Speed-Networking ensuring that we will provide a smooth operation on the evening.

Speed-Networking will run from 19.30h to 20.30h in one of the conference rooms downstairs.

We will be asking for a donation of 5 EUROS per person to attend the Speed-Networking. This donation will go towards the ENB fund for future events and hiring of audio and visual equipment. We hope we can count on your support!

There are limited places available, so please be sure to sign up soon. Please send us an email specifying your name, company and industry type to: info@networkbarcelona.com.

And if this looks all too exciting, we are also very pleased to announce that before, during and after the Speed-Networking we will have ENB member Nunu Roney, massage therapist from The Vital Touch (www.thevitaltouch.es) offering FREE 5-minute stress relieving massages on her ergonomic, energising massage chair.

The social meeting will take place as usual from 20.30h in the hotel bar upstairs with a FREE glass of cava compliments of our hosts, Hotel Casanova. This month we promise to deliver the 2-minute member elevator pitches, so any member looking to present their company, product or service please drop us a line and will add you to the list.

Schedule:

19.30h – 20.30h Speed-Networking

20.30h onwards  Social Meeting + 2-minute Elevator Pitches

Location: Hotel Casanova, C/Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 559 (corner of Gran Via and Casanova, metro Universitat or Urgell).

We look forward to seeing you all on the 15th!

The ENB Team

This month’s spotlight shines on ENB member Nunu Roney and her on-site massage business THE VITAL TOUCH.

The Vital Touch offers energising, fully-clothed, on-site chair massage for groups of people at your office/event/hotel in Barcelona.

Perfect for busy people that require maximum release in minimum time, this highly effective Japanese acupressure massage concentrates on 100 stress release points on the back, shoulders, neck, head , arms and hands. Helping to improve day to day well-being, stress levels and tension.

It includes gentle stretches and finishes with an energising sequence, leaving you feeling wonderfully relaxed and revitalised.

Received fully clothed in our ergonomic portable chair. At your office, price 20€ per massage, allow 30 minutes, minimum 5 people. Please ask for event prices.

The Vital Touch also offers Therapeutic Fullbody Oil Massage

A deep-tissue, classical, Swedish, aroma-oil massage with Japanese acupressure points, stretches and Rei-ki energy. Home made mixed aroma oils and received on a very comfortable massage table with warm towels. Very deep, relaxing and soothing. Improves circulation and helps relive tired muscles and joints.

Received at my home clinic in Central Barcelona or at your house/hotel.
homeclinic prices:30-min 30€ / 1-hour 55€ / 1 1/2-hour 70€ / 2-hour 100€.

** Special offer for ENB members, 10% discount for your first massage. Please contact Nunu direct on nunu@thevitaltouch.com or 659 995 657.

www.thevitaltouch.es

We are delighted to announce that the next ENB meeting will be taking place on THURSDAY 19TH MARCH. The evening will commence with a series of talks from 19.30 - 20.30h (pre-registration essential, please see below) followed by our regular social meeting from 20.30h, with free cava generously provided by our hosts Hotel Casanova.

This month we will be asking for a donative payment of 5 EUROS per person to attend the talks. This donation will go towards the ENB fund for future events and hiring of audio and visual equipment. We hope we can count on your support!

For the talks starting at 19.30h we will be hearing from:

Speakers 1: Lee and Lauren Gonzalez are the co-founders of Somnio Hostels, a soon-to-be chain of upscale hostels. The sisters moved to Barcelona in the fall of 2006 equipped with little more than their business plan and determination to succeed.  While the first Somnio location opened in the spring of 2008, the plan has been in the works since the two studied abroad at university.  Lee and Lauren hope to open a second hostel in Barcelona by the end of 2009 before expanding the brand to other major Spanish cities. The sisters faced many challenges in opening a business in Spain and look forward to sharing the knowledge they´ve acquired with other entrepreneurs.

Lee Gonzalez graduated with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 where she received her Bachelor of Science in Economics with a concentration in Finance and Global Analysis and a minor in Spanish. Before moving to Barcelona, she spent three years in New York City working as a Financial Analyst with Goldman Sachs in its Private Wealth Management group. She has past experience with the Operations Department of McDonald’s Corporation and was introduced to the hospitality industry during a summer job in high school. Ms.Gonzalez is herself an avid traveler, her most notable experience being the night she spent sleeping on an array of shopping bags in order to avoid direct contact with her hostel’s sheets.

Lauren Gonzalez graduated with honors from Georgetown University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science of Foreign Service concentrating in US Foreign Policy. Prior to moving to Barcelona, Lauren lived in Milan, Italy and worked as a Financial Analyst for HSBC Bank Plc in their Debt Finance and Advisory group. Before that, she lived and worked in Hong Kong and New York for HSBC. Ms.Gonzalez spent the fall of 2002 studying at Pontifica Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile where she lived with a family and learned more about hostel industry during her travels. Having both lived and traveled in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Ms.Gonzalez’ most memorable overnight stay was in a trailer in a family’s backyard in Patagonia.

www.somniohostels.com

Speaker 2: Yolanda Perez from Barcelona Activa will be speaking about the services and activities on offer for entrepreneurs in Barcelona (and Catalunya). Yolanda will be explaining how Barcelona Activa operates, what services they offer and what they look for when helping (and funding) new business and innovative enterprise.Yolanda is the Director of Business Growth Programs as well as Director of the Business Incubator and the BCN Nord Tech Park at Barcelona Activa.

www.barcelonactiva.cat

Speaker 3: An introduction to the European Professional Women’s Network by organiser Caroline Courtier and their offering to female entrepreneurs in Barcelona and Catalunya.

www.europeanpwn.net/spain

The floor will then be open for questions to our speakers.

For further information on the speakers please visit the Website: www.networkbarcelona.com
To register for the talks please send us an email to: info@networkbarcelona.com 

ENB Social Meeting

This will be followed by our social meeting in the hotel bar from 20.30 where we will be calling upon a selection of members to present themselves with a 2-minute ‘elevator pitch’.

Schedule:


19.30 – 20.30       Talks from our invited entrepreneurs, followed by Q&A session


20.30 onwards     Social Meeting, ENB Members 2-minute pitches

Location:   Hotel Casanova, C/Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 559 (corner of Gran Via and Casanova, metro Universitat or Urgell).

The talk is limited to 30 attendees, so please sign up now so as not to miss out. To book your place, please contact us now on info@networkbarcelona.com.

We ask all those coming to the talk to arrive by 19.20 so that we can start punctually.

We look forward to seeing you there.

The ENB Team  

LIST OF ATTENDEES: