Chamber of Commerce Corner, April 11, 2023

French-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFH)

Free Zoom Webinar: Tour CEE in 45 Minutes

A regular English-language series of economic trends and news presented by the experts of the six Franco-bilateral chambers from Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia). The special guest this time will be Diana Karachanski, associate economist at Coface, and the central topic inflation.

• When: April 25, noon. • Cost:  Free, but prior registration required.

CCIFH New Members Welcome Cocktail Reception

• When: Tuesday April 18, 6 p.m. • Where: Hotel Nemzeti Budapest – Mgallery, József körút 4, 1088 Budapest • Cost: Members, HUF 15,900 HUF + VAT; non-members, HUF 23,900 HUF + VAT.

Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (Swisscham)

Swisscham Hungary held its first sponsor meeting of the year at the residence of the Swiss Ambassador Jean-François Paroz. Their guest this time was István Joó, the CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency. Hipa is an important partner for both the chamber and its companies, with countless joint projects realized. The VIP Lunch event provides an opportunity for supporting members to discuss current matters with each other and the invited guests.

Art & Business Club: Contemporary art as an Investment

György Gajzágó, director of the Academy of Contemporary Art Collectors (CCA), will give the presentation “Contemporary Art Objects as an Investment,” which forms the focus of the event.

• When: April 12, 3 p.m. • Where: Online Zoom meeting (access data will be sent before the event) • Cost: Free for members; HUF 5,000 HUF / person (0% VAT) for non-members.

German Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DUIHK)

Vocational Training Award: Good for Youth, Good for the Economy

The DUIHK has awarded its Vocational Education Award for the 10th time. It launched the award a decade ago to strengthen the social appreciation of vocational education and thus to support member companies in securing the next generation of skilled workers. Since then, more than 310 projects have been submitted for the competition, a record of 51 this year alone.

A special feature of the award is that it is not restricted to DUIHK members; any institution in Hungary that practices and promotes vocational education can apply. This year, the jury nominated 16 projects from the 51 submitted for the final round. The prizes finally went to the Miskolc Vocational Training Center (in the Motivation category), MOL Petrolkémia Zrt. in Tiszaújváros (Cooperation), and Festo-AM Kft. from Budapest (Innovation). The jury awarded a special prize to Praktiker Kft. for a novel career orientation project.

The seven-member jury consists of independent experts, including representatives from vocational schools, the Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, a specialist journalist and the head of the German-Hungarian Education Center.

The speeches and panel discussions at the Vocational Education Day focused on the fact that high-quality vocational education is not only necessary for young people at the start of their careers, companies and society as a whole, but also pays off in the long term.

DUIHK vice president Achim Weinstock stated that it is not only German companies which are setting up and running their own training structures in Hungary based on well working models “from home.” More Hungarian companies are also successfully engaging in vocational education.

State Secretary for Education Balázs Hankó emphasized the close interaction between higher education, vocational education and adult education on the one hand, and the economy and the labor market on the other.

Women@duihk Visit to Penny Logistics Center

An event organized by women@duihk will focus on the retail logistics sector and the work of women within it. Participants will be shown around the central warehouse. In a panel discussion, female employees at Penny will give further insights into the logistics sector. This is a Hungarian and German language event, with simultaneous translation.

• When: April 19, 8:30 a.m. • Where: Penny logistics center, Alsónémedi • Cost: Free

Exchange of Experiences: Personnel managers and HR Staff

A Hungarian language event will feature an exchange of experiences between HR managers and staff on how to sustainably ensure a well-trained and satisfied workforce. With experts from Festo-AM Kft.

• When: April 20, 2 p.m. • Where: DUIHK office • Cost: Free, for members only.

The Netherlands-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (Dutcham)

Dutcham will host what it promises will be “an elegant, yet casual” gala dinner on May 11 from 7 p.m. at the Budapest Marriott Hotel. More details will follow. It will also host a “Grow Together” event on May 30 at ING Bank. Called the Inclusive Company which aims to sustain dialogue and share best practices to answer timely Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) questions.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (CCCH)

The next CCCH Business Breakfast session will be on Intelligent Energy Services. Many companies are currently facing challenges with sudden spikes and high volatility in energy costs due to hasty transitions towards green energy and geopolitical impacts. In this turbulent economic environment, how can innovative “Intelligent Energy Services” solutions help control and predict energy costs?

While a few years ago, optimizing energy usage was only a part of a company’s medium to long-term strategy due to low and predictable energy prices, today, extremely high energy costs can significantly impact profits, eroding ROI for energy-related investments. What IT solutions can assist in implementing energy cost-saving measures quickly and cost-effectively while maintaining an optimal investment level?

The presentation will be held by Zsolt Hoffmann (CEO/BMD, Smart Digital) and Gábor Bényász (CEO/CTO, EKT Solutions Kft.).

• When: April 20 from 8:30 a.m. • Where: CIB Bank, Petrezselyem utca 2-8, Budapest 1024. • Cost: members, HUF 11,900 (incl. VAT); non-members, HUF 20,900 (incl. VAT). Coffee & breakfast and business networking is included. Register now to participate at events@ccch.hu or +36(30)993 9789 or www.ccch.hu/events/

American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (AmCham)

Highlights of AmCham’s April calendar

On the occasion of the capital’s 150th anniversary, AmCham will host Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony at a Business Forum to discuss his priorities and goals, as well as new and recent developments ahead of the city. The Business Forum organized on April 18 will take place at Kempinski Hotel.

AmCham is also preparing a more informal, but very informative, five-part interactive HR Masterclass between April 13 and May 11 focusing on a people-first approach and how it can contribute to building a thriving workplace culture as well as efficiently motivating and retaining talented workforce.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of April 11, 2023.