Chamber of Commerce Corner, April 8, 2024

Hungarian-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (HNCC)

The HNCC, in collaboration with the Hungarian Embassy in Oslo and Honorary Consul Frode Hofstad, organized a reception in Trondheim on March 18, on the occasion of the Bocuse d’Or Europe 2024 final. This event provided a unique platform for dialogue and networking among the Hungarian community, members of the HNCC, and honorary consuls of various countries. Additionally, local representatives from Trondheim’s business, academic, and cultural sectors were in attendance. The reception served as an exceptional opportunity for Hungarian enterprises visiting Trondheim for the Bocuse d’Or to engage with potential Norwegian partners and to promote their products and services.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (CCCH)

Business Breakfast: Future Shock in the Age of AI

Join CCCH for an insightful Business Breakfast event in collaboration with Dentons as we explore the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. Led by Theodore S. Boone, of counsel at Dentons Budapest, member of the faculty of Corvinus University of Budapest School of Business, and former president of AmCham, this event will delve into critical aspects of the AI ecosystem, including understanding high-risk and prohibited-risk AI applications, exploring the ethical implications of emotion reading AI, and implementing effective AI risk management strategies through practical actual examples. Drawing from his legal expertise and recent contributions to the Journal of Data Protection and Privacy, Boone will provide valuable insights and practical guidance for businesses operating in the AI landscape. • When: April 17, 8:30-11 a.m. • Where: Dentons Réczicza Law Firm, Andrássy út 11, 1061 Budapest • Fee: Members HUF 13,500 (+VAT); non-members HUF 23,500 (+VAT)

Netherlands-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (Dutcham)

As in past years, Dutcham will organize a casual seated Orange Dinner in May with Dutch, Indonesian and Caribbean cuisine. The dress code simply requests you wear something orange. • When: May 31, 7 p.m. • Where: Crowne Plaza Budapest, Váci Út 1-3, Budapest 1062 • Fee: Member single ticket HUF 55,000; non-member single ticket 65,000; member table of 10 HUF 500,000 (all include 27% VAT).

Belgian Business Club in Hungary (Belgbiz)

Belgbiz held its regular business networking on March 21 at Create26. The representatives of EuroAtlantic Consulting & Investment, its president Aron Fellegi and business development manager Dorina Molnár, gave a presentation providing Hungarian and Belgian businesses in Hungary with a general understanding of the actual policies that are on the table in 2024, tangible knowledge, and practical advice on the Hungarian EU Presidency and beyond, from EU business lobbying to funding opportunities. The networking afterward offered an opportunity to share thoughts with like-minded business people.

Italian Chamber of Commerce for Hungary (CCIU)

The CCIU is pleased to present “The 4 Seasons: Italian Wine & Beverages,” an annual series of events conceived in collaboration with Italian Excellence to transport participants’ senses, like the violin symphony by Antonio Vivaldi, to the scents and flavors of four Italian regions. On April 18, 2024, the first stage of this food and wine journey will be presented, where the protagonist of the evening will be the Puglia region. A comprehensive example of gastronomic productions such as taralli, Primitivo wine, orecchiette, Negramaro wine, cheeses and cured meats from this extraordinary land can be tasted, allowing participants to discover ancient flavors that have been handed down for centuries and find the culinary traditions of this land. The journey will be accompanied by the popular music of Salento and achieved through the steps of the Pizzica, a popular dance still performed today in the squares of the cities of Puglia, to discover the culture of this region fully. The journey will continue later with the gastronomic products of Emilia Romagna, Sicilia, and Piemonte. At the end of this cycle of events, four facets of Italian flavors will have been touched upon. They are so different from each other in history and culture, yet capable of blending together without losing their specialties, just like the cycle of the four seasons. • When: April 18, 2024 - 7 p.m. • Where: Mixat Udvár, Krúdy Gy. utca 7, 1088 Budapest • Fee: HUF 12,000

Hungarian-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK)

In a very dynamic world, where macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges are putting enormous pressure on finance organizations, it is essential to understand how to better prepare employees in corporate finance departments. Against this backdrop, on March 25, the DUIHK held a workshop on “Upskilling in Finance” with about 70 finance professionals. The finance executives of four significant companies in Hungary passionate about this topic created the workshop: Magyar Telekom, Audi Hungaria, B. Braun and PWC. The companies shared best practices for pursuing upskilling in their own companies. They identified the most relevant skills where upskilling is needed, summarized under the headlines of ESG, Data and Digitalization, Design Thinking, and Interaction Situations. Data from a PWC CFO survey underlined the necessities that the companies also felt. On this journey, a university-industry collaboration will help boost skills at the company level and in the education of future finance specialists. This goal will be pursued with leading finance academics in Hungary, Germany and Switzerland. This workshop, moderated by Bálint Esse, was meant as a kick-off, and the work shall be continued with more companies in four working groups. Company or university representatives who want to join one of the four working groups (ESG, Data and Digitalization, Design Thinking, and Interaction Situations) are welcome to indicate their interest. Thanks go to Daria Dodonova, Patrick Heinecke, András Csató and Gábor Balázs for putting the event together and providing inspiration and collaboration for a joint journey towards “Upskilling of Finance” in Hungary.

Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (Swisscham)

Swisscham will hold it lastest CEE-Swiss Impulse online session on the theme of “The Global Economic and Financial Outlook.” Martin Weder, chief economist and head of economic research at Zürcher Kantonalbank will examine how we can navigate cyclical and structural challenges in a world at a crossroads. • When: April 16, 11-11:45 a.m.

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, the Netzwerk Digital Collaboration (German-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Swisscham Hungary), in cooperation with the Artificial Intelligence Coalition, will stage a joint workshop called “How to Start to Work With AI.” • When: April 10, 9 a.m.-moon • Where: Ericsson House, Magyar Tudósok Körútja 11, 1117 Budapest • Fee: Free for members; non-members: HUF 14,900 / person

Hungarian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFH):

Join the inter-company CCI France International Sports Challenge and get moving with the global French Chamber Network. Commit CSR, support your employees’ well-being and mental health, and earn cohesion. Measure and limit the company’s environmental impact and reduce your carbon footprint. 25% of your participation fee will support the Solar Impulse Foundation. Gather your best runners, walkers and cyclers, and let them have fun and earn daily points doing sports and engaging in missions, quizzes and photo contests. Register your company for the French chamber’s sport and CSR challenge with a team of five people before March 31. • When: April 8 to May 5 • Fee: Members EUR 280 (+ VAT) per team; non-members EUR 390 (+ VAT) per team.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of April 8, 2024.