60 foreign companies where compiting for these prestigious awards in its 5 diferent categories.

The aim of this important event was to promote and acknowledge the foreign business community in Andalucia. Costa del Sol companies were competing for prizes in the categories of Integration in Andalucia, Innovation, Promotion of Andalucia. Association, Young Business Person and Company of the Year.

The awards were also an opportunity to compare the best companies of the Costa del Sol, generating positive publicity for the companies and have the chance to stand out, thanks to the prestige that comes from winning such a distinguished recognition.

María Gámez chaired last 23rd October the first edition of the Foreign Residents Business Day, created by CADE Marbella, of the Junta de Andalucía and supported by the Chamber of Commerce of Málaga. The purpose was to honour and congratulate the business work carried out by the foreign community of Costa del Sol. The event took place in Hotel El Fuerte in Marbella and over 250 people attended.

The Deputy Ministry of the Andalusian Government also outlined the work carried out by the CADE in Marbella and throughout the Costa del Sol since it was opened. After two years of operation the Business Support Centre in Marbella (CADE) has consolidated as a reference institution in Costa del Sol. It is important to highlight that 1043 people, which are 39% of the total users, are foreigners. Most of them are British (29 %), followed by Germans (13%), Dutch (10%) and Argentinians (10%).

During Mrs Gámez’s speech, she stressed the importance of the contribution of the hard work and investment done by the foreign residents in Costa del Sol and the whole of Andalusia and the importance of establishing connections and working channels between the Andalusian Government (the Junta) and the foreign residents in order to exchange experiences and help them to start up new business projects.

Afterwards the Regional Deputy Ministry of Innovation, Science and Enterprise in Málaga, Pilar Serrano, and the Director of the Business Support Centre (CADE) in Marbella, Óscar Fernández, gave two honorific gifts to two important business people who have helped the CADE to promote and develop their services since the very beginning. They have also contributed actively to improve the image of Andalusia and Marbella as attractive business points. The awarded were Laura Standbridge and Maurice Boland.

After the institutional inauguration, Maurice Boland, the master of ceremonies, continued with the event and introduced the speakers of the day’s conferences.

The first one was Steve Russel, who spoke about his business experience in Spain. His company, CEMSA, focused on international e-commerce, was the business with the biggest turnover of the province of Málaga in year 2006: 1093 million Euros with only 4 employees.

Secondly and under the title ‘The five steps to success’ Stephen Rose explained to the audience how he sold an insurance company for 30 million Euros, starting up from nothing: he was actually a taxi driver in London before.

The awards ceremony took place finally at 7 pm, after a short break. There was a maximum expectation, as 60 foreign companies applied for them. But as it is usual in these cases, only three of them became finalists for each of the six categories.

There was a hard selection process to decide it, made by a jury composed by seven members of different nationalities and sectors of the business world.