Belgabiz hosted its New Year’s Networking Reception at Hotel Vision in Budapest on Jan. 16. The event brought together professionals for an evening of connections, conversations, and laughter. Guests enjoyed a buffet and drinks, including La Trappe Blond Belgian beer provided by Belga Sörmester. It was also an opportunity to welcome new club members joining this year. At the same time, the club bid farewell to Edit Ránky, former economic and trade counselor of the Wallonia Export and Investment Agency and hub.brussels, a member of the management board of Belgabiz since its foundation. However, she will remain part of the business club community as a private member.
The CCIU will host a unique evening in March celebrating the elegance and tradition of the Venetian Carnival in an event that unites Venice and Budapest in a fusion of culture, style, and sophistication. The evening will pay tribute to the Made in Italy heritage and the meeting of Italian and Hungarian traditions. The celebration coincides with a special event: the inauguration of Wizz Air’s new route from Budapest to Venice. The Venetian Carnival, with its masks, dances, and music, will provide the perfect stage to launch this new air bridge, which will not only enhance travel and tourism but also strengthen cultural and economic ties. Guests will be immersed in a magical atmosphere where elegance and tradition intertwine, featuring lavish costumes and stunning masks. The event will showcase Italian culture with traditional Venetian dishes and a performance reflecting the rich history of both cities. It offers an opportunity to explore the best of Italian and Hungarian culture.
• When: March 1 • Where: Budapest Marriott Hotel, Apáczai Csere János utca 4, Budapest 1052
The DUIHK invites members to an English-language presentation of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung study “The Chinese Economic Presence in Hungary” and a roundtable discussion. Hungary has attracted significant foreign investment from countries in the Far East under its “Eastern Opening” policy. Chinese investments particularly stand out due to their large scale, fast pace and strong footprint in the automotive sector. The study gives an overview of current investments and projects and their impact on the Hungarian labor market and other factors. The study will form the basis for the roundtable discussion with experts on Eastern investment into Hungary, as well as offering industry insights in the automotive and battery sectors.
• When: Thursday, Feb. 6, 9-10:30 a.m. • Where: German-Hungarian Economic House, Lövőház u. 30., Budapest 1024 • Fee: Members free; non-members HUF 15,000 (+ VAT).
Swisscham will organize its traditional year-opening networking event for 2025 in the framework of the 30th-anniversary celebrations. The event will begin with brief introductions from 10 members, including new and long-standing firms. The program will continue with informal discussions, offering an excellent opportunity to build valuable connections and form new acquaintances. Member Emil Frey Hungary provides the venue, its Toyota Showroom, where guests can view the displayed cars and enjoy snacks and refreshing drinks, ensuring a truly special experience.
• When: Feb. 13, 5-7 p.m. • Where: Emil Frey Magyarország Kft., Toyota Showroom, Mogyoródi út 34-40, Budapest 1149. • Fee: Members free; non-members HUF 20,000.
A presentation of the most important tax changes for the coming year, with a special focus on significant tax and audit trends affecting the business sector, will be given by Viktor Szabó, WTS Klient tax partner and a chartered tax expert.
• When: Feb. 5, 3-4:30 p.m, • Where: WTS Klient Office building, StefániaPark 2nd floor, Rubik Ernő meeting room, Stefánia út 101-103, Budapest 1143 • Fee: Members free; non-members HUF 20,000.
The CCIFH year-opening business lunch will feature Minister for Economic Affairs Márton Nagy on the 2025 economic outlook for Hungary. The event is in cooperation with the Austro-Hungarian Business Council, the Irish-Hungarian Business Circle, the Belgium, British, Bulgarian, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Romanian, Swedish and Swiss chambers of commerce, the Joint Venture Association, and the Hungarian Logistics, Purchasing and Stockholding Company. The professional partner of the event will be Mapi Magyar Fejlesztési Iroda Zrt. The language of the event will be English, without translation.
• When: Feb. 6, 12:30-2 p.m. • Where: Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, Erzsébet krt 9, Budapest 1073. • Fee: Members HUF 34,900 (+ VAT); non-members HUF 52,200 (+ VAT).
The BCCH invites guests to its first event of 2025, the latest edition of the CEO Dinner, to be held in February, where the speaker will be Péter Szabó, managing director of Centrica Business Solutions. The event combines a three-course dinner with wine and welcome drinks while hearing the views of a foremost professional on recent developments and current industry affairs. BCCH chairman Duncan Graham will give the opening remarks. Centrica Business Solutions plans, develops, and finances energy-efficient, sustainable and renewable solutions for customers worldwide. The firm aims to ensure cost savings and help the net zero transition, energizing a greener, fairer future. Péter Szabó has a lifelong interest in energy, what makes things work, and what makes them more efficient. He joined Centrica’s legacy Hungarian business as corporate development manager 18 years ago and has managed the Hungarian team in various roles. He recently became a Centrica director in the United Kingdom and, as a result, possesses first-hand knowledge of the U.K. energy market landscape and challenges, which gives him an outstanding opportunity to bring new ideas to the Hungarian market.
• When: Thursday, Feb.13, 6-8 p.m. • Where: Matild Palace Hotel, Váci u. 36, Budapest 1056 • Fee: Members HUF 28,000 (plus VAT); non-members HUF 38,000(plus VAT)
The CCCH, in collaboration with Hold Alapkezelő Zrt., will hold a business breakfast focusing on the uncertainties surrounding the economic policies of the new Trump administration. Will the second Trump presidency, under an umbrella of massive reforms, usher in a new era of government efficiency, productivity growth and a rebirth of the American dream, as so many hope? Or is the United States tiptoeing through a high-stakes poker game into a hardline nationalist and protectionist state with no appetite for dissent, resembling the hard-right governments of the 1930s? We will try to make sense of what to expect, but extreme outcomes on both foreign and economic policy fronts seem almost inevitable.
• When: Thursday, Feb. 13, from 8:30 a.m. • Where: The Hold office, Alkotás utca 50, Budapest 1123. • Fee: Members HUF 14,900 (+VAT); non-members HUF 24,900 (+VAT). Breakfast and business networking are included.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of January 24, 2025.
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