Happy Holidays to the BABC-OC Members and Friends,

We hope this finds you and your loved ones happy and healthy, and that you've been able to share some joyful moments with one another. Without question, this has been a year filled with many unprecedented challenges, but we also have much for which to be grateful. I enjoyed reflecting on these few highlights from 2020 and I hope you do to.

We managed to kick off our year with a terrific Business Networking event with 40 attendees who enjoyed appetizers, wine, raffle prizes and great company. We also launched our new and improved website and are delighted to announce that we will soon be able to provide our members with valuable business introductions on a Regional, National and International level via a new database compiling members from all 22 International BABC chapters.

Our planned event for April was unfortunately cancelled but we are so grateful to the guest panelists, David Bahnsen, Linda DiMario, Carlo Cavagna & Julie Chappell who would have most certainly given us an interesting view on the important topic of the UK/US relationship post EU. We shall revisit this soon!

That's when we went virtual! Bringing you a series of webinars including a Q&A with BABC OC member Fragomen Law Firm on US immigration during the pandemic, and a fascinating discussion including then Consul General in Los Angeles, Michael Howells on economic recovery and the future of the UK/US relationship. We were also able to provide access to many valuable webinars from the BABC Network.

It wasn't all business, with a series of successful and much loved monthly Virtual Pub Quizzes, a virtual wine tasting with the amazing Grassini Family Vineyards in Santa Barbara, and our annual AGM and Happy Hour.

We were so happy to be able to host our annual golf tournament in October at the stunning Strawberry Farms where 84 golfers enjoyed a great day. BABC-OC is so grateful to Jennifer Gardner MBE, Michael Laine and the Spirit Of Youth Foundation for presenting a check in the amount of $10,000 to the BABC-OC Scholarship Fund. We also hosted a food drive and were able to donate canned goods along with $1,000 in donations to Second Harvest Food Bank OC.

In October, we welcomed our newest corporate member, Orange County Soccer Club who recently celebrated the release of their documentary “Path to Glory”, on CBS Sports Network, a four-part documentary following the professional journeys of three young players from OCSC and Glasgow Rangers, as they cross the Atlantic to live and train far from home in the other’s country. They also announced the transfer of U.S. Youth International, Aaron Cervantes to European powerhouse Glasgow Rangers. We can't wait to start attending home games when the time comes!

2020 presented it's challenges but, talks continued to reach a Free Trade Agreement between the UK and the US, which successfully concluded this month. You can read the details from our partners, BritishAmerican Business here.
We wrapped up the year with a wonderful partnership with Jo Malone London, South Coast Plaza who offered our members a much appreciated discount on holiday shopping.
We are honored to have the support of Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, Her Majesty's Ambassador to the United States. We thank her for acknowledging the BABC OC's support of transatlantic business and the British Government
We were delighted that Emily Cloke, British Consul General in Los Angeles and our very own Richard Blade, celebrity DJ and our MC at past BABC Traditional Christmas Luncheons, were kind enough to record these lovely messages for our Christmas Special Pub Quiz. For those of you that were not able to attend, we hope you enjoy! (the answers to their questions are at the bottom of this email :))
Thank you again to everyone who has supported us throughout this year, and for enabling the BABC Orange County to survive and sustain. We truly cannot tell you how much we appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to navigate these unchartered waters. As we prepare the 2021 membership renewals, we hope that we can continue to count on your support.

We look forward to the day that we can gather together and raise a glass in person to cheers to brighter days in 2021!

2021 Calendar of Events coming soon!
British American Business Council - OC recognizes our Top Tier Members
Emily Cloke's Answer - 7
Richard Blade's Answer - Duran Duran