News

WTC Gibraltar Celebrates 5th Birthday!

February 28, 2022 - On 15th February 2017, the brand-new lobby of World Trade Center Gibraltar was packed full to celebrate the formal opening of the building. Within just one month of this ceremony, the building was 98.5% occupied, with nearly 48% of those occupants being new investors to Gibraltar. Five years on and despite a global pandemic, the building is 100% occupied this February. The World Trade Center is home to a wide array of exciting businesses, ranging from established gaming companies with leading global brands and reputations to fast growth start-ups and trailblazers to the new industries that Gibraltar is welcoming. Many start-ups have made use of the high-quality co-working space and serviced offices provided by Regus over these five years, and several companies have successfully developed new business relationships with other building occupants, reaffirming one of the fundamental benefits of a World Trade Center and its active encouragement of networking and social circulation spaces within the building. World Trade Center Gibraltar has also delivered significant benefits to the local community, generating an annual sum of £65,000,000 to the Gibraltar economy, as outlined in an expert study, conducted by Nairne Limited in October 2017. In a visit to Gibraltar from New York, the CEO of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) commented on the Gibraltar World Trade Center being a leading influence in the global network of 321 World Trade Centers, throughout over 90 countries and across 72 capital cities. World Trade Center Gibraltar was further recognised in this regard by becoming a board member of the WTCA, in September 2021 – giving Gibraltar an influential voice at the table of a globally recognised and renowned association. The building has become a hub for several events focused on various subjects from emerging sectors to regulatory frameworks, to gender equality to coding, even to yoga sessions in the building’s landscaped atrium! These events have offered opportunities not only to our building occupants, but also to other Gibraltar businesses or individuals looking to find ways in which to embrace both business and personal growth. Throughout these first 5 years, World Trade Center Gibraltar has been involved in raising £152,590 for several charitable causes including GBC Open Day, the Duke of Edinburgh Charity and GibSams, locally. In doing so, the World Trade Center has fielded teams in several sporting initiatives, from golf to paddle to beach volleyball, all in the name of charity. Internationally, at the end of 2021, World Trade Center Gibraltar was involved in funding Operation Magic Carpet, a humanitarian rescue of 92 people from Kabul, in Afghanistan. This project touched the heart of many in Gibraltar and at the start of February 2022, 14 of the 92 Afghan nationals have travelled to France under a French government asylum scheme, but 78 remain in rental accommodation in Islamabad, Pakistan. The majority of those remaining are women and young children - donations are still sought via the Operation Magic Carpet page on the GoFundMe website (https://gofund.me/a8655716). Gregory Butcher, Chairman of World Trade Center Gibraltar, outlined “But this is just the start! As we mark our 5th Birthday, we thank all our partners that work with us day to day to make World Trade Center the hive of activity that it is. We’re excited for what the next 5 years will bring and what the World Trade Center can continue to contribute towards Gibraltar’s economic growth and for jobs and investment in our community”. Read More

1st WTC Gibraltar & Regus Padel Tournament !

April 19, 2019 - World Trade Center Gibraltar and Regus held their first ever charity padel tournament in aid of Gibraltar charity, Childline. The event demonstrated fantastic community spirit, with 32 players participating from different companies with offices in the World Trade Center Gibraltar facility. Reaching the finals were the Regus team of Victor and Rodney and WTC Gibraltar and Supernatural team players, Mariela and Pedro. After the last nail-biting match, Regus were declared the tournament winners!The event, held in the GSLA, was a great success with over £300 raised for Childline Gibraltar. Mariela Gancheva, Front of House Manager for World Trade Center Gibraltar said: “We are thrilled with the great success of our first padel tournament, and to be able to raise money for such a worthy cause as Childline Gibraltar. Due to the incredible feedback we have received, we are planning to organize a padel league - stay tuned! We would like to give thanks to our amazing sponsors Regus, BodyStreet Gibraltar and Supernatural, without whom this event would not have been possible.” Read More

WTC Gibraltar celebrates 2nd Birthday

February 24, 2019 - Friday 15th February marks World Trade Center Gibraltar’s 2nd Birthday!With 100% occupancy and a community of over 1,700 employees working in the award-winning building, World Trade Center Gibraltar is home to established corporate businesses as well as rapid growth start-ups of tomorrow, with nearly 100 companies trading from Regus alone.Since its inception in 2017, World Trade Center Gibraltar has given rise to a flourishing networking and business culture which has benefitted both local and international businesses alike, with around 40% of occupiers in the building being new to Gibraltar. The World Trade Centers Association has a global network of 320 World Trade Centers, in close to 90 countries and over 70 capital cities across the world. Enquiries for new or more workspace in the building have not slowed in pace, signalling solid confidence in the economic trajectory of the Rock and the global brand that World Trade Center provides to its occupiers.Delicious cakes are of course on the menu for the celebrations on Friday, and at the same time The Rowing Marine, Lee Spencer is officially past the halfway point on his epic challenge to row 3,500 miles solo and unsupported across the Atlantic to French Guiana. Lee is an ex-Marine who was injured while off-duty, losing one of his legs in a road accident. He joined us in December 2018 in front of our We Grow Trade sculpture for an inspirational talk and we’re keen to raise as much money as possible for him.Lee will be the world’s first physically disabled person to row solo and unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean - a Guinness World Record. It’s been reported that if he continues at his current pace, he could beat the able-bodied record by an astonishing 30 days! So we’re reaching out to our World Trade Center Gibraltar community to ask them to donate just £1 each to Lee’s cause – collections will be available in the lobby of World Trade Center on Friday. If you need any information please drop our Front of House Manager, Mariela a line: mariela@worldtradecenter.gi. Read More

II WTC Gibraltar Christmas Charity Campaign

January 16, 2019 - The true spirit of Christmas is in giving and remembering those who truly need that holiday gift.For another year, World Trade Center Gibraltar has reached out to WTC Members and our local community, who have kindly helped to donate presents to underprivileged children at Christmas time. With amazing support from The Youth Service Gibraltar who assisted us with the distribution, we were able to reach these families personally.This year the bar was set high with a 500 Present Challenge, and the incredibly generous local community managed to completely surpass the target, with the number of presents received by the end of the campaign totalling 636 – double the amount from last year!Mariela Gancheva, Front of House Manager for World Trade Center Gibraltar said: “We are impressed by the amount of people who contributed to the campaign this year. We know that the WTC Members are a very kind-hearted and thoughtful community, but this time we were delighted to receive even more donations from people far and wide, who had heard about the campaign through a friend or via social media. It is only the second year of the campaign and World Trade Center Gibraltar has already become the most popular collection point for Christmas charity! It is beyond all our expectations! Thank you for making the magic happen!” Read More

WTC Gibraltar raises awareness on mental health

September 22, 2018 - WTC Gibraltar has taken active part in supporting the GibSams Suicide Awareness campaign this year. The campaign aims to highlight the importance of being able to speak about mental health or other problems with friends and family. Starting open and honest conversations can make a massive difference for those who are struggling. The single biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide. 75% of all suicides are men; 41% of males who have contemplated suicide felt like they could not talk about their feelings. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month worldwide, so WTC Gibraltar wanted to shout out loud that it's OK to talk! For more information, please contact GibSams at info@gibsams.gi Read More

WTC Gibraltar celebrates its 1st golf tournament

June 19, 2018 - It may have been the opening ceremony of the World Cup 2018, but the focus of World Trade Center Gibraltar was on their inaugural edition of a golf tournament for tenants and members which took place on 14th June 2018, at La Reserva de Sotogrande golf course. The event was very well attended, with 21 teams and 42 players. But of course, there could only be three winners! Rocking into first place and proclaimed best team of the WTC Golf Tournament – were BetVictor (Robyn Eames and Phil Wilkinson), followed by Playtech (Jason Roberts and David Murphy) in 2nd place, and 3rd place went to another BetVictor team (Marc Gouws and Glen Hyslop). Longest drive prize went to Richard Atkinson (Addison Global) and nearest to the pin prize was for Marc Gouws (BetVictor). World Trade Center Gibraltar would like to give thanks to their fantastic sponsors: Bassadone Motors, Sunborn Yacht Hotel, Rockolo, Regus, Hunter Group, Approach Spain Golf Travel Agency, Las Iguanas, Supernatural, Floral Impressions, Meteogib, without whom the event would not have been possible. Read More

WTC Gibraltar celebrates 1st Anniversary

February 17, 2018 - The 15th February 2018 marked the 1st Anniversary of the inauguration of World Trade Center (WTC) Gibraltar, an important step in enhancing Gibraltar’s outlook for global trade. WTC Gibraltar has been committed to attracting more international business to the Rock and with it, a significant boost to the local economy. The 1st Anniversary was celebrated with a huge replica cake of the World Trade Center building. The fantastic creation by “Sugar Sweet” took over 65 hours to make, included 80 eggs, 7 kilos of chocolate and weighed an incredible 49 kg! The cake was cut by Chairman Gregory Butcher, who was joined in the WTC reception by a cheerful crowd of representatives and community members of World Trade Center, who toasted the celebratory event with glasses of champagne. Since opening in February 2017, World Trade Center Gibraltar has surpassed all expectations of occupancy, with 58 companies and almost 1,600 employees already occupying the building. The state-of-the-art facility features 15,500sqm of high specification Grade A office accommodation and houses both multinational companies and aspiring new businesses, particularly from the Fintech and eMoney sectors. World Trade Center Gibraltar is the most globally connected office facility in the region, bringing Gibraltar into a network of 320 WTC's around the world and heralding a new era of cryptocurrency expansion, promoting Blockchain and FinTech technologies. An independent economic report, carried out in October 2017 by Nairne Limited, an international economic consultancy, found that up to 40% of occupiers in the building are new to Gibraltar; a volume much higher than many had initially anticipated. This demonstrates a sound confidence in Gibraltar’s economy, particularly at a time when Brexit continues to pose a number of unknown eventualities for the market place. The reach of World Trade Center Gibraltar extends far and wide, encompassing occupiers from the rapidly expanding FinTech industry, online gaming giants, family wealth offices, investment consultancies, HM Government of Gibraltar and the serviced office provider, Regus; home now to a broad collection of SME companies that have chosen Gibraltar as the place to grow and enhance their operations. Businesses have established from locations such as Israel, the UK and the USA. Mariela Gancheva, Front of House Manager for World Trade Center Gibraltar said: “It’s a privilege to be under the umbrella of such a prestigious globally recognized brand. As a Member of World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), we belong to a family of 320 WTCs across 88 countries, around the world. This delivers added value and a competitive advantage to our clients that together with the highest standards we are committed to provide, make World Trade Center Gibraltar a venue of global recognition in Gibraltar.” During 2017, World Trade Center Gibraltar also hosted several key international visits, such as delegations from the Chinese Embassy to the UK, London Stock Exchange, Representatives from the US Congress and the WTCA’s CEO and leadership team from New York. Many more events are planned for 2018. For all enquiries, please contact Mariela Gancheva at mariela@worldtradecenter.gi (+350 200 63333). Read More

WTC Gibraltar spreads some Christmas cheer

January 5, 2018 - 22 December, 2017 Chairman, Gregory Butcher presented a cheque for £1,000 on behalf of World Trade Center this week to Gerard Teuma, CEO of GBC. However, in keeping with the Christmas spirit, Mr Butcher announced that this would be increased to £2,000. GBC Open Day has already raised an incredible £105,000 and the generosity of the people of Gibraltar continues with donations still pouring in. Further testimony to the kindness of the World Trade Center members are the 308 children’s presents that have been donated by employees and visitors of the World Trade Center. Pictured here around the Christmas tree are the amazing array of presents, which will be delivered to Women In Need and the Care Agency. Read More

WTC Gibraltar welcomes London Stock Exchange

November 18, 2017 - 17th November 2017, GIBRALTAR - World Trade Center Gibraltar hosted senior representatives of the London Stock Exchange Group this week as part of a Capital Raising Conference. The event provided insight to companies considering a possible IPO on the London markets and covered the recent trends in the listed debt market, in addition to developments at the Gibraltar Stock Exchange. In a welcoming address to the delegation led by the Gibraltar Israel Chamber of Commerce (Gibrael) and accompanied by His Excellency, the Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant-General Edward Davis CB CBE, Ed Allison-Wright of WTC Gibraltar said: “We are incredibly proud to house some of Gibraltar’s most exciting companies in their initial stages of high-growth; a number of which are currently in Regus’ incubator space. Some of you will already know that around 40% of our occupiers are new to The Rock and we’re pleased that they have joined us in making Gibraltar the home to their business operations. The World Trade Centers Association connects us with 319 World Trade Center partners across the globe, in close to 100 countries and 70 capital cities. The brand also provides occupiers with a global platform that they often aspire to have, to necessitate successful capital raising.” The London Stock Exchange Capital Raising Conference was assisted in Gibraltar by Gibrael and hosted speakers from HM Government of Gibraltar, Benefit Business Solutions, Gibraltar Asset Management Limited, Shore Capital, Yellow Jersey, Gibraltar Stock Exchange and Hassans International Law Firm. For enquiries relating to World Trade Center Gibraltar, please contact Front of House Manager, Mariela Gancheva ( mariela@worldtradecenter.gi ) Read More

A senior Chinese delegation visits WTC Gibraltar

November 8, 2017 - 3rd November 2017, GIBRALTAR – A senior Chinese delegation led by the Chinese Embassy’s Minister Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, Mr Jin Xu, visited World Trade Center Gibraltar (WTC Gibraltar) today with HM Government of Gibraltar, to discuss ways in which trade can be enhanced between China and Gibraltar. Senior representatives from the Chinese Embassy to the UK, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Department of Commerce for Hunan Province attended, in addition to high level representatives from China’s largest commercial property company, the Wanda Group, the world’s largest development finance institution, China Development Bank and Asia’s largest reinsurer, China Re. The delegation was accompanied by The Hon. Minister Joe Bossano MP and senior Civil Servants from 6 Convent Place and the Government’s Hong Kong Office. After opening close to capacity in February as the largest Grade A office building in Gibraltar, much of the discussion revolved around the need for an extended World Trade Center Campus to accommodate the economic growth aspirations of Gibraltar. The unprecedented growth in the FinTech and eMoney sector is seen to be an increasingly urgent issue, taking place at a faster rate than the office space required from WTC Gibraltar can be built. This is particularly evident in the case of 44 new businesses that have taken on incubator space in Regus, within WTC Gibraltar, only to find that their growth may be restricted by a lack of available space, of equivalent quality and brand recognition, to expand into. For press enquiries or any further information on WTC Gibraltar, please contact the Front of House Manager, Mariela Gancheva (mariela@worldtradecenter.gi) Photo: Gregory Butcher (WTC Gibraltar), Mr Chen Hong (Managing Director, Wanda Group London Office), The Hon. Minister Joe Bossano MP (HMGoG), Minister Counsellor Jin Xu (Chinese Embassy to the UK) Read More

Fairhomes Group Celebrates Triple Triumph

November 2, 2017 - Fairhomes Group Celebrates Triple Triumph at the International Property Awards 2017 The Gibraltar-based international real estate investment and development company Fairhomes Group, celebrates a hat-trick of victories in the European categories of this year’s International Property Awards in London. The Group was honoured on 26th October at the European Property Awards held at the London Royal Lancaster Hotel. The three successes come thanks to two of its latest Gibraltar developments: Imperial Ocean Plaza, award winner for Residential High-rise Development in Gibraltar; and World Trade Center Gibraltar, which won both Best Office Development and Best Office Architecture categories. World Trade Center Gibraltar also received a Regional Nomination to be pushed forward for Best in Europe – an accolade that will be announced after the Final of the International Property Awards on the 4th December 2017. Of Imperial Ocean Plaza, Emilia Hazell-Smith, Marketing Executive for Ocean Village, says: “We are very proud to receive official confirmation of this honour, which has been awarded to us by an independent judging panel of distinguished experts. The award is testament to the superior construction and high-specification design which is the essence of Ocean Village. Imperial Ocean Plaza is no different. A spectacular glass skyscraper comprising 17 floors and 116 luxury one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses, the property sold out within 36 hours of general release to the public, highlighting the continued unprecedented demand for luxury resort-style living in Gibraltar.” Meanwhile, the double 5 Star award-winning, state-of-the-art World Trade Center Gibraltar (WTC Gibraltar) showcases an array of winning architectural and practical features. Architecturally, it comprises an expansive double-height 24-hour reception area with mezzanine-level healthy restaurant & bar. The building is centred around a lush atrium, landscaped with plants and water features which serves as both a tranquil break-out space and corporate events area. From glimmering granite surfaces and floor to ceiling windows, showcasing every opportunity for “red carpet” treatment for its members and visitors, WTC Gibraltar lives up to its reputation as a pinnacle of international trade, putting Gibraltar on a global platform. Speaking on behalf of WTC Gibraltar, Ed Allison-Wright, says: “We were 97.5% occupied just a month after the inauguration of the building in February this year, showing an unprecedented confidence in the quality of the vibrant working environment that the building offers. As such, it’s a fantastic honour to receive these five star awards from such a prestigious association and it’s truly befitting for the teams that have worked so hard in developing and operating WTC Gibraltar!” This Grade A office development headquarters of some of the world’s most established multinationals and also houses several exciting small and medium enterprises specialising in FinTech and eMoney. Accommodating approximately 140 fully customisable high-end office units, the building has delivered world-class standards of quality office space to the British Overseas Territory and surrounding areas. World Trade Center Gibraltar’s Chairman, Gregory Butcher is delighted with the wins and proudly adds: “WTC Gibraltar offers companies from outside Gibraltar the facilities they have come to expect in key places like London and New York. People want quality and my only regret is not making the building bigger”. Fairhomes Group has picked up multiple awards over the years for its stunning projects, from high-rise Royal Ocean Plaza, luxurious Ocean Spa Plaza, with its iconic elliptical shape and unique 360° spa on the building’s top floor, to World Trade Center Gibraltar, the most globally connected office facility in the region, as well as a ‘Best Single Unit Property in the World’ award for the multimillion pound exclusive villa, The New Aloes, in 2015. The International Property Awards were established in 1995, attracting entries from the best and most prominent designers, developers, architects and marketing consultancies from all over the world. Photograph: Rt Hon. The Viscount Thurso (Chair of the IPA Judges), Ed Allison-Wright (WTC Gibraltar), Stuart Sheild (Founder & CEO, International Property Media Group) Read More

WTC Gibraltar: £65m annual boost to local economy

October 22, 2017 - NEW YORK – A report detailing the social and economic impacts of World Trade Center (WTC) Gibraltar was presented to the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) in New York this week. Following the official opening of World Trade Center Gibraltar by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in February of this year, World Trade Center Gibraltar commissioned the independent, international economic consultancy Nairne Limited, to study and report on the economic contributions of the World Trade Center to the Gibraltar economy. This comes in the midst of an unprecedented take up of the office accommodation within the state-of-the-art facility. An astonishing 98% of available space was either let, sold or under offer in March, less than a month after the opening, and enquiries for more than 10,000 square meters of additional space (107,640sqft) were turned away by May due to a lack of available space. The report reveals that up to 40% of occupiers in the building are new to Gibraltar; a volume much higher than many had initially anticipated. This demonstrates a sound confidence in Gibraltar’s economy, particularly at a time when Brexit continues to pose a number of unknown eventualities for the market place. Around £30,000,000 is estimated to go to HM Government of Gibraltar in tax revenue, annually from the building occupants. When integrated with local spending multipliers and displacement ratios, this suggests that WTC Gibraltar contributes £65,000,000 annually to the Gibraltar economy. The report also suggests that the global recognition of the World Trade Center brand carries local benefits for Gibraltar, providing a brand with worldwide recognition as a platform for eMoney, FinTech and other SME companies looking to attract capital investment to enable rapid growth plans. One of the observations of the report highlights the under-exploitation of the World Trade Center in Gibraltar, through the limited use of its expansive trade services capability, and also due to a limited pre-emptive capacity of office accommodation for businesses to grow into. A spokesperson for World Trade Center Gibraltar commented: “We are aware that businesses expectations are high and they require a step change in the quality of their working environment. Also, in some cases, businesses require a reputable platform for attracting capital investment into their operations. Our occupiers have found both solutions in World Trade Center Gibraltar." The report was presented to WTCA CEO, Scott Ferguson in New York, who commented: “At the WTCA we know we have Members who are doing great things, and making critical and important contributions to their local economies. We have an incredibly compelling story to tell through these Member activities, and this landmark report certainly does just that. As an active participant in our global network, WTC Gibraltar is an example of the great work our Association does through the tremendous efforts of its Members." Please download the Nairne Report following the link: http://www.worldtradecenter.gi/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/NAIRNE-WTC_03_Email.pdf For other press enquiries, please contact: Mariela Gancheva at WTC Gibraltar: mariela@worldtradecenter.gi Photo Details: Ed Allison-Wright of WTC Gibraltar, with Scott Ferguson, WTCA, New York. Read More