The Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa celebrated its 20th Anniversary last Friday with an emotive institutional event that brought together a good representation from the business, political, and territorial Chamber network. The commemoration served to pay homage to those who made possible the establishment of an institution with its own voice for the island's economy, as well as to review two decades of service to companies, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
As a memento of this historic milestone, attendees received at the beginning of the gala an original reproduction of a limited edition of illustrations that local artist Bárbara Müller created exclusively for the celebration of the chamber corporation's twentieth anniversary.
The institutional opening featured speeches by the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, José Valle; the vice president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Domínguez; the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Oswaldo Betancort; and the mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León.
During the event, the vice president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Domínguez, insisted that "chambers of commerce have consolidated themselves as strategic and indispensable allies of administrations to simplify procedures, gain competitiveness, and boost job creation throughout the archipelago. Reaching twenty years demonstrates that the sum of efforts between the public and private sectors is the way to promote the development of our islands."
For his part, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Oswaldo Betancort, highlighted "the role that the Chamber of Commerce has played during these twenty years as an ally of the administrations and the business fabric of the island." Betancort stressed that "public-private collaboration has been key in the evolution of Lanzarote and La Graciosa and must continue to translate into concrete projects that generate employment, strengthen our companies, and improve the islands."
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, highlighted during his speech the close link between commerce and the founding of Arrecife as a municipality and capital. "Arrecife has grown hand in hand with its commercial fabric. In these two important decades, the Chamber has known how to structure the Conejeros business sector. Celebrating this 20th anniversary is recognizing the good work after its foundation and creation."
Likewise, in his speech during the event, the president of the chamber corporation, José Valle, highlighted the significance of this collective achievement, stating that "reaching twenty years demonstrates the maturity of a project born from the effort of an entire society to direct its own economic destiny. Today, the Chamber is consolidated as a useful, close, and consensus-building tool, dedicated to supporting our SMEs and entrepreneurs in facing future challenges."
Audiovisual Memory and Round Table with the Three Presidents
After the block of institutional interventions, attendees were able to watch the commemorative audiovisual piece “Twenty Years Looking to the Future. A Story of Initiative, Commitment, and Territory”. This ten-minute production offered an emotional historical journey, from the first preparatory meetings and business mobilizations prior to the opening of the first headquarters on Manolo Millares street, to the consolidation of the current corporation, whose qualitative and quantitative leap attests to the success achieved by the entity.
Next, the program moved on to an unprecedented milestone: a round table that brought together for the first time on the same stage the three elected presidents of the institution: Eduardo Spínola, first president in 2006; José Torres, at the head of the corporation between 2010 and 2022; and José Valle, current president of the Chamber of Commerce.
During the discussion, the three chamber leaders shared personal anecdotes and experiences about their respective tenures, while also analyzing the main milestones, challenges overcome, and the socioeconomic evolution experienced by the productive fabric of Lanzarote and La Graciosa over these twenty years.
The event concluded with the awarding, for the first time in the corporation's history, of the Gold Medal of the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa. The highest distinction was awarded to the Association for the Promotion of the Law of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Navigation of the Canary Islands. This group, established in 2002, promoted the legislative reform that culminated in 2006 with the birth of the Lanzarote Chamber, becoming the first new Chamber of Commerce created in Spain since the Second Republic. President José Valle presented the award to Cándido Armas, who spoke on behalf of the honorees.
The evening reserved a heartfelt tribute in memory of the members of the organizing committee who have already passed away, Jesús Fernández Morales, Blas Brito Cañada and Domingo Rodríguez Bermúdez, as well as the plenary members Carmelo Fierro, Antonio Cruz, Manuel Hernández, Gregorio Armas and Bárbara Rodríguez, whose legacy remains linked to the history of the institution.
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