GFSB Annual Dinner 2026
More than 160 members, guests and stakeholders gathered at a sold-out Sunborn Gibraltar on Tuesday evening for the GFSB Annual Dinner 2026, one of the Federation’s flagship events and an opportunity for Gibraltar’s business community to come together at a particularly important moment.
Held exactly one month before the expected implementation of the UK-EU Treaty, the evening brought together businesses from across Gibraltar’s economy, from retail and hospitality to professional services, technology, finance, construction and tourism. Naturally, much of the conversation centred on the changes ahead and what they may mean for local businesses.
Guests heard first from GFSB Chairperson Owen Smith, who reflected on the work of the Federation over the past year and the importance of ensuring that the voice of Gibraltar’s small business community continues to be heard during a period of significant change.
The Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez MP, Minister for Health, Care and Business, then addressed attendees, outlining the Government’s preparations for Treaty implementation and highlighting a range of initiatives designed to support businesses as the new arrangements take shape. Her address covered recently published customs guidance, forthcoming Town Hall meetings, new HM Customs testing platforms and wider plans aimed at supporting economic growth, investment and business development.
Keynote Address
The evening’s keynote speaker, Louise Hill, co-founder of GoHenry, delivered a thoughtful and engaging presentation that resonated strongly with the audience.
Drawing on her experience of building one of the UK’s most successful fintech businesses, Louise spoke openly about entrepreneurship, resilience, leadership and the realities of scaling a business in a fast-changing environment. Her insights into navigating uncertainty, staying focused on a long-term vision and embracing innovation struck a chord with many of the business owners and leaders in attendance.
For a room full of entrepreneurs, managers and decision-makers, it was a timely reminder that growth rarely follows a straight line and that some of the most valuable lessons are learned through challenge and adaptation.
Thank You
The GFSB would like to thank all of our members, guests and supporters who joined us on the evening. The Annual Dinner remains one of the highlights of our calendar because of the people in the room, representing such a diverse cross-section of Gibraltar’s business community. Firstly, we would like to thank our Stategic Partners, Gibtelecom and justbank for their ongoing support and thanks to the justbank team for arranging and securing the event’s keynote speaker.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors for their generous support:
Their support helps make events like these possible and allows us to continue creating opportunities for businesses to connect, share ideas and strengthen relationships across our community.
Thank you to everyone who attended, supported and contributed to another memorable GFSB Annual Dinner.
The Government has announced a series of sector-specific Treaty Town Hall meetings, aimed at helping businesses understand how the new arrangements will work in practice. The initial sessions will focus on pharmaceuticals, medical products and special customs procedures, with ministers, HM Customs and the Attorney General on hand to answer questions and provide further guidance ahead of implementation.
Innovation is often associated with large technology companies and major research budgets. Last week's GFSB Business Innovation Awards offered a useful reminder that innovation can also be practical, local and driven by small businesses solving real-world problems.
In a week Spain started demolishing its physical frontier infrastructure ahead of the expected a5 July Treaty implementation date, HM Government has published a further package of Treaty-related customs guidance aimed at businesses, importers, exporters, freight forwarders and logistics operators preparing for the new customs arrangements expected to come into force under the UK-EU Gibraltar Treaty.
A few weeks ago, we wrote about how the lack of clear residency rules was affecting local businesses. This week, the Government has announced a new residency framework that could significantly change who is able to become a resident of Gibraltar in the future, and on what basis. The stated aim is to ensure that residency is linked to genuine economic contribution, protect public services and provide greater clarity around who qualifies for residency and the benefits that come with it.
Last week, we shared a Treaty Readiness Survey with our members and the wider community to take a temperature check of how they feel with just over a month to go until July 15th. The results provide a useful snapshot of how Gibraltar businesses currently feel about Treaty implementation, with responses pointing to a business community that is engaged with the issue but still facing uncertainty around the practical implications.