Over 50 brand new BMWs will be in Malta by the middle of the month. The cars will be used by the delegations and have been donated by the luxury car-maker from Germany.

According to the director-general and chief executive of the Commonwealth Business Council, the Commonwealth Business Forum will try to achieve business solutions targeted at making globalisation work for everyone. Mohan Kaul was speaking at a business breakfast last week. The Business Forum will focus on business solutions, particularly because developing country issues will be discussed in the civil society forum and at heads of government level. The forum's line-up ranges from renowned thinker Edward de Bono to Saudi Prince Al Walid Ben Talal Al Saoud to EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

As the official bank of this year's meeting, Bank of Valletta has started promoting CHOGM on its extensive network of ATMs. The main screens on all ATMs in Malta and Gozo have been redesigned and now include the CHOGM official bank logo. It is expected that BOV's ATMs will be used extensively by CHOGM delegates during their visit to Malta in November.

Packages have been prepared for distribution to the media. They will include information from the Malta Tourism Authority, Air Malta, the official CHOGM magazine and official merchandise including pottery and a flash memory drive. Everything will be contained in a commemorative bag.

A press reception will be held at San Anton Gardens for around 700 members of the media on November 26. The reception, hosted by the CHOGM Task Force, will host press from all over the world.

Frenetic activity at the CHOGM HQ located within the Westin Dragonara continues. Training courses for all 'volunteers' have now been completed.