Lm2m tent for Ta' Qali

Sign It Ltd and Malta Trade Fairs Corporation are close to forming a company known as the Malta Convention Centre that will invest about Lm10 million in a state-of the-art convention centre in Ta' Qali.

The alliance would ensure that the Malta Trade Fair would continue to be held once the lease on the land in Naxxar, where it is currently organised, expires in August next year, corporation chairman Joseph Mifsud said.

The first concrete step was taken yesterday when the two entities signed an agreement with a British company, Arena Structures, from which they purchased a large exhibition tent for about Lm2 million.

The 250-metre-long tent is 17 metres high at the centre and has a floor space of 7,500 square metres. It comes complete with air conditioning, kitchen, toilets, stage and backstage facilities. It can accommodate 10,000 people seated and 22,000 standing.

Sign It managing director Reuben Caruana is hoping that the tent, intended to be temporary, will be set up on the same site as the proposed convention centre.

Arena managing director Grahame Muir said the tent was very versatile and could be used for a range of activities. It is not only weather-proof but can take a weight of five tonnes hanging from the roof.

"Sting, Madonna and Elton John have performed in such tents which can be found in several places around the globe," he said.

Mr Mifsud said the new company would be a leader in the sector as it combined the expertise of the corporation with that of Sign It, which had established itself in the organisation of concerts, conferences and large scale events.

"This is a sector which is still growing and we see a bright future," Mr Mifsud said.

Mr Caruana said several applications had been filed with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. They were now awaiting the approval of the revised Master Plan for Ta' Qali and the permits to start erecting the tent. It is being hoped that the tent will be up by September - it will take four weeks to erect - so that activities could start being held there straightaway. However, the tent will require a concrete platform to maximise its potential.

Two big conferences are pencilled in and other events are in the pipeline, which would depend on permits being issued on time.

Mr Muir said people were always looking for somewhere new to go to and the tent was another plus factor for Malta as one could organise big events without having to worry about the weather.