Heard in the Hive

Together with Italy's top fashion houses, the Malta International Fashion Show will bring together some of the best local and international brands including Air Malta, Camilleri Wines, Diamonds International, Jaguar, Kinnie, Midi, Missha, Victoria Hotel and Vodafone, which will be sponsoring the event.

Passion for Fashion is being organised by Rennaissance Productions Ltd (RPL) in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and TV Moda on Saturday at the idyllic setting of Fort Manoel on Manoel Island.

Speaking about the sponsorship for this event RPL directors Dr Anton Tabone and Amabile Zammit said: "It is a pleasure to see some of Malta's best known brands collaborating with Italy's finest fashion houses to host this prestigious event. Throughout the past year we have worked very hard to bring this event to Malta, however this would not have materialised without the support of our sponsors."

Dr Tabone and Mr Zammit added that "the Malta International Fashion Show will be a unique event as for the first time it will bring together the most luxurious Italian fashion houses such as Valentino, Armani, Coveri, Ferré, Roccobarocco, Gucci, Blumarine, Burani, Iceberg, La Perla and Mattioli working together on the same catwalk."

Models wear Roberto Cavalli at Blush launch

Lavishness and exclusivity reigned supreme on Camilleri Wines' stand during last month's International Wine Fair at the Valletta Waterfront as two models wore creations by Roberto Cavalli, one of Italy's foremost contemporary designers, during the launch of Blush, Camilleri Wines' first rosé wine.

Dubbed for the night as The Blush Models, Angie and Dorianne both wore a lycra evening dress whose shocking pink colour blended exquisitely with the brand image of Blush.

Both models also sported matching pink feather boas and leisurely strolled around in their graceful outfits as they lured wine enthusiasts to taste the new rosé wine.

Both Roberto Cavalli outfits were generously provided by SYL of Tower Road in Sliema. With over 35 years being first in providing the local market with the most exclusive wear, SYL is an established outlet that deals in the latest fashion designer wear and accessories that satisfy the personal fashion requirements of the most exigent of clients.

"Blush is all about being lavish, sophisticated and at the centre of attention. These attributes could have never been portrayed better had it not been through the sumptuous presence of our Blush Models clad in exclusive Roberto Cavalli evening wear that was so much in line with the image we want to portray through Blush," explained Claudio Camilleri, sales and marketing manager of Camilleri Wines.

"With Blush, Camilleri Wines is moving away from the classic image usually associated with wines towards a more daring concept, taking both the brand and the culture of rosé wines to a new level through the novel image, the contemporary label design, the bottle and even the name. They all reflect the unconventional and cosmopolitan properties of rosé wine consumption."

Alberta opens new premises

Following a substantial investment, Alberta Group recently inaugurated its new premises in Mriehel, which apart from its appealing appearance, will be conducive to an improved and more efficient service that Alberta clients rightly expect.

For the past 15 years, Alberta Group has held a very important position in the development of fire, safety and security standards, with such important projects as the new Mater Dei Hospital and the state-of-the-art National Library Fire Fighting and detection system which was an international tender that formed part of the Italian protocol.

Alberta's pro-active attitude to business expansion has led to the opening of the International Safety Training Centre in 2000, and since then has had an ever growing portfolio of prestigious clients. In 2004, Alberta continued to expand, with the official registration and opening of a branch in Tripoli, Libya. This move so far has proved successful, with major contracts awarded by major oil drilling and exploration companies.

Among the distinguished guests at the opening of the new Alberta premises were most of the group's overseas suppliers and clients, both local and foreign, who where entertained with a lavish night of food, wine, and live jazz.

The premises were inaugurated by Dr Austin Gatt, Minister of Industry and Information Technology. In a speech, group managing director, George Barbaro Sant, emphasised the vision of the group which looks to the future with confidence and optimism.

BoV flies high with Malta's airline pilots

Bank of Valletta and the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) have recently signed an agreement through which the bank is being recognised as the official partner and also as the official bank of ALPA for the forthcoming three years.

The agreement was signed by BoV Operations chief officer Igino Xuereb and ALPA president Captain James Fenech. Also present were Lara Spiteri and Ronald Cassar, ALPA committee members, Joseph Zammit, head product and business development, and Michael Galea, head PR, communication and corporate branding, at Bank of Valletta.

Speaking during the signing of this agreement, Mr Xuereb said that BoV has always strived to establish a close working relationship with professional bodies such as that of the Airline Pilots Association. It is through these specific agreements that the bank can be close to the specific financial requirements of different segments of the community. Moreover, this agreement also confirms the positive working collaboration that already exists between Bank of Valletta and the Airline Pilots Association.

Following the signing of the agreement, Captain Fenech thanked Bank of Valletta for the tailor-made product and praised the bank's initiative of designing products to meet the specific needs of various constituted bodies over a one-for-all product.

The first airline pilots' union, then known as the Airline Pilots and Flight Engineers Union (APFEU), was established in 1980 by a group of 11 first officers and five flight engineers employed by Air Malta. A committee was elected with the mandate to formulate the union's constitution, to register the union and to obtain recognition from its members' employer, Air Malta.

Today, ALPA has 152 members - 133 of whom fly with Air Malta and the remaining 19 being former Air Malta pilots who now fly with other airlines.

Tree planting ceremony for departing German ambassador

On June 23, German Ambassador Georg Merten, planted a commemorative olive tree at the Upper Barracca Gardens. This symbolic gesture was organised by the German-Maltese Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the 34U campaign which enables one to participate and contribute towards making our island a greener place and commemorate an important event.

Mr Merten expressed his pleasure at this initiative and hoped that this historic garden in Valletta will continue to offer solace, comfort and pleasure to visitors and locals alike.

Attending this event where the German-Maltese Chamber president, Mr H.J. Borg, Mr B. Ritschel, chamber board member, Mr O. Rieck, from the commercial section of the embassy, and 34U campaign representative Glenn Bugeja.

July exhibition at Cleland & Souchet

A new exhibition by Victor Agius, entitled Islands Unveiled, is being held at Cleland & Souchet in Portomaso until the end of the month.

After studying art since a very tender age, under the tuition of Maltese artists Harry Alden and Anthony Calleja, Agius enrolled in the University of Malta from where he graduated as an art teacher. During his studies he was influenced by known artists including Dr J.P. Cassar and Caesar Attard.

The artist has a number of works in prestigious international art museums in Rome and Pennsylvania and in private collections in Paris, Berlin and London.

Mr Agius first emerged onto the artistic scene in 2004 with Gaulos, a manifesto of impressionistic local landscapes. Last December he was back with a new facet in a repertoire of abstract paintings and ceramics embodying Christ's nativity.

His works may be viewed at the Cleland & Souchet lifestyle store in Portomaso from Monday to Friday from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 4.30 to 8.30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 4.30 to 8.30 p.m.

ALPS closes season for summer

The Association of Lyceum Past Students (ALPS) has closed its season of popular activities with a well-attended barbecue dinner at the Royal Malta Yacht Club on Manoel Island, with ALPS Canada Branch president Milo Vassallo and his wife Rita as guests of honour.

Mr Vassallo, who retired recently after several years of unstinting service as Consul for Malta in Canada, and Mrs Vassallo were visiting the island and ALPS timed the event for the evening before their departure back to Toronto. He was visibly ecstatic at meeting several of his old schoolmates, many of whom had made a special effort to be there for him. In some cases, acquaintances were renewed after decades! Mrs Vassallo herself met several former schoolmates who are married to Lyceum past students.

ALPS president George Stagno Navarra presented Mr Vassallo with a copy of the association's magazine The Chanticleer as part of a consignment to take back with him for distribution in Canada. On his part, Mr Vassallo promised that now that he is retired, he will redouble his efforts to put ALPS Canada on a sounder footing, starting with a dinner for members in October.

The venue, the atmosphere, the food and the well-chosen music were excellent. The sight of the ALPS banner hung on an RMYC mast on the foreshore, with the background of sunlit and later floodlit Valletta across the water, was indeed memorable. And it was made even better with the very good company.

The "exit poll" taken by ALPS Council members while talking to patrons as they left yielded nothing but very good comments about how enjoyable the evening had been. Mr Stagno Navarra thanked all those, in ALPS and beyond, who had made it such a great success. The RMYC will certainly be on the list of favourite venues for future events.

ALPS will restart its events with a Grand Reunion of Lyceum Past Students on October 7, with particular focus on former students who left or entered the Lyceum 50 years ago, in 1956.

'Knowledgepot' wins JCI Malta's Best Business Plan Competition

Justin Chircop has won the fifth edition of the Best Business Plan (BBP) competition, organised by JCI Malta in partnership with HSBC Bank Malta plc and KPMG. The Lm1,000 prize was awarded for his proposal to create a company named 'knowledgepot.com', a website offering university theses and project work for viewing and purchase.

The runners-up prize of Lm250 went to Rachel Caruana for her proposal to launch the Honda Electrasol, a cost effective and environmental-friendly car producing zero emissions. Both prizes were presented by HSBC's head of personal financial service, Godfrey Swain, and KPMG's corporate finance partner, David Caruana.

The winner's business plan will now be submitted as the official JCI Malta entry to the International Best Business Plan of the World Competition organised by Junior Chamber International (JCI). The winner of the overall JCI Best Business Plan of the World Competition will receive a US$5,000 cash prize award as start-up funding, as well as an all expenses paid trip to the 2006 JCI World Congress to be held in the South Korean capital, Seoul.

"JCI Malta's Best Business Plan Competition once again attracted a good number of high quality submissions. This clearly highlights the entrepreneurial talent that exists among Malta's youth, a talent that we would do well to harness as our economy continues to change and develop", said Dr Elaine Tabone Adami, JCI Malta president 2006.

Participation was open to all Maltese residents aged between 18 and 40. Whereas similar Business Plan competitions are organised in Malta, the JCI BBP Competition is open to individuals as well as groups and enables competition on an international dimension. However, the principles remain the same - to promote entrepreneurs in action.

On behalf of the organisers, JCI Malta would like to thank its corporate members HSBC Bank Malta plc and KPMG Malta for their support in this year's competition, as well to all the other BBP participants for their contribution. More information on JCI Malta can be obtained from the Website www.jci.org.mt.

People

Dr Ing. Louis Montebello was recently awarded a Doctorate in Business Administ-ration after finishing his studies with the Maastricht School of Management.

Dr Montebello researched the managerial aspect of self-management in a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Malta.

In his studies, he measured the differences of standard factors between self-managed and non-self managed production lines and also looked at the cultural aspects of self-management. This latter point was researched using Hofstede's five factors and through literature review, links were established between the five factors and self-management. The subsequent comparative study used the standard measurements to compare production lines.

Dr Ing. Montebello's researched topics like "Are self-managed teams better than non-self managed teams?" "How can one compare self-managed with non-self managed teams?" and "How does culture effect self-management?" His research was published in a book.

Before submitting his work, Dr Ing. Montebello attended several international conferences where he published parts of his managerial work. His last conference was the 13th Annual World Business Conference organised by the International Management Development Association, held in Maastricht.

His last published works were "Investigating cultural dimensions in a semiconductor manufacturing company in Malta" in Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, "Developing Teams" in The Management Journal, and "Comparing self management teams with non-self management teams: Case study of STMicroelectronics Ltd (Malta)" in the International Management Development Yearbook.

Australian couple wed in Malta

The marriage between Clinton Jurd and Samantha Wiecek took place on July 2 at St Paul's Cathedral, Mdina. The couple, with their families and friends, travelled all the way from Australia to fulfil the bride's wish to be married in Malta, where her mother Lina née Borg, formerly of Birzebbuga, was born.

Mass was celebrated by Fr Joe Abela. The ceremony was witnessed by Melissa Emerson, Samantha's sister, who was also matron of honour, and Mick Dooley, Clinton's friend, who was also best man. Samantha's younger sister, Felicity was bridesmaid. The flower girls were Stella, Imani and Scarlet.

The wedding was planned in Malta by the bride's aunt, Josephine Spiteri of Birzebbuga. Family members, including the groom's mother Aida and her partner, and friends from Malta, Germany, England and Australia were present at the wedding ceremony and the reception which was held at the Corinthia San Gorg Hotel.

For your diary

Ward u Zghar is organising a meal at Il-Fanal, Marsascala, on Friday at 7.30 p.m. For more information phone 9947-2868.

A fund-raising barbecue in aid of Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in Mellieha is being held at Melita Gardens, Attard, on July 17 at 7.30 p.m. Special guests include Chiara, Renato, Mary Rose Mallia, and Ozzy Lino.

For tickets, at Lm9 for adults and Lm6 for children under 13, phone Jerry on 9946-6603 or Joan on 9924-1097.

The Society for Investigating the Credibility of Extraordinary Claims (SICEC) will discuss "Who was responsible for the burning of Rome?" on Thursday, July 20, at 7 p.m. at the Youth Travel Circle, 227, Merchants Street, Valletta.

Manuel Psaila will consider the traditional notion that Nero was responsible for the burning of Rome and he blamed it on the Christians. Is this the truth or perhaps could there be evidence that shows a different truth?

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements: July 10-16

Tomorrow
7.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami visit the national pavilions at the Trade Fair, Naxxar.

Tuesday
6 p.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over a committee meeting of the Ball of the August Moon at San Anton Palace.

6.30 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami preside over a Malta Community Chest Fund board meeting at San Anton Palace.

Wednesday
9.30 a.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend Mass at the Police General Headquarters followed by a parade on the 192nd anniversary of the foundation of the Malta Police Force.

12.30 p.m. The President receives Micheline Calmy Rey, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, accompanied by the Swiss Ambassador to Malta and head of the Political Division at the Palace, Valletta.

8 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a reception hosted by the Commissioner of Police.

Thursday
10 a.m. The President receives Israeli Ambassador Ehud Gol on a farewell call at the Palace, Valletta.

6.30 p.m. The President presides over a meeting of the Commission for the Administration of Justice.

Friday
8 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a reception hosted by French Ambassador Jean Marc Rives and Mrs Rives on the National Day of France at Selmun Palace.