A delegation of four persons recently represented the Malta Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) at the recent European Athletic Association (EAA) Calendar Conference in Varna, Bulgaria.
The delegation consisted of Anthony Chircop, MAAA president, Maurice Spiteri, treasurer, Valerie Farrugia, council member, and Lourdes Vella, sales manager from a prominent leading local hotel.
Last year, the annual conference was held in Iceland, where, following a presentation given by Chircop, it was decided by popular vote, that the 2007 conference will be held in Malta. Delegates awarded Malta 28 votes to Kiev's 12 and Warsaw's two.
The purpose of the visit of the Maltese delegation was threefold.
The first one was to participate in the various workshops and meetings that this conference brings together, as, after all, the MAAA is also an active member of the EAA. The second purpose was to promote next year's EAA Calendar Conference in Malta (between October 12 and 14), and thirdly, to learn as much as possible how this conference is normally organized to make sure that the Malta event will be as good as if not better than others before it.
In fact, to ensure that the 2007 conference will be professionally organized, the MAAA made arrangements for the hotel selected to hold the conference to send its representative as the key person supervising the conference arrangements in Malta.
Although the Calendar Conference comprises various events, the main scope of the meeting is to bring together the marketing executives of the organisers of international meets, including the Golden Gala, the Athletics Gran Prix, Indoor Championships, European Cup and so on.
Where dates clash, the organisers have to come to some agreement on the spot as the Calendar of Events for the following year has to be printed in time before delegates return home.
During this year's conference, the Maltese delegation took part in three other major meetings - the Presidents and Secretaries Workshop, the meeting for the Small States of Europe and the Reflections Committee.
Chircop is one of the members on the nine-man Reflections Committee set up to advise the EAA on innovations to improve athletic events across Europe.
Other meetings
The MAAA delegation also met IAAF president Lamine Diack. Not only did he re-affirm his support for MAAA, but he also declared that he is looking forward to his return visit to Malta next year.
By tradition, the IAAF president hosts a reception for newly-elected presidents and secretaries of National Athletic Associations and hosts a lunch for all delegates attending the Calendar Conference.
The Maltese also met Hansjorg Wirtz, EAA president who has recently stated his intention to re-contest the election for the EAA's top post in March when a congress will be held in Cannes.
Wirtz explained that there are various things that need to change to make the EAA more effective. However, he confirmed that changes will not affect the support schemes that are providing funding for projects such as coaching or 'participation subventions' which are enabling small associations to develop their sport.
The MAAA recognises that different people would have different aims for attending a conference. However, all of them need first and foremost to be attracted to the venue, the country.
So, the first task of the Maltese delegation was to promote Malta as a tourist destination. Promoting the conference hotel came next and naturally the conference itself.
A desk with promotional material and several posters obtained from the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta were on display. The specially designed and attractive brochure distributed to promote the conference also included a long list of cities that are served by Air Malta.
From past statistics, the MAAA anticipates that the 2007 Calendar Conference would attract at least 350 delegates and other guests. The association knows that even when the conference was held in remote cities like Tallinn and Reykjavik, delegates numbered between 300 and 330.
The earnest preparations to organise a successful and memorable conference will ensure that delegates will enjoy their short stay and take back with them a recollection of a beautiful and historic island.
In return the association will also benefit in enhancing the positive relationship that it already has with the European association auguring a better chance of being granted the right to hold similar conferences as well as international competitions in future.