Qualitex 2007

Tonio Casapinta, managing director of Casapinta Design Group Ltd, co-organisers of Qualitex '07 exhibition and conference with the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre Ltd, to take place between May 17 and 20 at the MFCC in Ta' Qali, talks about the big event

What is Qualitex '07?

Qualitex '07 is an exhibition which will project the leap in the quality of life of the Maltese over the past decade. The event is a 'feel good factor show'.

Malta will soon experience a revolution in quality of life expectations due to huge development facing the Maltese economy. We have made great strides on all fronts, such as medical care, educational system, environment, IT, foreign direct investments etc. We are much more aware about safety standards, the way we look, dress and live, where we live and how we live. We have changed a lot.

Who is organising the event?

Casapinta Group and Malta Fairs and Convention Centre Ltd are partners in the organisation of the event, which has the full support of the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Information Technology, who believed in the project. The show will be the first exhibition to be staged at the new Convention Centre.

The event is a big leap in show quality, especially now that it will take place at the new state-of-the-art Convention Centre. Qualitex '07 has the right ingredients to showcase all this and be a prelude for the future.

What does one expect? Is this another specialised show?

No, not really, the show will project the advances made in various areas of our economy. It will showcase the country's transformations and will also point towards a future direction. It will display the huge foreign direct investment projects being attracted to our shores, such as SmartCity @Malta, HSBC Call Centre, the huge developments in property development, new high-tech investments by foreign companies operating in Malta and the financial services sector and ICT.

All these areas will be generating a huge demand in new career opportunities for the Maltese and will in turn create a revolution in HR demands.

The show will also display new quality standards being achieved through the opening of the new Mater Dei hospital, a new network of EU-funded roads, the change to the euro and advantages linked to it and the latest technologies in the IT and telecom sector.

Such investment opportunities coupled with Maltese foresight to implement such developments have made this revolution possible.

SmartCity@Malta will not only help Malta become a global ICT leader but will also attract other world business leaders in other sectors to look at Malta as a potential investment target.

It will cement our reputation as a strategic ally of global players in ICT and will give us a launch pad to generate in Malta a reliably consistent activity in various ICT services, including the audiovisual sector.

Are we ready for this revolution?

I think that a lot has already been done in the educational sector, and with MCAST even more is projected. Our young generation have a new and exciting future, with new careers. We will surely meet such a challenge, however we must react quickly to transform Malta into a regional technology centre of excellence for systems development, training specialisations and service provision in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Who are the exhibitors?

We are attracting public and private organisations who believe in quality and whose products and services excel. Up till now, there are over 45 exhibitors, ranging from the Employment Training Centre (ETC), Lufthansa Technik, the Malta Financial Services Authority and Crimson Wing, to Hilton Malta, HSBC and WasteServ, among others. Of course, there will also be a stand by the Ministry of Investment, Industry and IT.

Do you think that the Maltese believe in quality? Or are we still a people of 'mhux xorta' and 'U iva'?

Unfortunately, we do tend to adopt this attitude, but I am sure that things are changing, especially since we joined the EU. We are becoming a regional model of excellence in the life we lead.

The show is a perfect opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved so far, and also on our weaknesses and what we need to work for as a nation to reach the high objectives we have set out for ourselves.

Is there also a conference?

Yes, on Friday, May 18, between 8.30 a.m. and 2 p.m., there will be a conference entitled "Towards a regional centre of excellence... the next step", to be addressed by Minister Austin Gatt. Registration will open this week and can be made online through our Website www.qualitex.com.mt (Registration fee is Lm15/€34.94 + 18% VAT).

What do you really mean by a regional centre of excellence?

For Malta to become a regional centre of excellence we need to excel in quality and raise our standards. We must better our service to tourists, and the way we promote Malta to the foreigners through the use of ICT by means of high-quality interactive Websites.

We need to offer quality across the board, starting from taxi-drivers, police officers, bus drivers, hotels staff etc. We must enjoy a clean environment, without buses and heavy transport emitting poisonous fumes; our construction sites need to be properly managed and roads professionally sign-posted, our beaches clean and well managed.

We need to offer an educational system from the cradle to the grave, and all stakeholders must unite to meet these high expectations, which will enhance our lives. We can then capitalise on our ICT strengths and on the international respect we've managed to receive to ensure that over the coming years we reap that investment and those efforts we sowed.

Will Qualitex be an annual event?

Yes. Change is a constant process and the moment we rest on our laurels and think that we have gone as far as we can get, we will lose ground and fall behind. We therefore have to think ahead and anticipate how our behaviours must change and adapt to the new expectations of the world, its economy and environment.

How can one participate in Qualitex?

Easy, either contact our offices on 2141-3893, 2141-2807 or 2141-7428 or for more information visit www.qualitex.com.mt, www.casapinta.com or www.mfcc.com.mt.