Finance Malta, the foundation tasked with promoting the island as a reputable financial services centre, is expecting over 100 people at a seminar co-organised with FT Global Events in Frankfurt this afternoon.
Representatives from over 56 organisations had confirmed their attendance by last week, administration manager Bernice Buttigieg told The Times Business.
Delegates include chairmen, heads and executives from leading German banks, capital managers, asset managers, professional services groups and legal firms.
Registrations from Maltese practitioners were limited to representatives from Finance Malta's corporate membership. The Maltese delegation includes lawyers, accountants, insurance practitioners and bankers.
Dr Buttigieg said the attendance met Finance Malta's targets for this event, the latest on the foundation's calendar for the year, which included a full house seminar at the London Stock Exchange in March, co-hosted with FT.
The seminar at Villa Kennedy in central Frankfurt will be opened by The Banker contributing editor Michael Imeson and addressed by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech. Gordon Cordina, head of the University of Malta's Department of Economics, will showcase Malta's "dynamic, open and international" economy.
Malta Financial Services Authority chairman Joe Bannister will deliver a presentation on the local regulatory and supervisory framework.
Two panel sessions will follow. Fimbank plc president Margrith Lütschg-Emmenegger, Apex Fund Services managing director John Bohan and Malta Stock Exchange chairman Arthur Galea Salomone will be panelists at the first, themed Opportunities For German Firms In Banking, Wealth Management And Investment Management. Müller and Pisani partner Christian Pisani and Heritage Insurance Management (Malta) Ltd director John Tortell will lead the second, on Opportunities For German Firms in Insurance And Captive Insurance. Finance Malta chairman Kenneth Farrugia will wrap up the seminar.
Delegates will also have the opportunity to meet German executives already doing business in Malta.
Dr Buttigieg said Finance Malta was looking into the possibility of collaborating further with FT to organise similar events next year.
Finance Malta is currently reviewing membership fees to provide different tiers according to member organisations' size. Rates for 2010 will be launched next week.
Finance Malta's management is planning to visit its members over the coming weeks and is also gearing up to the third annual conference for which an international audience could be targeted, Dr Buttigieg added.
Meanwhile, the second edition of Finance Malta's quarterly newsletter is out this week.