Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1070939
17 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 VASSALLO Builders' yearly seminar was held in Decem- ber as it has been a tradition for a good number of years, with this year's theme being 'Thinking Green'. Around 70 members of staff, manage- ment and directors attended this seminar which was held at The George Hotel in Paceville. The theme chosen for this seminar was very appropriate in the light of various green initiatives taken in the past year by Vassallo Group as well as Vassallo Builders. These initiatives include a 'no sin- gle use plastic' policy adopted recently at the group's head office, the purchasing of a number of electric cars, the promotion of recycling and the planting of trees to mark spe- cial milestones. Furthermore, the group introduced annual awards to encourage green ini- tiatives for those who champi- on recycling, the reduction of waste and the re-use of materi- al particularly in construction. Vassallo Group CEO Pio Vassallo kicked off the semi- nar with a few words and in- troduced each department in a fun manner before handing over the mic to Vassallo Build- ers CEO Jonathan Buttigieg who shared the year's success with financial reports of pro- jects carried out and targets achieved. He also welcomed the newcomers and congratu- lated all those employees who got promoted. The first guest speaker Ms Claire Cordina Borg from the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) tackled the importance of recycling, waste management, the preservation of water and the greening of our communities. For the last part of the semi- nar the company invited over environmentalist and Mount Everest climber Marco Cre- mona who spoke about his personal experience as a mountain climber and the perseverance endured during these tough but unique experi- ences to reach the summit. Group Chairman Nazza- reno Vassallo closed off the seminar with a Q&A session before moving on to enjoy a nice lunch together with a few more speeches from new staff members to conclude another successful year. Green thinking at Vassallo Builders Seminar SAINTNAZAIRE, France, 5 January 2019 – MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world's larg- est privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe, South America, South Africa and the Gulf, and Chantiers de l'Atlantique have celebrated the float out of MSC Grandiosa at the shipyard in Saint-Naz- aire, where the ship is being built. She has now been moved to a wet dock, where work on the ship will continue until her delivery in October 2019. MSC Grandiosa is due to be- come the third Meraviglia ship to enter MSC Cruises' fleet, and the first of three Merav- iglia-Plus ships, which feature larger tonnage and guest ca- pacity than the first two Mer- aviglia ships – MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima. She will also become the fifth ship to enter MSC Cruises' fleet in just two and a half years. As part of MSC Cruises' fleet expan- sion plan, the Company is due to take delivery of another 12 next-generation cruise ships by 2027. MSC Grandiosa will show- case an even larger Medi- terranean-style promenade, the ground-breaking feature unique to Meraviglia genera- tion ships that serves as the so- cial hub of the ship. Amongst other specialty restaurants it will feature a new bar and lounge, L'Atelier Bistrot, offer- ing lounge seating with a stage and a dance floor, impression- ist art on display and terrace seating with Parisian Bistrot tables and chairs. This award- winning promenade will host surprise performances, includ- ing flash mobs and themed parties as well as the awe-in- spiring projections on the even longer 98.5-metre LED Sky screen. As other Meraviglia class ships, MSC Grandiosa will fea- ture two brand new exclusive shows from Cirque du Soleil at Sea. This is part of a long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil, the world leader in artistic en- tertainment. Following MSC Bellissima's launch in February 2018, MSC Grandiosa will become the second MSC Cruises ship to feature Zoe, the cruise indus- try's first digital cruise person- al assistant, as a new feature of MSC for Me. This service will provide guests with a simple and stress-free way to receive information that is tradition- ally provided at the Guest Re- lations desk. MSC Grandiosa will be de- livered to MSC Cruises on 31 October and will start regular sailings from Genoa, Italy on 16 November 2019. Sales for MSC Grandiosa cruises are al- ready open. MSC GRANDIOSA will be calling at Malta weekly dur- ing the Spring, Summer and Autumn of 2020 and Maltese passengers will be able to book cruises to sail on this fantastic new liner. MSC celebrates float-out of MSC Grandiosa