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MALTATODAY 4 August 2019

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18 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 AUGUST 2019 COMMERCIAL SMALL Medium Enterprises are the heart of the Maltese economy and a major source of entrepreneurial skills, inno- vation and employment. One of the main issues that these small businesses encounter is their struggle to raise enough capital to reach their full po- tential. "Financing Businesses to Prosper' was the main theme of an event organised by the Malta Chamber of Commerce (MCC) in collaboration with Bank of Valletta (BOV) and the Malta Development Bank (MDB). "Start-ups and small SMEs often face struggles to gain fi- nancial support since these enterprises have a higher risk profile due to their lack of track record," said MCC Chairman Kevin J Borg dur- ing his opening address. "Not surprisingly, access to finance has been identified as one of the most critical constraints to growth, however major strides have been made to address this issue." Albert Frendo, BOV Chief Business Development Officer said that Bank of Valletta is proud to be a pioneer in em- bracing programmes that ease access to finance for SMEs and family businesses. BOV in con- junction with MDB recently launched two innovative prod- ucts offering more affordable financing through reduced collateral requirements and financing costs. The BOV Family Success helps family businesses take the strategic step in implementing succes- sion, ensuring higher financial stability and sustainability as the business passes from one generation to the other. BOV SME Invest offers a financial solution to SMEs including start-ups, seeking finance for capital investment and work- ing capital. "Bank of Valletta has always been close to the business community and through its in- novative solutions it continues to show its persistent commit- ment towards the success sto- ry of local SMEs", concluded Frendo. "Just after eight months of ef- fective operations, the Malta Development Bank is making an impact on the economy by rolling out its first two fa- cilities to help enterprises prosper,"said MDB Chairman Prof Josef Bonnici, Chairman, 'Today Malta has a home- grown institution that provides a remedy for financial market gaps by designing financial in- struments customised to the needs of the local economy.' This session was one of a se- ries of events co-organised by Bank of Valletta and the Malta Chamber of Commerce fol- lowing their recently extended partnership agreement. SMEs interested in taking ad- vantage of the newly launched financing schemes to grow their business are invited to visit a BOV Branch or Busi- ness Centre or send an email to smefinance@bov.com. Financing businesses to prosper THIS month MAPFRE Mid- dlesea will be launching their latest and most innovative product campaign yet called 'Sketch your dreams'. The concept of the cam- paign is based on the idea that, whether it be for home, busi- ness insurance or travelling around the world, MAPFRE Middlesea will always be there to help individuals secure their dreams. Thus, the campaign is aimed to convey the message that MAPFRE Middlesea will provide tailor-made insurance packages which can cater for all audiences and their respective age groups. The 'Sketch your dreams' campaign was executed in col- laboration with Maltese artist Stefan Carbonaro, whereby a video advert was produced to showcase the entire production process of the campaign itself. The campaign also highlights some of the main benefits of being insured with MAP- FRE, such as the Insure and Save Loyalty Scheme and 24/7 MAPFRE Assist services. The 'Sketch your dreams' campaign will also be launched at the upcoming Farsons Beer Festival by having a stand set up at the Festival. Those who visit the stand dur- ing The Farsons Beer Festival will have the opportunity to en- ter a photo competition based on the 'Sketch your dreams' concept with a chance to win a €1,000 Travel Voucher. MAPFRE Middlesea is sup- porting The Farsons Beer Festival in collaboration with Carlsberg 0.0 (non-alcoholic beer) to promote responsible driving. 'Sketch your dreams' to win a €1,000 travel voucher THE majestic gates of Fort St Elmo are soon to open for a unique three-day festival cel- ebrating the finest craft beers and the pas- sionate brewers creating them. The 2019 edition of the Malta Craft Beer Festival will include not just a massive range of the best brews from renowned breweries from across the globe, but also a series of informative workshops, and delicious street food and sweets from vendors including Manouche, Fork & Cork, Kuya & Co, and the Pulled Meat Company. What's more, the awesome live music throughout the festival will include perfor- mances from Airport Impressions, Xarulu, The Busker, Lighthouse, Vinyl Paradise and Aunty's Yellow Sofa. This year, the festival will also feature an all-new pop-up shop packed with beers and merchandise for festival-goers to purchase and take home as mementos. "We are thrilled to be returning to Fort St Elmo for another edition of the Malta Craft Beer Festival, following the huge success of last year's first edition," says the Festival's Robert Gatt, who co-founded the festival with Samuele D'Imperio. "Last year we saw quite how much passion and talent there is regarding craft beer in Malta, and so it's satisfying to be able to give brewers and enthusiasts another chance to grow the local industry even further." Apart from unforgettable entertainment, food, and of course, exceptional craft beers, the festival will also incorporate a homebrew- ers' competition aimed at budding local brew- ers, as well as a masterclass by a brewer from the AleBrowar brewery in Poland, who will be visiting Malta specifically for the festival. The Malta Craft Beer Festival is organised by Lord Chambray and The Craft Beer Com- pany in collaboration with the top local craft beer brewers, importers and distributors. Medasia Cabs will also be collaborating, and will be providing discount codes to all festival-goers, to help them avoid drink- driving and boost their overall festival expe- rience. Thirsty? Head to the Malta Craft Beer Festival 2019

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