Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/178572
18 Events maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2013 Small Shareholders association prepares itself for a busy October THE Malta Association of Small Shareholders (MASS) has a full programme of educational conferences for the fourth quarter of 2013. Dr Robert Suban, a university lecturer, is scheduled to speak on Saturday, 12 October 2013 at 10am, at the Workers' Memorial Buildings, South Street, Valletta, at a Share- holders'/Investors' Forum. J. Pace Ross, a retired bank manager, is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, 29 October at 6.30pm at the Radisson Resort & Spa, St George's Bay, St Julian's. Lawyer Dr Leonard Caruana, is scheduled to speak on Saturday, 9 November at 10 a.m. at the Workers' Memorial Building, South VFM B2B Networking Event VALLETTA Fund Manage- ment Limited and The Property and Life Events will be holding the VFM B2B Networking Event, which aims to instigate reflection about the economic, technological and social equilibriums in order to give Malta's trading network the means to look towards the future. The event will be held on 27 September 2013 at The Xara Lodge, Rabat. Speaking ahead of the event, Mark Agius, Head of Valletta Fund Management Limited (VFM) said: "As a leader in the provision of Collective Investment Schemes in Malta, VFM is pleased to support such initiatives as we firmly believe that this event will give value added to the local trading network". He continued that "The event's objective is to contribute to the development of the local business community by creating an important network of business and personal relations between business executives in Malta. In fact, the event's programme will focus on powerful topical matters that correspond to Maltese entrepreneurial, business and corporate executives needs". On the day, the participants will listen to a group of speakers of international stature and their intriguing talks about topical themes and Malta's technological, economic and social environment. A panel discussion together with a question and answer session will follow with the panellists in order to exchange their views and engage with the participants on the subject matter. VFM is licensed to provide Investment Services in Malta by the MFSA. Registration to the event is free. For further details on VFM B2B, you may wish to contact VFM on 21 227311 Europeana calls all Maltese to enter cultural competition EUROPEANA, together with its partner, AcrossLimits (Malta), has launched a competition as part of its national cultural campaign to introduce Europeana to the Maltese community. Everyone is invited to enter the competition via the recently launched 'Malta in Europe – Europeana' Facebook page or by visiting Europeana's stand at this year's Notte Bianca. To enter the competition, people need to simply find an image on Europeana.eu that captures what Malta's European cultural heritage means to them. They then upload it to the app available on the 'Malta in Europe – Europeana' Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanaMalta) together with a short Download the MaltaToday App now caption. In the caption, people need to describe why they consider this image to be important to them as Maltese-European citizens. The image and caption awarded the most votes will be recreated as a large interactive canvas during the National Book Festival later this year. Moreover, the person who submits the winning image will receive a tablet during this event. Speaking about the Europeana competition, the Executive Director of Europeana, Jill Cousins, said: "We're delighted that the people of Malta are exploring Europeana and the treasures of 2,300 museums, libraries and galleries across Europe. We want as many people as possible to go online and discover for themselves the 29 million plus digital treasures, including books, manuscripts, photos, paintings, television, film, sculpture, crafts, sheet music, recordings at Europeana.eu." The Europeana website and the Europeana Facebook page are accessible at www.europeana.eu and www.facebook.com/EuropeanaMalta, respectively. You are also invited to follow Europeana on Twitter@europeanaeu and #AllezCulture YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Street, Valletta. A Shareholders' Educational Conference will be held on Tuesday, 26 November at 6.30pm at the Radisson Resort & Spa, St George's Bay, St Julian's (with the speaker yet to be confirmed). Dr Silvio J. Camilleri, a university lecturer, is scheduled to speak on Saturday, 21 December at 10am at a Shareholders'/Investors' Forum at the Workers' Memorial Building, South Street, Valletta. Entrance for all these activities is free but MASS, being a voluntary organisation, depends on the support of its members and public-spirited patrons to fund its activities. Shareholders too busy to attend the Annual General Meetings of listed companies are urged to send their signed proxy to the Malta Association of Small Shareholders, so they can better lobby during these meetings and subsequently with the board of directors. Contact can best be made by writing to MASS, c/o 46, St. Bosco, Borg Street, Fleur de Lys, Malta Massimo Dutti drives fashion through The Mdina Grand Prix 2013 THIS year's Mdina Grand Prix – held between 10 and 13 October – is expecting participation from around 62 classic cars, 10 of which are foreign owned, which will be on show both in a static exhibition and speeding round Mdina's bastions. This year's event however is being leveraged with a new dose of fashion as the Massimo Dutti brand has for the first time confirmed its sponsorship and presence during this year's programme of events. "This is the first time that Massimo Dutti is associating itself with a local prestigious event such as the Mdina Grand Prix which last year attracted around 25,000 people over a span of two days. The success that this show has been garnering over the past few years encouraged us to come on board and to sponsor this event," said Andre Parnis, Financial Controller at Big Bon Group, local representatives of the Massimo Dutti franchise. Parnis was commenting during the presentation of the sponsorship to Ivan Bartolo, PRO of the Valletta Grand Prix Foundation. Explaining the reason for Massimo Dutti's sponsorship of this event, Parnis added, "The strength of the Massimo Dutti brand is the fact that it is a classic brand where style, fine tailoring and visual presence have been the main traits that have made this brand accessible and appealing to a wider audience. It is a brand that communicates class, timelessness and sophistication, especially in the latest collections that have reached Massimo Dutti's shop at The Point. These qualities are very similar to the those of the Mdina Grand Prix, an event which is making these fine, stylish and unique cars accessible to be enjoyed by a wide audience. Therefore, we felt that this would be an ideal opportunity for collaboration." 7 to 10 October will see the first participants arriving in Malta. 11 October will see a repeat of last year's successful Concours d'Elegance, a glamorous event which once again will be held at the Cathedral Square in Mdina. This event will see Malta's best classic cars alongside overseas participants within a festive atmosphere and owners in period attire. Morning practice will take place on 12 October on a 2.2km track below the Mdina bastions. The exciting circuit includes fast straights mixed with demanding corners. Participating vehicles will be timed in the afternoon to determine their best performances and hence the winner of the event. 13 October will be a packed day with 80 cars participatsing, each group having two runs in the morning and two in the afternoon. Consumer rights focus of MEUSAC debate CONSUMER rights were the central topic of last evening's citizens' debate organised by MEUSAC in Marsaskala as part of the programme of events marking the European Year of Citizens 2013. Participants in the debate themed, 'Ilkoll Ewropej, Ilkoll Konsumaturi' had the opportunity to learn more about how the EU is protecting its citizens through effective consumers' rights. Irene Bonello, Advocate at the Office for Consumer Affairs, and Ing. Michael Cassar, Head of the Market Surveillance Directorate within the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), spoke in detail about the Directive on Consumer Rights that will be introduced in all EU Member States by June 2014. The speakers also explained how consumers can distinguish safe from unsafe products. Bonello explained how the new Directive will build on former directives and will enhance consumers' rights when it comes to: the removal of hidden costs in online purchasing; the removal of pre-ticked options on websites; a 14-day time limit within which a consumer can opt out of a contract of purchase and take the money back; and clearer information on digital content. Dr Bonello emphasized that consumers should read the terms and conditions carefully before committing themselves to an agreement of purchase. Cassar spoke about standards that ensure the safety of products. He also showed products that were either removed from the market, or were prohibited from entering the market. This happens for a number of reasons, among which: the absence of the CE mark; lack of information in English or Maltese on the labelling of products; products that are manufactured in a way as to attract children but which are possibly harmful at the same time; and toys having demountable parts that can be swallowed by children. Ing. Cassar also spoke about the importance of manufacturers and sellers giving the right information to consumers so that all risks can be evaluated by consumers before buying products. Like in the other three debates organised by MEUSAC, participants had the opportunity to air their views on the subject, and among the matters raised were: the differences between the legal two year guarantee on all EU products and the commercial guarantee offered by suppliers; which products should carry the CE mark; the need to be more informed; more places where consumers can present their complaints; and stronger participation by citizens in ensuring their own rights as consumers. The speakers discussed how MCCAA disseminates information through different mediums to all sectors of society, including in schools so that children grow up aware of their rights as consumers. They also encouraged the general public to contact MCCAA with any complaint or query on 2395 2000 or info@mccaa.org.mt, or through MCCAA's website www.mccaa.org. mt. MEUSAC Head Dr Vanni Xuereb closed the citizens' debate by saying that, as the national coordinator for the European Year of Citizens 2013, MEUSAC is committed to disseminate information about EU citizens' rights. Xuereb stated that, "as EU citizens, Maltese citizens should be aware of their rights and obligations. The EU has helped us improve our standard of living and, where citizens' rights are concerned, EU membership has had a very positive impact; when we go abroad, we are treated equally to other EU citizens." The fifth and final citizens' debate will take place on October 3, at 10am in Valletta. The theme will be 'Cittadini f'sahhithom, Ewropa f'sahhitha'. This series of debates is funded by the EU under the Management Partnership agreement between MEUSAC and the European Commission