Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/364850
Events 42 maltatoday, Sunday, 17 auguSt 2014 Westin Dragonara Resort to take part in UNICEF's "Road to awareness" The Westin Dragonara Resort is participating in this year`s "Road to Awareness" campaign to help UNICEF reach 2.1 million people living in poverty in urban and ru- ral areas of Somalia with sustain- able access to safe water and sani- tation by 2015. Aaron Axisa, Front Office Shift Leader at The Westin Dragonara Resort is going to be the represent- ative of the hotel in aid of UNICEF. Aaron has taken up the challenge to cycle 355 km over a span of 3 days in the French and Swiss Alps, all in the name of a good cause. He said, "Giving a helping hand to the less fortunate is a dream come true, especially doing so on two wheels. Two wheels are my ultimate passion, and to be able to cycle around for a good cause is the greatest feeling one can have. My goal is to finish the 3 day challenge in one piece or at least with only a few minor bumps and bruises". True to the motto "A little change can change a lot", sponsors are in- vited to support Aaron`s effort and engagement in aid of UNICEF by making donations through an of- ficial UNICEF charity page which will be open until the 27 August, the day of the event. The Road to Awareness associate fundraising campaign has been making a positive difference to children in the communities Star- wood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc operates in since 2008. Last year's campaign was a huge suc- cess whereby over 8,000 children in Cameroon and Nigeria will be enrolled in school and earn their right to an education. In 2014, Starwood Hotels & Re- sorts EAME aims to tie in with last year`s success to raise over USD$600,000 to help provide life-saving water and sanitation in schools and communities in Soma- lia. Defined as one of the least de- veloped countries, Somalia ranks amongst the ten poorest countries in the world. It is estimated that 43 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty on less than one US dollar a day and that almost half of the labour force are unem- ployed. Road to Awareness aims to ben- efit 3,500 school-going children and a further 21,000 community members by providing safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). $24 – The estimated cost of pro- viding sustainable clean water and sanitation for one person are $230 – Household latrine (average 6 people per household) $3,500 – Construction of a shallow well with hand pump (benefitting ap- prox. 350 people) $5,800 – Con- struction of gender-friendly la- trine blocks with hand washing facilities in a school (approx. 120 pupils). To support Aaron Axisa's mis- sion for UNICEF visit the char- ity page www.westinmalta.com/ RoadtoAwareness Luxury marketing at Harrods EDRINGTON'S malts have been the centrepiece of a luxury lifestyle ex- perience at Harrods this month. The luxury store has been dominated by Highland Park, inviting visitors to explore the story of Highland Park Dark Origins and the inspiration be- hind the whisky – founder and dis- tiller, Magnus Eunson. This marketing success delivered prime visibility for the brand in Lon- don, which is considered to be the luxury spirit capital of the world. Maxxium UK created a presence for the brand in the form of window displays, a 'Dark Room', and a show- case of the brand's many accolades. The event generated positive media coverage following the trade launch conducted by Daryl Haldane. The hard work continues as Maxx- ium UK prepares another project: The Macallan Luxury Lifestyle Lounge in Harrods for July 2015. Following the upcoming launch of the decanter series and another run of the Masters of Photography, the Lounge will firmly establish The Ma- callan as the ultimate luxury spirit. Customers can look forward to a 'Privileged Customer' event, which encompasses displays of The Macal- lan and an exhibition of the Mas- ters of Photography. The Macallan Lifestyle Lounge will, among other things, offer its attendees personal grooming advice for men, position- ing The Macallan alongside other bespoke luxury lifestyle brands. "The quality of the displays and vis- ibility achieved are really an accelera- tion of our capability to lead within the world of luxury", said Peter Sand- strom, marketing director for Maxx- ium UK. Download the MaltaToday App now Middlesea Insurance employees attend Fire Awareness Training A group of Middlesea Insurance em- ployees recently attended a Basic Fire Awareness training course at the In- ternational Safety Training College. "At Middlesea Insurance, we go be- yond training employees just in their specific field of work. Through cours- es such as Fire Awareness Training we ensure that our employees and clients can enjoy a safe environment, whilst also protecting our premises and investment," said Chris Meli, Chief Officer Human Resources at Middlesea Insurance. Through theoretical and practical training, these employees gained a better insight on how to prevent fires, reduce fire hazards and have the abil- ity to respond in case of any acciden- tal fires in the workplace. A more comprehensive e-commerce strategy is what Maltese Businesses need GRTU has welcomed Government's intention to re-introduce incentives that will encourage local businesses to set up an online selling platform. GRTU has been calling for another scheme since the closure of the pre- vious, successful scheme. Experience with the previous scheme will ensure that the new scheme functions better and that the funds will reach the sec- tors where they are most needed in line with Government's mandate. Following thorough consultation with its members, GRTU has present- ed a comprehensive set of proposals in line with the eCommerce strategy consultation launched by the Govern- ment late last month. Online selling still presents a signifi- cant challenge for the majority of Mal- tese enterprises especially the smaller ones and we estimate that around 30% of business in retail is being lost to online sales from other countries it is therefore no longer an option to opt out. Figures show that the online sales market has been progressing at a fast pace and businesses need to adapt to this new reality as otherwise they will eventually be forced out of business. Many Maltese businesses seem to wish to invest in this medium and we have identified a number of issues that are holding them back. GRTU has put forward proposals that build and improve on the previous scheme and mitigate issues that had arisen. Government should move from a higher tax incentive to a lower capped grant that covers all or a large per- centage of the whole investment. To- gether with this, Government would abolish the three quotes requirement as going for the cheapest option is not always in the interest of quality and business. Clear and transparent criteria for the adjudication and a point system to prioritize which enterprises need most help according to size and sec- tor amongst others. These criteria should be designed with the input of the stakeholders and should be made public. The assistance would ideally be seg- mented to cater for the needs of the enterprise and not just limited to the setup of the eCommerce site. Upgrad- ing of already existing websites, initial setting up costs such as consultancy, data inputting and translation serv- ices, online marketing strategy costs, search engine optimization, eCom- merce enabled mobile apps, upgrad- ing of Points of Sale and Stock Control Systems to link to eCommerce sites, should all be considered for possible assistance. Reimbursements to the enterprise would be made within strict dead- lines. • MCA would manage a list of approved service providers that would simplify and fast track the application process. • A directory of enterprises hav- ing an eCommerce site should be created which would include the possibility for customers to comment and leave reviews thus promoting a Peer review mecha- nism similar to what is being used by major players in the in- dustry. • The scheme should consider that Web Development companies might be inundated with orders and should therefore stagger the assistance over an applicable pe- riod of time. • The inclusion of all business sectors even if purchases cannot be effected online as is the case with real estate and restaurants. These sectors were excluded un- der the previous scheme but still have a lot to gain from a website even if online purchases are not possible for these kinds of busi- nesses. Aaron Axisa, taking part in road awareness campaign