Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/388498
Events 49 maltatoday, Sunday, 28 September 2014 Looking forward... to Blair's right hand man Now that Malta's 50th anniver- sary of Independence celebrations are over, it is time for the country to look forward and examine how it can create the right brand to at- tract future investment. The last few years were ones of great economic uncertainty for many countries across Europe and the world. Thankfully, Malta has on the whole managed to escape the worst of these troubles with a resilient economy that has consist- ently been one of the best perform- ing in the Eurozone and Europe. The contribution of the tourism industry certainly cannot be un- derestimated, with record tourist numbers continuing to increase month-on-month. But this sector's contribution was certainly not the only key factor. Foreign direct in- vestment (FDI) was certainly an- other. The importance of creating the right brand to facilitate investment has never been more important. The digital age has brought with it a proliferation of data which is accessible across the globe. This creates a world of opportunities for a country the size of Malta as it facilitates reach. It also creates challenges in the form of increased competition. Great brand market- ing moves people. And in doing so, it moves business. The City of London and Luxem- bourg are instinctively associated with finance. Brussels? EU affairs. San Francisco? The hi-tech firms of Silicone Valley. But what of Mal- ta? Is the country still seen solely as a holiday destination? Or have the efforts to build and promote certain sectors started to reap divi- dends? On 8 October EY will host a con- ference to launch the 10th edition of its Malta attractiveness survey, aptly titled "50 years of FDI: Look- ing forward". For over a decade, the annual EY surveys have been widely recognised by business leaders, the media and major pub- lic stakeholders as a key source of insight and information on FDI in Malta. The report is held in such high regard as it goes beyond ana- lysing pure statistical data and contrasts perceptions with reality. The survey is carried out amongst directors and top management of foreign companies already operat- ing here, giving the results added weight. This year's report brought Malta's branding and marketing efforts into focus and it should be quite an instructive read. Ronald Attard, County Managing Partner of EY in Malta was hesitant about disclosing the results, adding that they would not be made public until the conference. However, he did indicate that a consensus on this topic had not been reached, with many respondents having strong views on the subject. This was corroborated by a number of investors who mainly concurred that whilst Malta is making great efforts to promote FDI they are sometimes disjointed and a con- sistent brand image for 'Malta Inc.' has yet to be developed. The keynote speaker at EY's event will be Alastair Campbell (left), who will be delivering an address entitled 'Malta: developing the right brand for FDI'. Best known as the spin doctor who coined the phrase 'new labour', Tony Blair's former Spokesman and Director of Communications & Strategy is quite an authority on the power that can be created from building the right brand. The internet has made it possible to develop deep, engaging brand stories with global reach without having a constant physical presence in all locations. Given Malta's limited financial re- sources, this is something that can be capitalised on. With the right networks and affiliates supporting it, a successful brand can support Malta's investment attractiveness for many years to come. Marsovin releases Grand Maître 2012 Marsovin's Grand Maître 2012, 'Annata Fra Martin de Redin', is to be released on Wednesday 1 Octo- ber. This is the 15th vintage of the prized Grand Maître, produced from grapes grown in Marsovin's Private Estate – Ghajn Rihana. The superior quality of this wine has even been recognised overseas, as Grand Maître is nowadays export- ed worldwide and in particular to countries such as New Zealand, Po- land and Australia. The Ghajn Rihana estate spans over an area of 1.6 hectares, situ- ated between the Bidnija hills and Wardija in the north of Malta. The vineyard is densely planted with 14,000 vines of two noble French grape varieties, made up of equal quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The arid land and clay-rich, calcareous soil pro- vide a tough growing environment for these vines. The yields from this estate are therefore low and gen- erally produce very concentrated full bodied wines of intense fruit and aromatic character. Following vinification, the unfiltered wine is aged in new oak barriques for over 12 months in the Marsovin cellars prior to bottling. This year's vintage is dedicated to Grand Master Annata Fra Martin de Redin. During his short rule of two years De Redin achieved great popularity for his determination in procuring provisions from all parts of Italy, while Malta was labouring under great difficulties. Marsovin's Grand Maître is a wine dedicated to the Grand Masters of Malta by special appointment to the Maltese Association Sovereign Mil- itary Order of Malta. Each vintage is dedicated to a different Grand Master in chronological order, the first one being Philippe Villiers de L'Isle Adam for the 1998 vintage. A premium blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is what makes Grand Maître. The wine is produced in extremely lim- ited quantities from hand-picked grapes harvested from a privately owned estate Ghajn Rihana situated at the foothills between Bidnija and Wardija. The 2012 vintage was char- acterised by a relatively cold and wet Winter with very high rainfall between November 2011 and April 2012 followed by an exceptionally hot Summer. Overall, these condi- tions resulted in a moderately slow grape maturity with good natural sugar levels but a very low harvest yield quite similar to the previous year, producing a con- centrated full bodied wine characterised by its typical intense fruity bouquet and velvety smooth tannins brought about by over 12 months ageing in new French Barriques. This out- standing wine has a very pleasant, long, lingering finish and will mature well for at least 8 to 10 years in the right stor- age conditions. Grand Maître is avail- able in wooden boxes of 6 and 3 bottles, as well as single bottles being offered in an exclusively designed complimenta- ry presentation box. Morocco with a touch of India is the best way to describe Tagine's new à la carte restaurant. It takes you through a culinary journey from Marrakesh to Mumbai and all the tastes, smells and aromas in be- tween. Our Moroccon and Indian chefs serve a mouth-watering ar- ray of dishes – from the traditional Moroccan cuisine to the spiced dishes of all the regions of India. And it is all served in a number of rooms done up in typically intimate Moorish style. Our Moroccan chef passionately prepares her family's own tagine of lamb, slowly stewed in the world- famous pots and served with plums and almonds, flavoured with sesame, cinnamon and a hint of saffron. The menu also features chicken, kefta, beef, lamb and fish tagines cooked with vegetables or fruits. Tagine even have the desert nomads' specialty dishes of mutton, vegetables and dairy produce, all exotically spiced. Tagine's flavourful Indian dishes are made with all sorts of exotic in- gredients and spices. The Indian chef gives his own culinary interpretation of the best known dishes – tandoori, tikka masala, korma, madras and – of course – curries. All served with delicious traditional naan bread and rice. We invite readers to indulge in our unique Moroccan and Indian world at the Tagine restaurant situ- ated on the side of the db San An- tonio Hotel + Spa Qawra by reserv- ing on 2158 3434 or 2350 3519 or: tagine@dbhotelsresorts.com Middlesea Insurance recently rewarded the best performers from its distribution net- work with a trip to the MotoGP. They had the opportunity to watch stars such as the cur- rent World Champion Marc Marquez as well as the legendary Valentino Rossi who celebrated his 300th MotoGP, race in Mug- ello, Italy. Global insurance group MAPFRE, of which local in- surance Middlesea forms part has been the main sponsor of one of the MotoGP teams, Aspar for eight years. MAPFRE is committed to supporting the values involved in sports. "Our distribution net- work form a vital part of our business success and so we feel the need to ac- knowledge their efforts through such initiatives," said Fernando Docampo, Assistant General Man- ager at Middlesea Insur- ance. Middlesea Insurance p.l.c. (C-5553) is author- ised by the Malta Finan- cial Services Authority to carry on both Long Term and General Business under the In- surance Business Act, 1998. COM 190914 856 alastair Campbell to be keynote speaker at ernst & young conference 'Fra martin de redin' For more information on Grand Maitre email: cellars@marsovinwinery.com India through Morocco – Tagine restaurant Middlesea rewards distribution network best performers with a trip to MotoGP