Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/441179
Events 26 maltatoday, Sunday, 4 January 2015 The Malta Cultural Institute will be presenting its New Year 2015 Concert on Sunday 11 January 2015 at 7.00pm in Le Meridien St Julian's Hotel & Spa. This is also one of the activities of the 65th Anniversary Celebration Year of the MCI. The Malta Cultural Institute was set up and presented its first con- cert in 1949 and, since then, has an unbroken record of presenting nine monthly concerts every season from October to June. Throughout these last 65 years, the Institute has been living up to its motto - "We support the Arts". Most of the best Maltese per- formers who have made a name for themselves and gone on to establish an international career owe their debut and their launching to the MCI. The MCI has also presented to the Maltese audience some of the best artists from all over the world. The January concert will feature the Torelli Trio, made up of Jason Camilleri and Andrè Helleur on the trumpets and Shirley Helleur on the Piano. They will be present- ing an interesting mixture of dif- ferent styles of music, starting from the Baroque to our times. The MCI also welcomes Classi- cal Guitarist Bernard Catania, who will be presenting an exciting pro- gramme of Latin American music. The intimate atmosphere of the MCI venue is particularly suitable for this kind of recital as the musi- cian is surrounded by the audience and thus it is easier for him to com- municate. The MCI will also be welcoming the Academy of Dance Arts, under the Direction of its Principal, Ro- wena Grech. They will be present- ing a selection of dances to Spanish, Arabic, Irish and other music. January's Exhibition will be fea- turing Paintings by Dorianne Camilleri. All are invited to attend the con- cert. A donation at the door will be appreciated. This will help to cover some of the expenses of the evening. More information may be ob- tained by phoning the MCI Di- rector on 2133 8923 or 9980 0409, or by sending an email to maltacultinst@gmail.com Emirates rounds off 2014 as world's largest wide-body airline Emirates, the world's largest inter- national airline, will round off 2014 as the airline with the world's largest wide-body passenger fleet of 218 air- craft, in addition to 14 freighters. Following two consecutive years of record deliveries and capacity in- creases, 2014 saw Emirates adding 27 aircraft - 13 Airbus A380s, 12 Boeing 777-300ERs two Boeing 777 freight- ers – to its fleet. These included its 50th A380 and its 100th 777-300ER aircraft, strengthening Emirates' po- sition as the world's largest operator of both the A380 and 777. These mod- ern and efficient aircraft not only help reduce environmental impact, but also enable Emirates to offer the latest facilities and comfort on board. Remarking on an eventful year marked by a series of external chal- lenges, Sir Tim Clark, President Emir- ates Airline said: "This year we have navigated through an 80-day period of reduced operations due to upgrade works at our hub airport, regional conflicts which impacted our opera- tions and flight routes, the Ebola out- break, fluctuations in oil prices and currency exchange rates, and eco- nomic uncertainty in many markets worldwide. "Despite all that, Emirates has continued to grow, adding capac- ity equivalent to a mid-sized airline while maintaining our seat load fac- tors. We also expanded and strength- ened our global network, which gives us the flexibility to cope with regional shocks and redeploy strategically to maximise opportunities. We deal with the short term challenges, but are not distracted from our long-term plans. This is why Emirates continues to invest heavily in new technology and initiatives to enhance our product offering and customer experience." A strong brand is an important business differentiator and, in Feb- ruary, Emirates was named the most valuable airline brand for the 3rd con- secutive year in the Brand Finance Global 500 report, with a brand value of $5.48 billion. Emirates' prominent global spon- sorships continued to contribute to its brand awareness and affinity. In 2014, Emirates ran a successful glo- bal campaign featuring football su- perstars Pelé and Cristiano Ronaldo. Coinciding with the FIFA World Cup, the campaign generated over 260 mil- lion views. In July, Emirates signed a three-year deal with Benfica, Portugal's most successful football club, to become its Official Airline Partner until 2016. Early December saw Emirates and AC Milan signing a new five-year spon- sorship deal which will extend the airline's presence on the club's shirts until 2019-2020. In September, Emirates connected music fans with its sponsorship of Ar- ab Idol Season 3, the popular reality TV show watched by Arab audiences all around the world. Emirates also strengthened its com- mitment to tennis when it signed with the Australian Open for a new Grand Slam partnership, launching a multi- year deal. In January, Emirates announced a sponsorship agreement for the Rugby World Cup 2015 and 2019. Emirates also extended its sponsorship of the International Rugby Board's (IRB) match officials until the end of 2019. It was the first time in Rugby World Cup (RWC) history that rights were given to brand the shirts of match of- ficials during the tournament. Emir- ates also signed a deal with the Lions, one of South Africa's top rugby teams, for a five-year sponsorship agreement in December. Emirates operates a daily scheduled flight between Malta and Dubai via Larnaka, Cyprus. Coldwell Banker Paramount Realty opens new office in Attard Coldwell Banker Paramount Realt y has opened a new of- fice in Attard. The new Cold- well Banker Paramount Re- alt y is located at Pitkali Road, Attard and is owned by Fran- chisology Ltd. "The addition of the new Coldwell Banker Paramount Realt y office will further strengthen the Coldwell Banker presence in the Mal- tese market," said Peter Tur- tzo, vice-president and global operations manager, Cold- well Banker Real Estate LLC. "Coldwell Banker is pleased to add this new office to our network." The Manager of the Cold- well Banker Paramount Re- alt y office is Mario Fenech. Fenech brings 30 years real estate experience to the posi- tion. "We are thrilled to open our first office in Attard and we feel uniquely positioned to better serve customers in the central area" said Fenech. For further information about Coldwell Banker Mal- ta or if you are interested in joining the Coldwell Banker Paramount Realt y team, please send us an e-mail on info@coldwellbanker.com.mt or call on +356 2339 2299. Each office is independently owned and operated. Malta Cultural Institute to hold New Year's concert HSBC Malta honoured as winner of the Corporate Volunteering Award 2014 HSBC Bank Malta won the Corpo- rate Volunteering Award for 2014 presented by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) for the staff involved in the HSBC Malta Water Programme – Catch the Drop campaign. At the National Volunteer Award 2014, the Bank was recognised for mobilising hundreds of staff for the HSBC Malta Water Programme – Catch the Drop as volunteers dedicated their time and energy to organise a number of activities, including 300 presentations that were delivered to 20,000 students in the last scholastic year alone. HSBC Malta Head of Corporate Sustainability Josef Camilleri re- ceived the award from the Presi- dent of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on behalf of HSBC staff. Camilleri said: "HSBC Malta is committed to promoting and ad- vancing the notions of sustainable living and this is not possible with- out the direct involvement of our staff. The Corporate Volunteer- ing Award belongs to every single one of our Water Programme staff volunteers who have once again distinguished themselves as a part of one of the best workforces in Malta." Organised by MCVS under the patronage of the President of Mal- ta, this year's National Volunteer Awards featured four categories: National Volunteer Award, Youth Volunteer Award, Volunteer Or- ganisation Award, and finally, Cor- porate Volunteering Award. The MCVS aims to support the devel- opment of a more effective and ef- ficient voluntary and community sector in Malta and Gozo. The HSBC Malta Water Pro- gramme is part of the HSBC Group's $100 million five-year en- vironmental programme in part- nership with three of the world's most respected non-government organisations – WWF, WaterAid and Earthwatch. The €500,000 HS- BC Malta Programme – Catch the Drop, on the other hand, is HSBC Malta's three-year programme to reach every single student in the country with a message of water conservation by 2016. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca flanked by (from left) HSBC Corporate Sustainability Manager Glenn Bugeja, Head of Corporate Sustainability Josef Camilleri, and Malta Council of the Voluntary Sector Chairperson Nathan Farrugia at the National Volunteer Awards 2014 Members of the Academy of Dance Arts