Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/483475
Events 27 maltatoday, Sunday, 22 March 2015 Banif Bank opens new Corporate Office in Mosta Banif Bank has continued to ex- pand its reach to business clients by opening a third corporate office in its Mosta branch. The new office joins those situated in St. Julian's and Paola to form a strategically positioned network of touch points across three of Malta's busiest com- mercial hubs. Offering a range of tailored servic- es, Banif Bank is committed to sup- porting entrepreneurs in improving their business. The Bank is actively engaged and focused on the provi- sion of a whole range of banking services centred around a business' needs, from maximising deposit re- turns to various types of financing solutions. Albert Buttigieg, Head of Unit, Corporate Banking, said, "At Banif we seek to support businesses in the whole gamut of needs of their lifecycle - from the purchasing of raw material to selling the finished product. Whether it's growth, es- tablishment or expansion, our six teams are geared to aid entrepre- neurs manage their business." A dedicated corporate banking team is assigned to each customer, ensuring a consistent and familiar level of service whilst bringing years of professional experience and acu- men to the table. The Bank's cutting edge remote platforms, including a free Banif@ast internet banking portal for business, allow for con- venient transactions, management and access to funds 24/7. Banif Bank seeks to help busi- nesses in creating parallels with its own success story – that of a new venture growing into an established market player over. Be it a start-up venture, consolidation of operations or expansion, Banif is ready to step in and be a partner and contributor to success. Corporate Banking office opening hours are 08:30-16:30 Monday to Friday. For any queries, one may call Customer Care on 2260 1000 or e- mail customercare@banif.com.mt. MSC Cruises, the largest privately- owned cruise company in the world, announced today that the first of its next generation "Seaside" class of ships — set to debut in November 2017 — will be named MSC Seaside. The ship will sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean. In addition, MSC Cruises an- nounced that its Miami-based cruise operations will benefit from a newly renovated and expanded dedicated berth and terminal at PortMiami, a testament to the company's growing ambitions in the North American market and to providing guests with a best -in-class quality of services. "The Seaside class of ships is part of MSC Cruises' €5.1 billion fleet expan- sion plan that will allow the company to double its capacity by 2022," said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruis- es. "Today is a very exciting day for the company as this is the first major announcement related to the com- pany's new builds and demonstrates our enthusiasm and long-term com- mitment to continuing to expand our presence in North America." "MSC Cruises has the unique op- portunity to provide North Ameri- can guests with a 'Mediterranean Style Cruise' experience that no other line is able to offer, and guests from around the world a unique setting as it sails to the most sought-after desti- nations in the Caribbean" added On- orato. "Since bringing MSC Divina to Miami in November 2013, we've seen significant demand from consum- ers in the product, excellent support from our Travel Agent partners and the growing need for additional MSC Cruises ships in the market." MSC Cruises operates a fleet of 12 modern ships cruising year-round in the Mediterranean and season- ally in the French Antilles, northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, South Africa, South America, as well as in Dubai, the Emirates and Oman. The company currently sails seasonally in the Caribbean but will sail year- round in the region as of 2017. The company, which grew by 800% since 2004, carried 1.67 million guests in 2014 and reported strong financial results with a turnover of €1.5 billion. In addition, MSC Cruis- es is forecasting an additional 10% growth for 2015. In 2014, as part of its €5.1 billion ex- pansion plan, MSC Cruises ordered two ultra-modern state-of-the-art ships from Italy's Fincantieri, world leader in cruise ship construction and one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups, and has an option for one more ship. Follow- ing the delivery of MSC Seaside from the ship- yard, she will make her way to Miami for MSC Cruises' first ever chris- tening ceremony in the U.S., to take place in late 2017. With a gross tonnage of 154,000 tons and the ability to accommo- date up to 4,140 guests at double capacity, the new Seaside ship will be the largest cruise ship ever built by Fincantieri shipyards. The ship will offer a vast range of itin- eraries out of PortMi- ami to the Caribbean. As part of a first look at what MSC Seaside will offer on board, the company also unveiled that the ship will boast the most interactive and originally-de- signed aqua park at sea with five wa- ter slides and attractions for all ages. The park is being built by WhiteWa- ter West Industries of Canada, the award-winning designer and manu- facturer of waterpark attractions globally. MSC Cruises are exclusively rep- resented in the Maltese Islands by Hamilton Travel Co. Ltd of 4, St. Pub- lius Street, Floriana, Tel no: 21241292, www.hamiltontravel.com.mt The first Farsons Dissertation Award for Masters dissertations in conservation and cultural heritage has been awarded to Ms Janice Borg, for her dissertation titled 'Further Studies of the Use of Linseed Oil on Building Materials, with par- ticular reference to Globigerina Limestone'. The Farsons Dissertation Award was set up in February 2014, as part of a Memorandum of Under- standing between Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, the Farsons Foundation and the University of Malta. The MoU allows for the support of a number of awards, the exchange of technical assistance, and it also serves to further strengthen the collaboration between the parties. The Award is funded by Farsons for three years. All Masters dissertations complet- ed with the Department of Conser- vation and Built Heritage are eli- gible to be considered for the next Award. Final result of the disserta- tions is to be published between 1st December 2014 and 30 November 2015. Selection will take place on the basis of scope and originality of research; choice and correct use of research tools; coherence and clar- ity; applicability and relevance to cultural heritage and society; and academic excellence. The presentation of the first Award took place on 25th February 2015 following a public lecture at the Aula Magna of the Valletta Cam- pus delivered by Professor Ing. Robert Ghirlando, a member of the Faculty of Engineering, and Direc- tor of the Institute of Sustainable Energy, on 'Malta's Industrial Her- itage: Highlights and Challenges'. The Award was presented by Mr Michael Farrugia, Chief Business Development Officer at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, and Trustee of the Farsons Foundation, together with Professor Alex Torpiano, Dean of the Faculty for the Built Environ- ment. Mr Farrugia noted the high level of all dissertations that were considered for the Award. Profes- sor Torpiano expressed the Univer- sity's appreciation to Farsons for making possible the Award which celebrates and recognizes the achievements of its graduates. MSC Cruises' new, ultramodern "Seaside" class ship to sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean Presentation of Farsons Dissertation Award For the 2015 Rétromobile show, Citroën is turning the spotlight on well-being. Well-being is a constant strength in all Citroën cars regard- less of the era and a dominant com- ponent in the brand's DNA. Throughout the Rétromobile show, visitors will be able to see how that DNA has been expressed over time, bringing to the customers a modern and appropriate solution to their expectations. A number of em- blematic, standard-setting Citroën vehicles will be on show this year, including the C6 Torpedo, Traction Avant, 2CV, Méhari, GS and CX. The brand will also be displaying the "Baby Brousse", a model sold in Africa and very rarely seen in France. The show will conclude with the C4 Cactus, modern-day proof that Cit- roën continues to innovate and de- velop uniquely styled, comfortable, user-friendly and functional cars – Citroën and wellbeing Michael Farrugia, Chief Business Development Officer at Simonds Farsons Cisk and Trustee of the Farsons Foundation, and Professor Alex Torpiano, Dean of the Faculty for the Built Environment, presenting the first Farsons Dissertation Award to Janice Borg, for her dissertation titled, 'Further Studies of the Use of Linseed Oil on Building Materials, with particular reference to Globigerina Limestone'