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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 15 APRIL 2015 17 SMARTCITY Malta and Malta Enterprise recently collaborated to support Maltese companies within the knowledge industry in a trade mission in Dubai. The trade mission, which was attended by companies operating within the knowledge industry, including digital gaming, satellite technology, education, ICT and TV/Production equipment, was successful in facilitating a number of exploratory leads for these Mal- tese companies. During the mission, the Maltese attendees had the opportunity to discuss mutual opportunities with potential collaborators, while gain- ing a better understanding of the business culture and competitive environment of the UAE market. Over 70 meetings were scheduled for these companies by the Malta Enterprise Office in Dubai. The trade mission comprised of one-to-one meetings based on the participants' requirements with po- tential business partners in Dubai, including those within the business parks managed by TECOM. Prior to their departure the dele- gates were also hosted to a pre-visit meeting, whereby the participants were given first-hand information on the market by representatives of both entities and also from private enterprises already established in the Middle East. The mission was sponsored by SmartCity Malta. IELS has recently hosted 38 lan- guage travel agents from 14 coun- tries, spanning four continents, to showcase the different educational programmes offered at the school. Other services, including accom- modation and entertainment, tailor-made for foreign students visiting Malta and Gozo, were also presented. These visits are organised by IELS on a yearly basis. They are aimed at both new and long-stand- ing agents to experience first-hand the consistently superior products and services which IELS provides, as well as promoting Malta as a hallmark destination for a unique cultural experience. During the same week, IELS also hosted an international sales con- ference and welcomed LAL Group's sales managers from all over the world. The annual conference is usually held in the UK and this was the first time it was held in Malta. The school hosted participants from all over the world, including the UK, Brazil, South Africa, Ger- many, Slovakia and Asia to discuss the global sales strategy of LAL Group, which IELS is a part of. "Our school has 30 years of expe- rience in offering quality products, gaining a world-wide reputation for being highly effective," said General Manager Alex Lanczet. "IELS has become one of the largest all-year-round schools in Malta and welcomes students from over 40 different countries, with a plethora of ages, cultures and backgrounds. Our academic team regularly attends conferences and runs pilot projects in order to keep abreast with the latest pedagogical trends and innovations. As a con- sequence, it's well known that the school contributes considerably to the overall growth of EFL teaching quality on the island." Furthermore, IELS is the only school in Malta that offers both Cambridge Esol CELTA and DELTA teacher training courses, two of the most sought after and distinguished qualifications that an English language teacher can attain. It also hosts a wide range of exam preparation as well as 'English for specific purposes' (ESP) courses, which are taught by highly qualified and experienced teachers. Events YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Download the MaltaToday App now Blood Donation Day at the Farsons Brewery THE Farsons Group once again re- newed its call for blood donors on Friday, 27 March 2015 as part of its annual CSR initiatives. The invita- tion was also extended to the com- pany's neighbouring organisations. The activity, organised in collabo- ration with the Mobile Blood Dona- tion Unit, saw a good turnout with over 30 donors. "This annual activity raises the level of awareness and solidarity felt by all employees in realising that their contribution to save lives by blood donation is a precious gift to human life," commented John J At- tard, Employee Relations & Security Manager at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc. "We would like to thank all those who responded to this noble call, as well as the nursing and medi- cal staff from the National Blood Transfusion Unit." Trade Mission in Dubai organised by SmartCity Malta a success International travel agents experience English-teaching excellence at IELS Maltese and European business leaders support EU and want UK to stay A new survey by The European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM, amongst business leaders from 32 European countries, including Malta, shows strong support for the EU. 84% of European business lead- ers believe their country's mem- bership of the EU has a positive impact on their business, 83% believe it has a positive impact on their country and 79% believe it has a positive impact on them personally. Furthermore, 67% believe they have a role to play in promoting the EU to their coun- try's wider population. The main reasons given in support of the EU were the eco- nomic advantages brought by membership, the competitive position a united Europe has against China, Russia and the US, and the importance of in- tegration, stability and unity in the current climate. Costs and bureaucracy were the focus of the minority view. Adrian Tripp, CEO of The Eu- ropean Business Awards said: "These strong results show that for the European business com- munity the case for the EU is clear: the benefits far outweigh the costs. From a business per- spective, people see the value in the commercial opportunities; from a wider perspective, stabil- ity and integration are key." The survey by Europe's largest business competition now in its 9th year, and supported by RSM since its inception, also asked business leaders whether the UK should stay in the EU. The results show that 86% of European business leaders think the UK should stay in the EU, with 11% saying the UK should leave. The survey also shows that the majority believe a UK exit would have a negative im- pact on all concerned. 84% of business leaders believe a UK exit would have a nega- tive impact on the EU itself, 76% think it would have a negative impact on the UK economy and 67% think it would have a nega- tive impact on their own coun- try's economy. Of the respondees who think the UK should stay in the EU, 25% were from the UK. Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM, the 7th largest network of inde- pendent audit, tax and advisory firms, said: "The Eurozone is the biggest trading partner for the United Kingdom and the po- tential impact of the UK exiting the EU would be highly signifi- cant to our clients around the world. This survey clearly shows that European and UK business leaders feel strongly that Europe must maintain its competitive edge in the global marketplace and that the UK's membership is key to doing so." The European Business Awards' primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. For further information about the European Business Awards and RSM please go to w w w. b u s i n e s s a w a r d s e u r o p e . com or www.rsmi.com. IELS brought over 38 language travel agents to show them the educational programmes it offers