Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/640308
41 Events maltatoday, Sunday, 14 February 2016 Honda most reliable manufacturer in survey of over 30,000 European drivers A survey carried out by Organi- sation of Consumers and Users (OCU), of over 30,000 European drivers focusing on the reliabil- ity of over 178 different models has found that customers rate Honda as the most reli- able car brand. Overall, Hon- da ranked top of the survey, re- ceiving a reliabil- ity rating of 93/100 and with a further 79% of survey respond- ents saying that they would rec- ommend a Honda vehicle. The Honda Jazz was rated as the top car in terms of reliability in the "utility" vehicles category. Other Honda models were also highly rated with the Civic, CR-V and Insight placing in the top 10 of most reliable cars in their respective categories. Price, fuel con- sumption, prac- ticality and reli- ability are key considerations for consumers when buying a car. The OCU survey fo- cused on reliability to find out if owners had experienced break- downs in the past year and to find out the type of problems drivers had experienced. From this data they established a reli- ability index which can be used to compare the likelihood of a breakdown between different makes and models on the mar- ket. "Reliability and quality are synonymous with the Honda brand," says Honda Motor Eu- rope's senior vice president, Philip Ross. "The results of the survey highlight the importance of the quality commitments Honda has made to its custom- ers. It is important for Honda to ensure that customers can expe- rience the joy of owning a Honda vehicle and enjoy driving them with the peace of mind that the cars are among the least likely to experience breakdowns." Survey data at www.ocu.org RE/MAX hosts highly acclaimed speakers RE/MAX Malta's 2016 Annual General Conference will this year be addressed by highly acclaimed international speakers Gil Li-ran and Dario Castiglia on 19 February at the Radisson Blu, St Julian's – a unique two-day training opportu- nity for the whole company that will analyse the past year's perform- ance, announce 2016 strategy, and culminate in a 'Night of the Stars' cocktail reception that rewards the company's top performers as well as recognise excellence. Speechs will be given by Castiglia, president of RE/MAX Italia, RE/ MAX Malta's official trainer Paul Vincenti, and the reputable real es- tate coach Gil Li-ran – personalities who underline RE/MAX Malta's commitment to maintain and im- prove standards with up-to-date training. Castiglia studied business eco- nomics at the University of Toronto in Canada. After working in lumber brokerage, he moved into the real estate business and has been in this field since 1983. He partnered with Ralph Del Duca in 1984 to estab- lish the Orion Realty Corporation which joined the franchisor NRS in 1986. Castiglia became involved with RE/MAX when he became re- sponsible for setting up an operative headquarters in Italy in 1995. Un- der his leadership, RE/MAX Italia has grown to 200+ offices involving 1500 associates. Vincenti set up Paul Vincenti Consultants, offering professional training and HR consultancy. His company specialises in real estate agency services, offering targeted training courses with video guided tutorials to help agents improve their estate management skills. Courses are bespoke, streamlined around the requirements of each group and tailor-made around the industry's needs. Today Vincenti is official traine for RE/MAX Malta and also a regular trainer in Turkey, UK, Romania and Italia. Li-ran is a real estate coach by pro- fession who has been involved with RE/MAX since 2012, coaching as- sociates in the four corners of the earth. He has been in charge of RE/ MAX Israel's regional office since 2011 and is director of RE/MAX Is- rael's real estate school. "We strive to make the most of the possibility of tapping into the know-how of experts to expose local associates to new and diverse teach- ings and experiences. From the time I initiated such training courses, I have firmly believed in the effec- tiveness of these courses. We are frequently invited to attend conven- tions abroad, organised by RE/MAX Global and RE/MAX Europe and therefore we wanted to adopt their ways here in Malta too. Usually it is our associates who travel to par- ticipate in such conferences, but this time round we invited international real estate training experts to our own conference," RE/MAX Malta's COO Jeff Buttigieg said. Over 70 sales and letting associ- ates will be recognized for their excellent performance. CEO Kevin Buttigieg said: "It is part of our cul- ture to acknowledge our associates' outstanding performances. During 2015, Malta outperformed Europe on a per capita basis, which makes a statement that although RE/MAX has grown exponentially, our service standard is not only second to none but has improved." Dario Castiglia Gil Li-ran NEWLy recruited sales consultants at Century 21 Malta have recently enrolled in a specialized training course designed to equip them with the skills necessary to perform at their highest level. Agents are trained to carve out a specialized niche in the market to appeal to the needs of both buyers and sellers. They are coached in leveraging the power of their individual talents, and to being 'specialized' in specific geographical areas to provide the highest service possible to their customers. Commenting on the training be- ing given, Training Manager Frank Borg said, "Each Century 21 Malta Sales Consultant is currently being trained on being an effective and profitable representative for buyers and sellers alike. The goal for each Consultant is to exceed customer expectations on every level of serv- ice that they give". Century 21 Real Estate is the iconic brand and franchisor with the largest global network in the residential real estate industry, op- erating approximately 6,900 offices in 78 countries. The local repre- sentatives of Century 21 Real Estate offer the tools, technology, training and coaching needed to support and help their sales consultants expand their business and reach their goals. If you would like to find out more about joining the dynamic team of property consultants at Century 21 Malta, together with learning about the exciting benefits offered, please contact Frank Borg on 7974 7739 or at fborg@Century21.com.mt Record turnout for Malta BNI's second national networking event More than 170 companies from diverse industries recognised the power of referrals in expanding their business and came out in full force at the second National Net- working Event, organised by Malta BNI. The event coincided with the In- ternational Networking Week 2016, as promoted by BNI founder, Ivan Misner, whose approach to estab- lishing first-hand connections is in- creasingly being recognised around the world as a powerful force to grow business. The idea rests on creating an awareness of the proc- ess of business referrals. Two special guests, Joseph Zam- mit Tabona from Malta Business Network (MBN) and Mike Aquilina Clews from the American Chamber of Commerce in Malta (AmCham) addressed participants about the vital importance of networking op- portunities. Malta BNI was established four and half years ago and today con- sists of six chapters each compris- ing members who help one another find more business through BNI's 'Givers' Gain' philosophy and busi- ness referrals. Malta BNI National Director David Bullock said: "The Interna- tional Networking Week provides an opportunity for members and their guests to open new personal networking relationships - it's a new philosophy of how to generate more business that can be applied to all sectors. As a result, we can't help but notice that Malta BNI is grow- ing at an exceptional rate as more companies are seeing the multiplier effect offered by business referrals." The six Malta BNI chapters – all named after Grand Masters – meet in Attard (Wednesdays), Floriana (Thursdays) and St Julians (Fridays). Another three meet on Tuesdays in Sliema and Qormi. More informa- tion about Malta BNI from carmel. bonello@bpc.com.mt, tel 2124 3211; about MBN from Noreen.Cesareo@ marketaccents.com, and about Am- Cham from mclews@sgmit, mob: 9949 8720. Student wins Honda scooter with Marlene apples Just a few years Marlene has turned into one of Malta's favour- ite apple brands and for 19 year- old Kimberly Mangion from Hal- Qormi the Italian alpine apples are not only sweet and tasty but also rewarding, as she has won the first of four Honda scooters in the latest Win!Marlene com- petition. Mangion was presented with the prize at the Plaza Shop- ping Centre in Sliema by Jessica Zammit from PlanetFruit and Pauline Agius from Star Fruit. Starting on 7 September 2015, the first 8 months of the Win! Marlene competition will see the four scooters given away by draw, while on 30 June 2016 the competition will conclude with the grand draw for the coveted AUDI A3 Sportback e-tron, the final super prize draw which in- cludes all competition entrants. Mangion said, "I will be using the Honda scooter to go to Uni- versity, where I hope to study medicine. This is a fantastic late Christmas present. I love Mar- lene apples and am very glad my Mum gave me them, this is a great way to start the new year." Marlene has become an iconic brand from the South Tyrol, as well as being the number one Italian brand in the production and varieties of apples; sweet and juicy, red, yellow or green, Marlene offers the right apple for every taste. Marlene prod- ucts are checked one-by-one and grown according to exacting production standards; handled with great care and passion, and with the utmost respect for the environment. Furthermore, all of the varie- ties of Marlene apples have the PGI marking which means Pro- tected Geographic Indication, certif ying their origin from the South Tyrol. Marlene was established with the aim of promoting products from the Italian Alps under a sin- gle brand name, using the strong points of the brand: the great purity of the apples, grown in an unspoilt region, as is the case of the South Tyrol, and their con- stant freshness from the orchard to the shop. In short, guaranteed and superior quality compared with other apple varieties. Your first click of the daY www.maltatoday.com.mt Fruitland local leader for fruit and vegetables WITH a third generation experience in the importation and distribution of fruit and vegetables to both local and foreign markets, Fruitland Co. Ltd. has earned its prestigious repu- tation as one of the local leaders in the fruit business sector. The company's main objective is to provide its esteemed clients with year round top quality supplies of all kinds of fruit and vegetables, transported from all over the world, mainly from America, South Africa, and Europe in temperature-control- led vehicles. Fruitland Co. Ltd. wide brand portfolio includes GIOIA Bananas, Diamond of California Walnuts, Planet Citrus, Goldfinger oranges, Mela Valentina, and Fatina Nuts amongst others, making the compa- ny at the forefront of the fruit indus- try. Ryan Muscat, Finance & Opera- tions Manager outlined "Fruitland Co. Ltd. ascertains that reliability, top-quality products, and efficient service are maintained throughout, so that our products reach the end- customer in a great condition". For further information, please visit Fruitland Co. Ltd. in Attard, or call on (+356) 7933 2425, or send an email on info@fruitland.company. Century 21 offers specialized training course for new consultants