Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/702975
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 13 JULY 2016 17 Events Intelligent vending machines giving away free Coca-Cola Life SINCE the company was estab- lished 130 years ago, Coca-Cola has always been synonymous with innovation to interact with its con- sumers. GSD Marketing Ltd – distribu- tors of Coca-Cola brands pro- duced in Malta by the General Soft Drinks Co. Ltd – have rolled out special vending machines which are not money operated. These machines, apart from be- ing free Wi-Fi hot spots, give out Coca-Cola Life bottles for free in exchange for codes that can be downloaded from www.formplug. com/cocacolalife. This innovative campaign, which combines next-generation digital technology with the re- cently launched Coca-Cola Life, is being delivered in collabora- tion with vouchercloud, the digital marketers. "Coca-Cola Life is the Coca-Cola Company's new proposition which ticks many boxes for today's life- style as it has the great taste one would expect from a Coca-Cola with 36% fewer calories, being sweetened with table sugar and stevia extract**," GSD marketing general manager Brian Galea said. "This vending machine initia- tive enables us to reach out to the public in general to ensure they taste the feeling of Coca-Cola Life. The fun way of getting it for free through the digital vending ma- chine leaves them with a memo- rable experience; Coca-Cola has always been famous for its creative campaigns," sales and marketing manager Martin Agius added. Four vending machines have been placed in popular places ¬– Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's and Gozo and a fifth machine will be doing the rounds at different workplaces. Consumers are encouraged to check the microsite www.form- plug.com/cocacolalife or down- load the vouchercloud App for the latest updates on the vending ma- chine location and how to get their Coca-Cola Life for free. There are over 55,000 people who have the vouchercloud App downloaded on their mobile. Getting a free Coca-Cola Life through these vending machines is easy. Wi-Fi enabled, the ma- chine notifies people who pass by and who have the voucher- cloud App on their phone to get their soft drink for free through a barcode. Alternatively, custom- ers may register on the microsite, where they can either download the vouchercloud App or get a bar- code directly. Once they are next to the ma- chine, customers need to place the barcode on their phone in front of the slot indicated on the machine to get their free Coca-Cola Life. The machine has already given out more than 11, 000 free bottles and demographics show that the drink is equally popular with both men and women mostly between the age of 18 and 35. ** Coca-Cola Life CONTAINS 36% LESS CALORIES then the majority of sugared Colas in Mal- ta, with sweetener Steviol Glyco- sides. Enjoying Maltese inspired food onboard Emirates flights from Malta EMIRATES prides itself on ser- vice and comfort with food and drink forming an integral part of any of its f lights. Emirates pas- sengers travelling from Malta can savour, not only great tasting menus, but also gourmet dishes inspired by Maltese cuisine. Regional catering manager, manager food product for Emir- ates airline Ravi Nage, was in Malta to create and develop four in-f light menu cycles for 2016 specifically designed for the daily routes depart- ing from Malta to Dubai. The prepara- tion of meals for Emirates is carried out by Sky Gour- met Malta, an Austrian- Maltese joint venture form- ing part of DO & CO group, a catering company publicly listed on the Viennese and Istanbul stock ex- changes, and meets Emirates's highest standards of hy- giene, preparation and cooking procedures for air- line meals. The meals are audited every year for suitability and ex- cellence while great attention is given to the preparation process and service. Nage explained that food is freshly prepared on the premises of Sky Gourmet Malta, conveni- ently situated on the perimeter of Malta International Airport and is transported to the aircraft on specially built high loader trucks. The menus supplied from Mal- ta are rotated monthly in First Class, Business Class and Econ- omy Class. Four different menus are rotated on an annual basis with new menus being introduced annually. Emirates also provides special meals for religious and other di- etary needs. Special meals can be requested when f light bookings are made or even up to 24 hours before departure. Children's meals are also a special feature of Emirates service and meals are served on attractive trays and equipment. "Our cabin crew compiles re- ports on catering at the end of each f light, provid- ing the airline's in- f light catering de- partment with crucial cus- tomer feed- back to en- sure that high standards are c o n s i s t e n t l y m a i n t a i n e d ," Nage said. "When it comes to onboard meals, Emirates pays meticulous attention both to maintaining the highest possible standards and to what our custom- ers want. Regular audits of food sampling are car- ried out to ensure that everything conforms to the correct specifi- cations," Emirates manager for Malta, Paul Fleri Soler said. Emirates operates daily sched- uled f lights between Malta and Dubai on a Boeing 777-300 air- craft. The airline f lies twice weekly to Malta, on Mondays and Wednesdays, via Larnaca in Cy- prus, and on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays the airline operates the Dubai- Malta route on a circular routing via Tunis in Tunisia. The return f light f lies direct from Malta to Dubai. Ravi Nage (second from right) explaining the plating details. Emirates believes that every meal should relax and restore as much as satisfy the passenger's appetite Farsons participates in this year's MCAST Expo FOR the first time this year Si- monds Farsons Cisk plc has par- ticipated in the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) Expo held between the 23rd and 25th June at the College's main campus in Paola. The Expo is aimed at current and prospec- tive students, particularly those who have just completed Fifth or Sixth Form and enables visitors to learn about MCAST's full-time and part-time courses, student support services, apprenticeships and career/employment opportu- nities. As one of the industry partners participating, Farsons' objective was to facilitate the presentation of different career paths and ca- reer progression within the com- pany. The purpose of the compa- ny's participation was to increase awareness about the company's vision, its projects and the op- portunity for growth and reward- ing careers in the industry, while seeking to promote the manufac- turing sector as a major contribu- tor to the Maltese economy. Farsons also presented an infor- mation session, addressed by An- toinette Caruana, Farsons Group HR manager and company secre- tary, aimed at parents as well as current and prospective students of the Institute of Engineering and Transport – Mechanical En- gineering. In her presentation Caruana dis- cussed the importance and role of Vocational Education and Train- ing (VET) in the development of both young students and indi- viduals already in employment who are seeking to advance their careers through the attainment of vocational certificates. She also emphasised the signifi- cance of the manufacturing sec- tor in Malta as a sector which is a valid and important contributor to the economy, noting the manu- facturing sector's ability to trans- form and diversify itself over the years. In this scenario, she pre- sented Farsons' recent significant investment of €27 million in a new beer packaging hall. Caruana encouraged students to pursue rewarding and diverse careers present within the manufacturing sector, reiterating the company's long standing commitment to VET in Malta and its continuous support to MCAST. HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta strengthens Student Services Department alliance HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta (HBEU) has further strengthened its alliance with the Student Services Department (SSD) of the Ministry for Education and Employment by opening its doors to career advisors and guidance teachers. The site visits by SSD staff will help the department to raise awareness among students about a rewarding career in the contact centre indus- try. As part of the initiative, more than 140 career advisors and per- sonal and social career development (PSCD) teachers visited the Contact Centre, the largest in Malta. In addi- tion to teachers, a number of Form 3 students visited in the run up to Easter, as part of their work orienta- tion knowledge. "Career and guidance teachers ob- viously influence the career choices of students. By forging a long-term alliance with the Student Services Department, HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta is not only offering an immersive experience into the world of contact centres but also showcas- ing the stream of opportunities that exist," HBEU people experience and recruitment manager Richard Pow- ell said. "Apart from other career related activities, SSD offers a variety of ca- reer orientation visits to Year 9, 10, and 11 students," SSD's Education Psycho-Social services manager Sandra Cortis said. "These visits aim to help students widen their awareness of what the industry has to offer. Very often students are only aware of a small number of careers within a par- ticular industry. Such on-site visits help students to realise that they may need to master a number of soft skills. The initiative with HBEU was made possible due to the col- laboration between the two entities whereby students were helped to bridge the gap between education and the world of work. This forms part of the Education Directorate's vision for all students to succeed," she added. Established in 2006, the Centre has grown through the years and now has more than 450 employ- ees assisting UK customers. For more information on opportunities which exist to join the Contact Cen- tre team visit www.hsbc.com.mt/ careers. An age neutral CV can be forwarded to malta.recruitment@ hsbc.com. Form 3 students from St Thomas More College in Hamrun accompanied by their PSCD teachers during a visit to the HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta