Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/782193
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2017 Events 46 Paragon Europe announces winners of Bike2Work campaign "Over 415 individuals and 17 local organi- sations registered and participated in the Bike2Work Campaign making this initia- tive, one of the most successful campaigns managed by Paragon Europe to date." This was announced by Edwin Ward, Chairman of Paragon Europe during a me- dia event to announce Joanne Busuttil as the winner of the E-Bike as first prize and MAPFRE MSV Life as the winning partici- pating company. MAPFRE MSV Life was awarded with a bike rack. Expressing his satisfaction at the suc- cessful turnout throughout this campaign, Edwin Ward explained how the two-week Bike2Work campaign hosted by Paragon Europe between 17 and 30 October through the EU Intelligent Energy Programme, en- couraged individuals to opt to commute to work with their bicycle. All participating individuals had to register by visiting www. bike2workmalta.eu to enter the chance of winning an E-Bike as the final prize. Com- panies and organisations could also register to participate by encouraging their employ- ees through incentives and events and thus, stand the chance of winning a prize too. Bike2Work is supported by project leader - the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF): the umbrella association of European bi- cycle organisations. ECF is committed to being a resource centre for campaigns by giving long-term support and coordinat- ing knowledge dissemination. Bike2Work has 12 Partners from across Europe all with different experiences in bike-to-work cam- paigning. This Pan-European approach offers great opportunities for know-how transfer and the combining of successful campaign elements from different cam- paigns. Bike2Work celebrates this diversity and the knowledge-exchange it encourages because it leads to more efficient and more successful campaigns. "More than the fact that the campaign managed to achieve its targets, the Bike- 2Work Campaign stirred a national debate on how important and urgent it is to start considering alternative modes of transport to curb the growing traffic and congestion problems. Traffic congestion and pollution have become a national problem and yet, although important solutions are possible, very few seem ready to start doing some- thing about it," Edwin Ward said. "Through our two-week Bike2Work cam- paign, Paragon Europe is proud to have done its part and introduced cycling as a doable transport alternative. We managed to raise awareness about the four main ben- efits of choosing to cycle namely: reducing pollution caused by cars, contributing to a reduction in traffic, increasing physical activity and encouraging the creation of a wider mobility infrastructure," added Ed- win Ward who also thanked MAGRI CY- CLES as the local sponsor of the campaign. Joanne Busuttil, winner of the eBike said "I have always been into cycling but these last two years I dedicated more time on the bike both for training and for commuting. I work in Valletta and considering the big parking problem, I normally come to work by bus or bike. It is only a 10k ride from home to work and it takes just 25 minutes by bike as oppose to at least 45 minutes by bus. Our company, John Ripard & Son Shipping (JRS) supports the idea of cycling to work and have installed showers and allocated space to keep the bikes at a safe place. As part of the commitment towards this, JRS also helped to start up a new on- demand delivery company called 'Fetch It', whose main focus is on delivering by bicy- cles." Norman Mifsud, Chief Officer, HR & Corporate Services of MAPFRE MSV Life expressed his satisfaction that his company was declared the winning company of the Bike2Work campaign. To encourage employees to participate, the company promoted the campaign amongst all its staff, allowed employees to work in jeans and an MSV T-shirt on the day they commuted to work with their bike and were also allowed to use the company garage to park their bikes. Our work will not stop here. In fact, plans are in place for us to refurbish our offices and include showers, lockers, a dedicated sizeable "Bike Area" in the garage with all the needed facilities and a gym corner. Through these new incen- tives, we hope to see more employees using alternative transport other than their cars to get to work," concluded Norman Mifsud. The perfect Valentine's weekend at Corinthia BNI: networking to promote business growth in Malta THE Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa in Attard has pulled out all the stops to create a long weekend of romance for lovers this Valen- tine's Day. Starting on 11 February, the Corinthia Ballroom will welcome guests for an evening of wonder- ful music and a delightful four- course menu crafted especially for the event. Those present will be entertained by the talents of the Malta Philharmonic Orches- tra, featuring musicians Marcel- line Agius and Klara Nazaj on the violin, Nadia Debono on the viola, and Akos Kertesz on the cello. Throughout the long weekend you can also treat your beloved to a special Afternoon Tea at the Orange Grove with a menu of rib- bon sandwiches, freshly-baked scones, and French pastries and mini cakes. The hotel's award-winning kitchen brigade has crafted a number of menus that promise to delight. In the Rickshaw, guests can indulge in an Eastern feast with an a la carte selection sup- plemented by fabulous Oriental specials. At the Caprice Lounge, a number of sharing platters and themed cocktails will add to the romance of the evening. Finally, an elegant four-course dinner will also be served in the Villa Corinthia, accom- panied by Louise Dalli on the piano. Of course, guests may want to ex- tend their time at the hotel even more – perhaps with an overnight stay or a couple's treatment at the Athenueum Spa. So, whatever you choose to do this Valentine's Day, rest assured that love will be well taken care of amidst the magic of the Corinthia Pal- ace Hotel & Spa. For more informa- tion or to book, please call 2144 0301. THIS Tuesday, 7th February 2017, representatives from the business community will be joining the 4th Annual Networking Event – Malta to positively impact on the Maltese economic landscape through the celebration of busi- ness networking and the role it plays in the growth and success of businesses across Malta. Forming part of the Internation- al Networking Week, an initiative of Business Network Internation- al (BNI) occurring on 6-10 Febru- ary 2017, the Malta Event presents an opportunity for networking to companies, organizations, and individuals to start 2017 by tak- ing proactive steps to strategically use networking to promote busi- ness growth. Many people offer advice about what it takes to be a great net- worker. According to BNI founder Dr Ivan Misner, one thing that is left out of that equation is what other people think about what it takes to be a great networker. This is important because we all need to be cognizant of other peo- ple's expectations and adjust our behavior accordingly if we want to make the kind of impression that will work to build a powerful per- sonal network. Following a 3,400 response survey among business people around the world, Dr Misner identified the top characteristics of what people believe makes a great networker. Being a good lis- tener came first. Success in net- working depends on how well we can listen and learn. "The faster you and your networking part- ner learn what you need to know about each other, the faster you'll establish a valuable relationship. A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them both proportionately. Lis- ten to people's needs and con- cerns and find opportunities to help them," Dr Misner said. Having a positive attitude placed second. A positive attitude makes people want to associate and co- operate with that business pro- fessional. "Such persons are like magnets. Others want to be around them and will send their friends and family to them," Dr Misner explained. A third important element is helping others by being collabo- rative. Dr Misner says: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Helping people shows that you care." One survey respond- ent said that "people want to net- work with individuals who have a collaborative attitude. Helping others can be done in a variety of ways, from clipping a helpful ar- ticle and emailing it to someone, to putting them in touch with a person who can help them with a specific challenge. Several re- spondents commented about not wanting to network with people who "are in it for themselves". A willingness to collaborate and help others is essential as it builds trust and helps establish a strong relationship. The Malta Event will be held at The Palace Hotel, Sliema, starting at 7.00 in the morning and finish- ing at 9.30am. As has happened during previous editions, several participants stay on to do 1-2-1 meetings with other participants they would have met for the first time. It is recommended that one bring along at least 100 business cards. Participation fee is €10. To find out more about BNI and its chapters in Malta, please visit www.BNI.com or contact either Perit Mark Arrigo (mob: 99849090) at mark@maarchi- tects.com.mt or Carmel Bonello at carmel.bonello@bpc.com.mt Participants at last year's 3rd Annual Networking Event – Malta Joanne Busuttil eBike Winner