Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/911593
51 Events maltatoday SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER 2017 INSPIRE'S multi-sensory rooms, a service offered to people with sensory issues, are being spon- sored by Fundacion MAPFRE, a non-profit institution within the MAPFRE Group. Fundacion MAPFRE has offered the generous sum of €44,000 to support all run- ning costs of the MSR rooms in the coming year. At present, 400 children benefit from this service. Inspire's multi-sensory rooms (MSR) were built purposely to help treat children and adults with Sen- sory Processing Disorder (SDP) – a condition in which an individual's sensory signals do not get organised into appropriate responses, mak- ing everyday activities a challenge to perform. If not addressed and treated properly, this leads to clum- siness, behavioural problems, anxi- ety, depression, underachievement, social isolation among other issues. These multi-sensory theatres are used to create events which focus on particular senses such as touch, vi- sion, sound, and movement. It gives people control - possibly for the first time in their lives. It enables people with any degree of disability to change and influence their environments in a positive way. Last year, Inspire delivered more than 2500 sessions to 400 children and adults in these state-of-the-art Inspire's multi sensory rooms. "It is truly wonderful that Fun- dacion MAPFRE is able to help out local initiatives, supporting or- ganisations that are dependable on such help. The services offered by Inspire Foundation are indispensa- ble for people with a disability and their families, who deserve nothing but the very best. This organisation works tirelessly to offer the most professional and advanced services possible. We are more than happy to collaborate," Chairman of MAPFRE Middlesea, Martin Galea said. CEO of Inspire Foundation, An- tonello Gauci, expressed his grati- tude towards Fundacion Mapfre. "Such support really means the world – it gives us the motivation to move forward and to continue im- proving the services we offer. We thank Fundacion Mapfre whole- heartedly for acknowledging our work and for supporting this ser- vice, which will be truly beneficial for people with a disability," he said. Fundacion MAPFRE, a non-profit institution of MAPFRE Group is a leading global foundation for our commitment to people's well-being and social progress. It contributes to improving people's quality of life and the progress of society through multinational programs and activi- ties. In Malta, MAPFRE is repre- sented by MAPFRE Middlesea and MAPFRE MSV Life. Inspire Foundation provides edu- cational, theraputic and leisure ser- vices to persons with a disability, allowing them to reach their full potential in life. Services are of- fered free of charge or at a highly subsidised price and the NGO de- pends on donations to sustain and improve its services. For more infor- mation visit www.inspire.org.mt HSBC Malta named Malta's Bank of the Year for 2017 by 'The Banker' for second year running FOR the second year in a row, HSBC Bank Malta has been named Bank of the Year in Malta for 2017 by the prestigious Fi- nancial Times monthly publication 'The Banker'. The award recognises HSBC for making significant progress to position its business to succeed in a changed op- erating environment for banks. Winning the recognition as Malta's leading financial institution, HSBC Mal- ta received the Bracken Award which is regarded as the 'Oscar' of the financial world. The award recognises various aspects of banks' achievements such as earnings, capital growth, return on equi- ty as well as the setting of new standards and the adoption of new technologies and innovative ways of expanding business. The award is named after Brendan Bracken who was the founding editor of The Banker in 1926 and later the chair- man of the modern-day Financial Times from 1945 to 1958. The Bank of the Year in Malta award was collected by HSBC Malta Chairman Sonny Portelli and CEO Andrew Beane, together with a group of outstanding staff members from across the company dur- ing the award-giving event held in Lon- don. Andrew Beane said: "This award is a tribute to my HSBC colleagues who have worked tirelessly to support our custom- ers through a period of change in our business. In today's world profitability must be supported by an increased lev- el of compliance and risk management standards. While implementing these new standards can be challenging, I am proud that our achievements in this and other areas has been recognised as lead- ing the industry in Malta. I am grateful to our customers and shareholders for their support, and trust that this award gives them confidence in banking with and investing in HSBC Malta." HSBC Bank Malta Chairman Sonny Portelli and CEO Andrew Beane with HSBC Malta colleagues during the FT The Banker ceremony in London Fundacion MAPFRE sponsors Inspire Foundation's multi-sensory rooms Martin Galea, Chairman MAPFRE Middlesea and Antonello Gauci, CEO Inspire Foundation MSC cruises and Fincantieri announce agreement for two Seaside EVO ships THIS week at the Fincantieri ship- yard in Monfalcone, Italy, MSC Cruises officially took delivery of its new flagship MSC Seaside. The delivery ceremony took place at the presence of Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, Graziano Delrio, Italy's Minister of Infrastructures and Transports as well as other authorities and dignitaries. At the occasion of the delivery ceremony of MSC Seaside, the company's second newly-built vessel to come into service in 2017, MSC Cruises and Fincan- tieri also signed firm orders for the construction of two Seaside EVO ships, a further evolution of the Seaside Class prototype, for a total investment of €1.8 billion. MSC Cruises Executive Chair- man Pierfrancesco Vago said: "MSC Seaside coming into ser- vice marks another key mile- stone in the history and future of our Company, but she also em- bodies a pivotal moment for the industry. In fact, she is the first ship of the fifth new prototype that we bring into service and introduces a wholly-innovative product that sets a new stand- ard for the industry to follow. The Seaside class of ships is de- signed to bring guests closer to the sea and to operate in sunny waters, while continuing to push the boundaries of maritime and guest-centric technology." Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fin- cantieri, stated: "We are proud to have accomplished such an important project: a ship, for a new customer, the largest one ever built in Italy. This demon- strates not only our ability to sat- isf y the needs of the ship owners, but also the extraordinary op- erational level which Fincantieri has achieved. In fact, I would like to highlight that "Seaview", the sister ship of "Seaside", will be delivered in just 6 months in this same shipyard". Bono added: "We believe we have built a high- ly innovative ship with MSC. She marks a further technological quality leap. Such a milestone has allowed us to gain the cus- tomer's loyalty with another order for two new ships, which will [again] represent a real evo- lution." Following the new agreement between MSC Cruises and Fin- cantieri, the initial slot reserva- tion agreement to build a third Seaside Class ship to be delivered in 2021 has been replaced with the building of the first of two Seaside EVO ships. The second ship is set to come into service in 2023. Dolmen Hotel Malta introduces contemporary rebrand DOLMEN Hotel Malta is introducing a new corporate identity and logo, modernising the brand and global identity of the hotel to new standards for a 4-star superior ho- tel in Malta and Europe. This rebranding comes after an extensive refurbishment programme, which saw the modernising of the design and décor at the hotel, as well as the inclusion of new amenities. "At Dolmen, we are committed to con- tinually innovating to deliver exceptional experiences and superior quality service for our guests," said Alex Pace, General Manager, Dolmen Hotel. "With this re- brand, we wanted to set a new standard in the hospitality industry, keeping the core values, but elevating the standards of a 4-star hotel." The local market in 4-star accommoda- tion has been on a steady rise over the past ten years. Tourism in general, is also on the increase with Inbound tour- ist trips from January to September 2017 reaching 1,761,973, an increase of 16.3 per cent over the same period in 2016. Total nights are also up over the previous year by 10%, surpassing 13million nights. Having kept the same branding for 15 years, the time was right for Dolmen to modernise, ensuring it stays at the helm of the 4-star market. Depicting the preservation of the ho- tel 's core values, the new logo retains the elements of the megalithic stone struc- ture which is situated in the hotel gar- dens — the Dolmen. This is a horizontal stone suspended on two vertical stones, serving as pillars. The new logo is represented with both a logo-mark & a logo-type. The logo-mark presents the dolmen as a modern mini- malist structure, symbolising a door- way with its doors wide open, depicting hospitality and a friendly approach. The logotype is composed from an award- winning typeface, enhanced with sharp apexes and semaphore terminals with delicate details. The two primary col- ours used are based on midnight blue and bronze, reminiscent of a Maltese evening.