Author: Developers Think

The Club Championship will be sponsored for the second year running by Laferla, whilst it is the first time the company will sponsor the Ladies Championship.

The RMGC Club Championship was inaugurated back in 1963 and it is now the premier competition of the season. For the second time, this event is being sponsored by Laferla Insurance. Laferla is not a new name to the Royal Malta Golf Club, having previously sponsored the Wedgwood Trophy, another of four Major Competitions in the annual calendar, as well as the Malta vs The Rest competition numerous times.

The 2021 Club Championship ended in a dramatic final-hole showdown between Andy Borg and Ruud Critien after three days, or 54 holes. Critien prevailed and will be looking to retain his title this year.

This year’s Club Championship will commence on Friday 20th May and conclude on Sunday 22nd May. The Ladies Championship, however, will take the spotlight first, on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th of May. Defending champion Laine Tutane will undoubtedly face tough competition from some rising local stars, products of the RMGC’s Junior Academy.

Joint-Managing Director Keith Laferla enthusiastically stated that “The sponsorship of both mens’ and ladies’ Club Championships cements Laferla’s ongoing commitment towards Corporate Social Responsibility within the Maltese society. The sponsorship joins a long list of philanthropic contributions that the brand has and will continue to make to the benefit of the community. With the Royal Malta Golf Club in great condition, and weather forecasts seeming optimal throughout the week, low scores and fierce competition should be expected, making for a great couple of tournaments. Good luck to all participants, and play well!”

Laferla will also be sponsoring two supplementary competitions throughout the week, including the Centenary Plate for men and the Moya Hann Shield for ladies.

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The winners of two JA Malta Foundation sustainable entrepreneurship awards, organised for the first time this year with support from the HSBC Malta Foundation, have been announced. ‘Spring’, a non-profit Malta-based application targeting food waste reduction by selling food surplus from local businesses at discounted prices has won the HSBC ESG Sustainability Award (Start Up Programme), which is part of JA Malta’s tertiary programme. Virescent, which has created a 100 per cent recyclable notebook from shredded office paper, has won the HSBC Green Entrepreneurship Award (Company Programme), which is part of the JA Malta post-secondary programme.

Students competing in the HSBC Green Entrepreneurship Award and the HSBC ESG Sustainability Award were tasked to create projects that focus on the realisation of innovative green business ideas while establishing and maintaining a strong sustainability culture in their organisation design. In the event that the winners of the HSBC ESG Sustainability Award proceed to launch their startup idea, HSBC Malta will provide seed funding of €10,000, based on a number of specific conditions.

Simon Vaughan Johnson, CEO at HSBC Bank Malta and Chair of the HSBC Malta Foundation, said: “By supporting JA Malta Foundation since its establishment in 1999, HSBC Malta has helped give thousands of young students important entrepreneurial skills, including sustainability and financial literacy. HSBC Malta and the HSBC Malta Foundation is proud to have collaborated with JA Malta on these important new awards as environmental social governance, or ESG, principles are of great importance in today’s business and economic landscape.”

The HSBC ESG Sustainability Award saw ‘S.A.P.’ and ‘Plastopex’ place second and third respectively. The former project has created a biodegradable, eco-friendly products made from a seaweed-based material that is like plastic, while the latter focused on recycling old plastic items and creating 3D printing. In the HSBC Green Entrepreneurship Award, the second and third places went to ‘LostNfound’ and ‘Apollo’. The former has created a fishnet bag made out of recovered fishnets that has been available in retail shops to fight fishnet waste in the sea with the latter creating a sustainable solar mobile charger demonstrating strong environmental credentials.

Matthew Caruana, CEO of JA Malta, said: “Entrants competing for these two ESG awards have presented strong, innovative ideas that have all embraced the idea of sustainable entrepreneurship at their core. The sustainable and responsible entrepreneurial mindset is not only an advantage in the present business landscape but a necessity. As our relationship with HSBC Malta and the HSBC Malta Foundation continues to evolve, thanks also to their recent significant commitment to our organisation, our determination to instil these important values in the younger generation will only strengthen.”

HSBC is currently supporting the Junior Achievement (JA) Malta Foundation with a grant of US$350,000 over a two-year period. These funds are being used by JA Malta to bring entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills to the community via the Future Skills High Impact Project.

Atlas Insurance once again sponsored the Digital Marketing Innovation Award during the 2022 edition of the JAYE (Junior Achievement Young Enterprise) Awards Night held on 14 May.

The award was presented to Easybeads, who provided customisable, environmentally-friendly bracelets which raise awareness and help alleviate stress and anxiety problems. The students behind Easybeads carried out diligent market research before developing a strong digital strategy and online presence.

The runners up for the Digital Marketing Innovation Award were Apollo and Stylic.

“Atlas Insurance has supported the Junior Achievement Young Enterprise since 2013 as part of our commitment to provide learning opportunities for youths, which equips them with the skills they need to flourish and start their careers,” said David Cassar, Business Development and Marketing Manager at Atlas Insurance, who presented the award.

Mr Cassar also noted that this award reflects the importance of digital marketing, which allows companies to engage specific audiences and build customer loyalty. He said it is a platform through which companies can stand out from the rest, capture peoples’ attention, and give their brand a sense of personality and unique style.

Over the years, Atlas Insurance has always been impressed with the projects that have emerged from the JAYE programme, and throughout the past months received several well-thought out marketing strategies from which to select a winner.

The Digital Marketing and Innovation was part of the JAYE Finals and Awards Night, which ended an eight-month Company Programme that offers post-secondary school students the chance to propose business ideas and turn them into a reality by the end of the academic year.

The Creative Business Cup Malta finals took place last Friday 20th May at the Malta Chamber and saw 7 Maltese start-ups pitch for the top spot. Companies Trotteo, Invent 3D, Duke’s Avenue, The Wanderer’s Tome, Mega Woop, Samba Afri-Glam and SORĠI battled it out one pitch at a time, until the judges unanimously awarded SORĠI with first place, while Invent 3D was awarded runner up. SORĠI is a start-up transforming disposed materials into public furniture led by Architect and Designer Anna Horvath.

“The project is finding creative solutions to recycle construction waste. Setting up and running a start-up on this idea isn’t easy. I am grateful that the award and this opportunity will push me to continue to develop further” said Horvath.

‘’They collectively demonstrate amazing talent and provide creative solutions to the market. As the National Partner of the Creative Business Network and organizers of the Creative Business Cup we remain committed to celebrate, promote and nurture Malta’s creative startups and entrepreneurs.” says Culture Venture Director and Founder Toni Attard

The Creative Business Cup, is regarded as the Olympics of creative start-ups and was launched in Malta by Culture Venture in 2021. The Creative Business Cup is a global competition organized by the Creative Business Network bringing together 80 national winners and is a unique event for innovators who aim to change the world and impact the global economy through their own unique creative enterprise.

‘’We are excited to support entrepreneurs in the creative industry as an important economic niche. Malta Enterprise proudly supports Culture Venture in organizing the Creative Business Cup as this complements our efforts in consolidating the startup ecosystem in Malta. The Creative Business Cup provides the space for startups to pitch their company, live the experience, network and potentially receive mentorship, all of which are of main interest for startups and which Malta Enterprise strives to constantly provide, through the various collaborations with our stakeholders. The creative sector offers quality careers, especially when combined with innovation and tech. Such startups can also be supported through Malta Enterprise’s schemes covering relocation and operational costs among others” explains Malta Enterprise CEO, Kurt Farrugia.

The Global competition will provide Maltese representative SORĠI with an international platform and unprecedented access to networks, experts and investors in the field. Top 3 finalists, Samba Afri-Glam, The Wanderer’s Tome and SORĠI will also be entitled to receive a €1,500 award for creative business development from Arts Council Malta.

Mary Ann Cauchi, the Arts Council’s Director of Strategy stated that ‘’Arts Council Malta is honoured to be supporting the Creative Business Cup in Malta, as this falls in line perfectly with Strategy2025. We’re also glad to be providing EUR 1,500 grants to 3 finalists of the CBC, and we look forward to more initiatives of the sort, so as to ensure more business development within the Culture and Creative Industries.’’

For the first time since the pandemic, Anna Horvath will go on to represent Malta during the live Creative Business Cup Global Finals in Copenhagen between June 27th and 28th while holding the title of Best Maltese Creative Start-up of 2022.

Culture Venture is the national partner of the Creative Business Cup. The lead partners of the national competition are Malta Enterprise and Arts Council Malta. The event is supported by The Malta Chamber and the Creative Incubator.