Malta: Add a little magic to your conference

The melting pot of all the cultures that once lived on Malta has left its mark on the islands, creating a unique atmosphere. This ambience, combined with the beautiful landscapes, the spellbinding history and the broad amount of convention possibilities makes Malta a splendid destination for your conference. Visiting Malta an odd sense of recognition can overcome you. A building that looks familiar, a cooking scent when passing a restaurant that smells like home or words that you recognize when overhearing a conversation between Maltese. Rest assured, it’s not your head messing with you. It is the melting pot of all the cultures that once lived on Malta who left their marks and so creating a unique atmosphere.

Strategic position

Malta is an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The two largest islands are Malta and Gozo. Due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea, many different powers through the centuries conquered and ruled Malta, such as the Phoenicians, Romans, Normans, French, British, Arab and Spanish. Today, the Maltese Islands are a European Union member state and signatory to the Schengen Agreement. The unit of currency is the euro. One of Malta's official languages, alongside Maltese, is English. It is considered the official business language in Malta. With almost 300 days of sunshine a year and mild temperatures throughout autumn and winter, Malta is the perfect antidote to Northern European weather. Because of its warm climate, vast amount of recreational areas and architectural and historical monuments, Malta is a popular tourist destination. In recent years Malta also has established itself as the destination of choice for conferences, events and incentives of all sizes. [caption id="attachment_71883" align="alignnone" width="750"] The entire city of Valletta is a UNESCO world heritage site.[/caption]  

Memorable venues

Malta has five convention centres that have hosted numerous international events. These venues all boast cutting edge technology and can accommodate from around 2,000 to over 5,000 delegates. From the historical to the modern, these convention centres are located in different spots on the island with Hilton Conference Centre and InterContinental Arena in St. Julian’s, Oracle Conference Centre in Qawra, Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali and the Mediterranean Conference Centre – a gem in architecture – on the outskirts of Malta’s capital city Valletta. Also, most venues used today have a historical importance. The Mediterranean Conference Centre for example, was built as a hospital – ‘Sacra Infermeria’ – in 1574. After tending to the sick for several hundred years, it served as a school and examination hall before its final transformation into the present conference center. Today the Mediterranean Conference Centre offers several, well equipped halls for events and conferences. Malta has a safe and friendly atmosphere. Its hospitality is legendary. Local Quality Assured DMCs have decades of experience in producing innovative and often award-winning programmes. The main sectors of industry coming to Malta for corporate information travel purposes are medical & pharmaceutical, manufacturing & technological, information technology, financial and automotive. [caption id="attachment_71886" align="alignnone" width="750"] The Mediterranean Conference Centre for was built as a hospital – ‘Sacra Infermeria’ – in 1574.[/caption]  

A touch of magic

When only the best will do for your conference and its participants, add a touch of Maltese magic to your plans. Ditch the usual coach transfer in favor of luxury sports cars to ferry delegates to their hotels. Malta’s unique landscape and rich heritage provide a grand backdrop for memorable events. Plan an event on a Turkish gullet, in a palazzo or village square. Kick start an evening with pre-dinner drinks at the Upper Barrakka Gardens overlooking the breathtaking views of the Grand Harbour, followed by a dinner al fresco in a village square. Or have drinks served on a floating barge in Grand Harbour, serve a seaside lunch in the shadow of Gozo's picturesque landscape, or have a black-tie reception in a Baroque Palazzo.

Staying the night

Hosting a multi-day conference in Malta you can offer your guest various sleeping arrangements. The island has hotels ranging from international chains to boutique properties. There are twelve five-star conference hotels having in-house conference facilities and dedicated M.I.C.E teams. Most are within walking distance of each other and can easily accommodate a large group across several properties. Moreover, there are in excess of 40 four-star hotels providing an additional 14,000 beds.

Easy travelling

With a short flight time of just three hours and daily flights from major UK and other European gateways, travelling to Malta is easy enough to fit into busy diaries. With over 100 destinations served, the Malta international airport welcomed over 6 million passenger movements in 2017. The island's small size plays to organisers' advantage as transfer times are kept to a minimum (typically 25 minutes).

Conventions Malta

If you consider Malta for your next meeting, incentive, conference or event, Conventions Malta is the first point of contact for free, unbiased information, advice and assistance. The convention bureau works hand in hand with local trade partners. It assists with requests for information and provides details of local suppliers including destination management companies, conference hotels and conventions centres. Conventions Malta also offers guidance to event organisers and associations interested in learning more about the destination and assists with educational trips or site inspections organised by associations or trade to introduce the destination to potential meeting planners.