The event featured a panel of FinanceMalta members sharing their views and Malta’s strategy in this area. FinanceMalta is a non-profit public-private initiative that was set up to promote Malta as an international business and financial centre within in and out of Malta.

FinanceMalta says it played a “prominent role” at the summit by hosting the two-day event’s first panel discussion: “Putting DLT and Legal on the same page”. FinanceMalta also had an exhibition stand throughout the summit.

“We are proud to have played an important role in this event in Amsterdam. Throughout the year, FinanceMalta promotes Malta’s thought-leadership and experience in various financial services forums, including the areas of Fintech and Blockchain. Through such FinanceMalta-sponsored events, our members can gain exposure, share their views and connect effectively with other players from all around the world,” said Ivan Grech, Chief Operations Officer of FinanceMalta.

“It was an informative panel session about bringing together DLT and Legal on the same page, whilst focusing on Malta as a jurisdiction for such innovation,” he added.

FinanceMalta works on bringing together and harnessing the resources of the industry and government to ensure Malta maintains a modern and effective legal, regulatory and fiscal framework in which the “financial services sector can continue to grow and prosper”.

The FinanceMalta panel speakers were Ian Gauci, Managing Partner at Caleda, GTG Advocates & Afilexion Alliace; Diane Bugeja, Senior Associate at Camilleri Preziosi Advocates; Nicholas Warren, Head of Regulatory at Francis J. Vassallo & Associates; and Joseph Woods, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Creolabs Ltd, who moderated the panel.

FinanceMalta founding associations: the Malta Funds Industry Association, the College of Stockbroking Firms, the Malta Bankers’ Association, the Malta Insurance Association, the Association of Insurance Brokers, the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners, and the Malta Insurance Management Association.

The post FinanceMalta sponsors fintech summit in Amsterdam first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

The appointment comes in a time when SiGMA is growing not only in terms of shows they organise in Malta on a yearly basis, but also expanding overseas, looking to build new opportunities and bring the business to a global scale.

Rick Goddard joined the company at the beginning of April, tasked with reviewing procedures and setting new targets for each of the event verticals in 2019. His has commercial experience from a variety of sectors, most recently focussed on blockchain, cryptocurrencies and the ICO market, according to the press announcement.

“I am delighted to take on the role of CCO and support Eman and the group as global success appears on the horizon,” Mr Goddard said. “The company has grown quickly and I look forward to being central to the next stages of its global evolution,” he added.

“We are delighted to appoint Rick to the position of Chief Commercial Officer, adding to our C-level talent as we take the SiGMA Group to new heights around the world,” Mr Pulis said. “With SiGMA Manila 2020 set to be as big as our SiGMA show in Malta, and with the Emirates Blockchain Summit just around the corner, Rick will be crucial to the continued success of the group in meeting commercial objectives over coming years,” the founder CEO added.

SiGMA stands before a busy year, with the spring edition of the Malta A.I. & Blockchain Summit right at the corner. In addition to another blockchain venue scheduled for November, the iGaming SiGMA event and the first Medical Cannabiz World in Malta, the company is expanding into the Middle East and eyes Asia for further events.

The post SiGMA welcomes new commercial chief first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

The move will take advantage of expanding interest in the Middle East for the emerging technology of online gaming due to “its potential to invigorate the economy and shake up governance,” the event organisers say. While Malta continues its focus on regulation, the Emirates and its neighbouring states are looking at blockchain with fresh eyes which SiGMA hopes will help its operations flourish.

The company says that its move to the Middle East coincides with “other major companies looking to get a finger in the blockchain pie, with industry players instead eyeing the United States as their base for business,” according to the press statement sent to BM.

“As part of the company’s strategic growth, the plan for 2020 will focus on strengthening core events in Malta and on the smooth running of the inaugural opening of the Emirates A.I. & Blockchain Summit. Rounding off an ambitious expansion plan, 2020 will also set the stage for the launch of SiGMA in the Philippines, with the event making its Asian debut in Manila,” says Eman Pulis, CEO if SiGMA.

Quick evolution

SiGMA — which is used interchangeably for the organising firm and the iGaming event — has gone through a rapid transformation since the first event was held in 2014. That year the firm says it moved into an untapped niche of opportunity within the local iGaming market. By 2015, SiGMA expanded operations and doubled its numbers. With attendance figures on the rise, 2017 marked entry to Europe, however, organisers say the plunge for becoming a world-class event came in 2018, “with an elite selection of delegates, policymakers and thought leaders pouring in from across the globe,” according to the press statement.

“It is this kind of international support and interest that has helped propel SiGMA into truly becoming the world’s iGaming village. Through a commitment to quality and years of successful operations, SiGMA has nurtured the development of a strong brand, allowing for its evolution into a global influencer on the iGaming world stage,” the press statement says.

Expanding operations

In 2018, the company expanded operations and launched a show dedicated to the emerging blockchain sphere; the Malta Blockchain Summit, which received positive feedback from the players in the industry. The show was also the launchpad for three pieces of Maltese government regulation; on blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), and the initiation of a government Artificial Intelligence Task Force.

The blockchain summit in November 2018 attracted 8,500 participants and brought speakers such as W. Scott Stornetta, John McAfee, the Winklevoss Twins and Sophia the Robot to Malta’s stage. The organisers say that their summit took the scene by storm and has secured its place as the “leading event in blockchain tech”.

As of 2019, the show has expanded focus into exploring more niches and today runs rebranded as the Malta AI & Blockchain Summit. This year, two blockchain shows will be held in Malta — in addition to SiGMA’s iGaming summit and the first Cannabiz Summit World—; one in May and another one in November. The shows aim to attract a global crowd of exhibitors by boosting its offering to include artificial intelligence, quantum tech, internet of things and big data.

Cannabiz Summit World

The company will also host a medical cannabis summit; Cannabiz Summit World, where it hopes to offer a platform for leading researchers and regulators to explore the revolutionary cannabis industry to boost economic growth and revitalise the health industry.

Organisers hope that the event will lay the foundations for an evolutionary leap into medical cannabis as the worlds of science, technology, and agribusiness converge.

“The summit is a reflection not only of Malta’s efforts through Malta Enterprise and the Medicines Authority in attracting the most reputable firms to the islands but is also a reflection of the direction many states worldwide are taking in creating the right legislative framework for medical cannabis research, production and/or consumption,” the press statement says.

The post Malta’s SiGMA expands operations into Middle East, Asia first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

MRO19 was previously known as the Malta Robotics Olympiad — hence the abbreviation MRO — and will feature six competitions including the Robo Sumo, the Malta Robo League, DiY Bots and the E-Sports festival. These events are aimed at giving students, their families and gamers the opportunity to showcase their skills against international competitors, says the press release.

The Digital Careers Expo and the Gadgets Expo are two new expos which will be featured in MRO19. The Digital Careers Expo aims at bridging the gap between digital education and digital recruitment and will feature information about employment opportunities from large digital industry recruitment agencies. The Gadgets Expo will feature the MRO19 in the consumer digital world.

Entrance to this event is free and their opening times are as follows; Friday, 10 May, from 16:00 to 22:00, Saturday, 11 May, from 9:00 to 22:00 and Sunday, 12 May, from 9:00 to 18:00. The MRO19 will be helping raise funds for the Alive Charity Foundation and the visitors who make a donation will be able to try out an electric car or a Segway.

The post Malta’s renamed tech and gadgets expo opens today first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

“Thanks to this agreement, we keep on enriching our museums and their exhibits, providing our society, as well as tourists, with a unique opportunity to view numerous artefacts which were used by the legendary Captain Cousteau who truly had Malta at heart,” says Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici, according to a press statement issued by the government’s Department of Information (DOI).

“As a government, we are committed to keep on providing a more accessible culture sector, and thanks to such initiatives we can continue to create more awareness on our history as an island nation for all to appreciate,” the minister adds.

Under the agreement, the exhibits at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu will include a wooden rib taken from the original vessel Calypso which is going to be donated to Heritage Malta to become part of Malta’s national collection.

Cousteau had a deep fascination with the sea and a strong desire to reveal unknown and inaccessible places to the general public. Cousteau produced over 120 films and more than 50 books. Cousteau passed away a year later at the age of 87, according to the DOI statement.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer who became famous for his explorations, innovations, filmography and research. He studied the sea and all forms of life in water. 

The post Heritage Malta to welcome Captain Jacques Cousteau Collection first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.