JCI Malta has won its bid to host the JCI (Junior Chamber International) European Conference in June 2014. This conference, which is held every year, will draw over 2,000 people from around Europe and further afield.
This is the culmination of 18 months’ work by the JCI Malta bid team which, together with other members of JCI Malta, attended the JCI European Conference 2012 in Braunschweig, Germany in June. The delegation represented JCI Malta and promoted the Maltese Islands as the ideal host country and also hosted a VIP reception attended by the Maltese ambassador to Germany Mark Xuereb.
A presentation of the bid was made at the General Assembly, followed by an electronic vote this past week by the National Presidents of all JCI European countries. The voting was concluded on Wednesday, 29 August, with Malta emerging triumphant.
JCI members, who are in their 20s and 30s, seek to bring about positive change in the world through self-development programmes, training, project participation and internationalism. The organisation inspires young people to become effective leaders and also serves as a platform for young entrepreneurs and business leaders to network, learn and share ideas.
“I would like to share my enthusiasm with JCI Malta for winning the bid to host the European Conference in Malta in 2014. I am certain that our country will greatly benefit from such an opportunity to bring together young leaders and entrepreneurs from all over Europe and beyond. The sharing of ideas and providing the space for networking opportunities has become a vital ingredient for today’s economy to remain a thriving one” said Tourism Minister Mario de Marco.
“The conference will be entitled ‘A Knightly Experience’ and a great deal of effort is being made by the Maltese team and members, all on a voluntary basis, to make it a unique and unforgettable experience for the two thousand or more JCI members who will be attending,” said Mariella MacLeod, chair of the bid team, former JCI Malta president and 2001 JCI vice-president.
“JCI Malta will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2014 and all its members, past and present, are excited to see the 20 years lead to this outstanding event. My heartfelt thanks and support goes to JCI Malta for their hard work in bringing this conference home. The government will continue to support the team over the next two years to ensure that we will provide an unforgettable experience for all the participants. This is a clear example of how the voluntary sector significantly contributes not only on a social level, but also at an economic level Dr de Marco added.
JCI Malta president Charlotte Gregory said: “A conference of this scale not only brings huge benefits to Malta’s hospitality industry but is also a great opportunity for Malta to showcase its business potential and attract potential foreign investment, as most JCI members are successful business managers and entrepreneurs.” In order to make it a reality, considerable support will be required from the public, private and voluntary sector, as such a conference will entail a budget of not less than €500,000.
JCI Malta and its members will be celebrating their success in Malta on Sunday 16 September, when it plans to tour the island in an open-top bus. All JCI members and friends are invited to attend this but booking is advised. Those interested should contact Annalisa Schembri at [email protected] or on mobile number 9987 4711.
This will be the beginning of an exciting yet intense two-year process towards hosting the conference in June 2014, to which the Maltese team is fully committed.
For more information about JCI Malta, visit www.jci.org.mt. Details of this year’s EC Conference are available from www.jci-ec2012.eu. The JCI EC 2014 website address is www.jci-ec2014.com and any organisation wishing to contact JCI Malta with regard to sponsorship proposals should contact Thomas Cremona on 9983 7454.
JCI Malta thanks all its members, supporters, government entities and business organisations who have helped during the bid process.