Malta's Best Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is now in its seventh year. The programme was created by Martin Vella to recognise the accomplishments of entrepreneurs in Malta and builds on more than 10 years of successfully managing and running events and award programmes in more than 20 countries around the world.

Each year, Malta's Best Entrepreneur of the Year Awards develops into a bigger and better event. This year it will take place on 14 July at either Villa Bighi Esplanade and Garden or SmartCity Malta.

Entrepreneurs make a difference. They have not only great ideas but also the drive to make them a reality. They use their fresh thinking and hard work to create positive social change - bringing new concepts and products to market and creating jobs and wealth. This year's theme, Developing Talent, Encouraging Success, is a continuum of the fact that we have long recognised the potential of entrepreneurs. Over the past few years, we have been working with entrepreneurs, adapting our experience, industry capabilities and resources to work for entrepreneurial, fast-growth companies. We work with a range of businesses, from those receiving their first venture funding to large mid-cap companies, whose value may be measured in thousands of euros. Our commitment to entrepreneurial companies in Malta - both emerging and developed - helps ensure that we are working with more of tomorrow's global leaders today, developing talent and encouraging success.

Speaking with the Organiser, Martin Vella explained: "These awards are not a contest. The programme was created to celebrate successful entrepreneurs so they could share their stories, inspire others and receive the recognition they deserve. Over the past five years, more than 1,200 entrepreneurs have submitted their nomination. A 'Who's who' of both developed and emerging markets, these nominees include many household names. Over half of today's top Maltese companies have won Malta's Best Entrepreneur of the Year and most received the award before they achieved top-50 status."

Running through MBR Publications Ltd is a strong sense of obligation to serve a number of different stakeholders who count on the company to deliver quality and excellence in everything they do. "We want to use our local reach and scale to start a conversation about the challenges facing economies and the capital markets. When business works better, our community works better - and when our community works better, all of society works better!" said Mr Vella.

He told this newspaper: "Our values define who we are. They are the fundamental beliefs of our global organisation. They guide our actions and behaviour. They influence the way we work with each other - and the way we serve our clients and engage with our communities."

Every day, people make choices and decisions that directly affect the way they experience each other and the way their clients and wider communities experience them. Our values, he said, give us confidence that we are using the same principles to help us make these decisions throughout our global organisation.

Every year, MBR Publications Ltd celebrates the way it lives its values through its chairman's Values Award. Through this award, it gives business people the opportunity to recognise their colleagues who are bringing their values to life every day. "This is an important way of building our shared culture, founded on our strong commitment to our values and being constantly capable of adapting to change," said Mr Vella.

Change is inescapable, he said, and whether you see it as good or bad, it is how you respond to it that matters. You can see this change in the global economy, which is constantly shifting. While there are some bright spots, the financial crisis continues to cast a long shadow, and the recovery has been far from uniform. The latest Brexit referendum has showed us that nothing can be taken for granted and that change, if misconstrued, can have negative consequences. Therefore, we must ensure that change is positive. Mr Vella also emphasised that, "In a changing world you need to adapt or be left behind. Our purpose is present in everything we do from our services that build trust and confidence in the capital markets to our efforts to develop outstanding leaders. It gives us energy and inspires our people to strive to achieve the best."

The role of business is changing. It is now widely accepted that business has to do more than make a profit. It also must drive social and environmental change. MBR Publications Ltd wishes all the nominees good luck and encourage them to continue building on their success, inspiring their employees and acting as role models for future leaders, and in so doing help build a better world.

MBR Publications Ltd expressed its thanks to its main sponsors, Toyota Malta and Debono Ltd, including the judges and everyone who has shown trust and confidence in them and all those involved in the organisation.

Finally, MBR Publications Ltd welcomes distinguished guests to this year's Awards. This being its seventh year, the company has left no stone unturned to provide the best show ever, with entertainment guaranteed to suit everyone's taste, including magician/illusionist Brian Rolé and his assistant: music and illusions that have never been seen in Malta before with special lighting effects. Also taking part is George Curmi (aka Il-Pusé) and his Jazz Quartet, the Madonna tribute show - complete with professional costumes, live singing and identical look-alike performer, Annalise Dance Studio dancers, fire-eaters and fire-jugglers, the Final Awards ceremony, a five-course banquet under the stars and a spectacular fireworks display to rejoice and honour Malta's best entrepreneurial stars!

For more information please contact Margaret Brincat on 9940 6743, email [email protected]; [email protected], Rachel Formosa on 9926 0166, email: [email protected]