Sunrays, the Hamrun-based destination management company (DMC), is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a change of image. A new company logo and brand identity, designed and executed by Logix Communications, were launched on the Malta stand at the IMEX travel fair in Frankfurt, Germany, last month.

This new brand identity is focused on environmental alternatives and active culture learning in a direction to promote Malta from a different perspective. The need for change emerged from the necessity to compete with other destinations around the globe and the constant feedback received from international buyers.

The team at Sunrays strongly believes that these new measures are crucial to keep Malta at the top of the list of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) destinations. This new strategy was initiated by John’s Garage, another subsidiary of John’s Group, as a celebration of their 50th anniversary, which included planting 50 trees to reduce the company’s carbon footprint on the island. Sunrays is now complementing the initiative by introducing the MICE Race around Malta.

This week, 15 top professional conference, incentive and event organisers from the Benelux are taking part in the race, which is a two-day familiarisation event around the Maltese Islands – but with a new, creative twist.

The adventure will pit the participants in a race against time and beyond speed, with a holiday for two, including return flights offered by Air Malta, four nights accommodation presented by InterContinental Malta, private car hire courtesy of John’s Garage and a sailing trip on a yacht sponsored by Malta Yacht Charters, as the prize for the winning team.

The main question waiting to be answered this week is: “Who will come up with the right combination of brains, brawn and teamwork to come out on top and walk away with the ‘Treat for Two’?”

Ray Farrugia, managing director of Sunrays, speaking at InterContinental Malta in the presence of top executives from the hotel, Air Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority, said: “Sunrays has hit on something truly eye-catching and unique to attract business to Malta, with the full co-operation of over 25 local suppliers.

“It is our intention to hold the MICE Race annually and to extend participation to our clients around the globe. We are taking advantage of the current situation to be able to innovate and, thanks to this MICE Race, we discovered that everyone, both locally and abroad, were extremely receptive as they are looking for fresh and creative alternatives to generate new business to the island. We, at Sunrays, want to grow and we want everyone to grow with us, holding activities that will create synergies.”

The participants in the MICE Race arrived yesterday and the race began on the flight itself, when they received their first clue that will enable them to discover their “partner in crime”!

The first leg of the race starts this morning, straight from InterContinental Malta, who are hosting the participants, and continues tomorrow to cover 72 km across the three islands, ending with a plant a tree activity and award presentation to the winners. The race includes various means of transport that will send the eight teams in all possible directions with an array of tasks that they must complete.

The eight teams are being given a MICE pack full of amenities for them to survive the race – a camcorder is included for them to record their own perspective of Malta.

There were words of congratulations for Sunrays from Air Malta, the MTA and InterContinental Malta. Noel Gravino, manager, conference and incentive travel at Air Malta, said partnerships like those with Sunrays were fundamental for the generation of new business.

Suzanne Cassar Dimech, MICE segment head at the MTA, said Sunrays did not stop at getting the Quality seal but it was being creative in the way it set out to attract new business. Christopher Gingell Littlejohn, director of sales and marketing at InterContinental Malta, said change was essential for survival. “We actively promote synergies, even if this involves innovative, whacky ways top promote the destination,” he said.