Red carpet treatment awaited guests from the Maltese travel trade at the stunning Valletta Waterfront setting as they alighted from sailing yacht Hera II to attend Corinthia Hotels International’s annual ‘Travel Trade Awards’ and gala night recently.
The impressive waterfront venue, with its harbour views on the one side and the multi-coloured Pinto buildings on the other, lent itself perfectly for a night out ‘under the stars’ with the ‘travel trade stars’, namely all the winning travel companies present. The entertaining event, during which an eight-course ‘Treasures of the Sea’ dinner was served, clearly reflected CHI’s ‘Warmth, Colour and Vitality’ values.
Guest of honour for the evening was Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, who presented the travel awards for the top performing business providers in seven different categories, namely best individual leisure business providers (winners: Jerma – Location Malta, Marina – Robert Arrigo & Sons, Palace and San Gorg hotels – Holiday Malta) and best individual MICE business providers (winners: Jerma – EC Meetings, Marina – Events Travel & Incentives, Palace and San Gorg hotels – Colours of Malta), best overall leisure business provider (winner: Holiday Malta) and best overall MICE business provider (winner: Colours of Malta), best overall event catering business provider to CHI’s Event Catering section (winner: Alliance Group), best MICE business provider to Corinthia hotels overseas (winner: United Travel), and a special award in recognition of event catering support throughout the year (winner: Hera Cruises).
At the end of the awards ceremony, the host for the evening, Corinthia Group director Mr Joe Pisani, distributed a number of prizes that were raffled among those present. These included a treatment package by Myoka Spa, two Marks & Spencer Lm50 gift vouchers, two ladies and two man’s wrist watches, a Nokia phone, one year La Vallette Club membership at Malta International Airport, three nights accommodation at the Corinthia Antwerp Hotel in Belgium, three nights accommodation at the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St Petersburg, two return flights to Lisbon and three nights accommodation at the Corinthia Alfa Hotel, two return flights to Prague and three nights accommodation at the Corinthia Towers Hotel, and the Air Malta star-prize of return flights for two to Budapest and seven nights accommodation at the five star Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal.
The event was put together by Corinthia San Gorg & Marina Resort director of sales and marketing Erika Farrugia Harding and the Corinthia Event Catering team led by Andrea Lattughi, with the kind collaboration of the Valletta Waterfront management. All the sound and lighting, water curtains, dancers and special effects required to transform the Valletta Waterfront pier into a blaze of dazzling colour and spectacle were provided and sponsored by leading event producers Studio Seven and Creative Design, while Hera Sails provided the sea transportation before and after the event.