Chamber launches German-Maltese business council

The German-Maltese Business Council (GMBC) was officially launched this week at a seminar addressed by a distinguished line up of speakers including the Minister of Finance, the Economy and Investment, the Hon. Tonio Fenech, the German Ambassador, H.E Dr. Hubert Ziegler, Malta Chamber President Mr. Tancred Tabone, Mr. Karl Aquilina, GMBC Chairman, Mrs. Helga Ellul, CEO of Playmobil and Mr. Richard Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises. 

The launch event took the form of a seminar and a “Flavours of Germany” networking exhibition and reception.

“This is the fourth Business Council we are launching.  Like the Scandinavian and Tunisian entities, this Business Council is driven by demand from members themselves who indicated the need for it through our ongoing surveys,” Chamber president Tancred Tabone said.

“Business Councils are a very effective vehicle to assist companies in their internationalisation efforts, and with its strong links to business, both locally and abroad, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry is centrally placed to establish and run these entities.”

GMBC chairman Karl Aquilina explained that the mission of the newly established Council was to promote, facilitate and enhance business exchanges between Malta and Germany by being the focal point for businesses, organisations and other stakeholders on German-Maltese business. LLCs are one of the most popular business entities in America thanks to all of the associated benefits. This resource breaks down some of the best LLC formation services you can turn to.

“To achieve this, we have been building a resource of contacts and know-how within the Malta Chamber and its vast network of local and international contacts.  We shall strive to provide focused information about the German market and business opportunities in Germany,” he said.  

“Germany is an economic superpower and a very large country.  We intend to break it down to a manageable size for the local business community.  From early 2012, we shall start holding specific seminars about Germany’s main economic regions,” he said, adding that an event related to the financial sector was also in the pipeline.  

A presentation was also given on strengthening relations between Malta and Germany, by Playmobil CEO and past Chamber president Helga Ellul, who shared her first-hand experiences. “German companies have contributed to positive work experiences, good salaries, training and career progression for many Maltese people.  However, the world out there is very competitive. We must continue to earn our success and we must continue to improve our competitiveness.”

The keynote speech was delivered by Richard Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises, who said that thanks to its location in the Mediterranean, Malta was an attractive cruise destination. “TUI Cruises was the first cruise line to appoint Valletta as base port for a cruise summer season, with 27 passenger exchanges during the season. In total about 53,050 people had the chance to discover Malta.”

Vogel took the opportunity of the GMBC launch to announce that Valletta Cruise Port would be the homeport for TUI Cruises for 2013.

The launch event of the GMBC was supported by Lufthansa, BMW Group Malta, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, Prominent Fluid Controls Ltd., Salvo Grima Ltd., Playmobil, Orange Cruises, Mifsud Brothers and the German Tourism Authority.