Expats Seminar: smoothing your way to Malta
Written by Elizabeth Ayling
Published 26 Sep 2012
Expats in Malta: seminar & networking event, 10 October 2012
Calling all new arrivals to Malta…
Malta has seen a great number of expat services spring up in recent years as the number of incoming foreign residents has grown. The islands have around 20,000 expat residents whose numbers swell by 3,000 a year, according to articles like this one in Italy’s ‘Il Sole 24 Ore’ (19.09.12) which marvels at how well Malta has survived economic crises and is attracting expats in droves for financial and lifestyle reasons.
Buoyed by the expat surge, local events’ company LEAD is running a series of seminar and networking events – Expats in Malta – to assist newly-arrived expats on a raft of issues from job hunting to financial management, setting up a business, retiring to Malta and aspects of integrating in the local culture and society.
The first seminar is on Wednesday, 10 October from 17.30 at the Intercontinental Hotel, St Julian’s (details below). It aims to be both an info-gleaning and networking evening giving expats the chance to gain some sound advice from guest speakers – professionals drawn from locals (long-time expats and Maltese) ‘in the know – as well as mingle with and sound out experiences from fellow expats.
Although Malta has a long history of welcoming expats, there are still many issues which new arrivals need assistance on despite the advantages of Malta being English speaking and a seemingly easy-to-move to destination. Before devising the event, LEAD asked around on its LinkedIn group about the challenges expats have in acclimatising. “The general feedback was that Malta is a wonderful place to live but the main challenge for expats remains that of getting outside the expat community and making friends with local people. Malta can be very welcoming, but it does take a special effort for expats to move outside their comfort zone to meet the right local people to do business with. That’s where events like this come in handy.” says James Grech, LEAD’s managing director. “Expats also mentioned that they don’t know who they can go to in confidence to get services at local rates, rather than the special international rates that are sometimes charged.”
With so much advice online these days is still a need to press the flesh at events like LEAD’s? “Moving to a new country is both an art and a science. We wish to give participants a unique insight through the points raised by our high-calibre speakers and the networking session that follows,” James Grech adds. “This is a golden opportunity for expats to make valuable new connections to widen further their local network, as well as to give them a flavour of local life.”
What expat groups does LEAD think will benefit most from the event – expats going it alone or those on corporate moves? “In terms of the information provided, it is probably the lone expats who will benefit more. However, as one of our speakers is going to point out, even those on corporate moves whose employers provide information packs still find there’s a lot to get to grips with when settling here. We feel the networking session will prove beneficial to all types of expat.”
Keynote speakers include a US diplomat, financial professionals, an executive coach specialising in expat issues and a speaker on Malta’s cultural background, mores and history.
Event Details & Registration
Expats in Malta, 10 October from 17.00 at the Intercontinental Hotel, St Julian’s, covers aspects such as Malta’s economy, history & culture; taxation; finance; and networking.
Register for the event at: www.leadevents.com.mt/expats/.
Full programme and speaker details here.
Cost: €40 – includes free underground parking, coffee break and networking dinks and eats.
Photo: Mario Sainz Martínez
Hi,
Just wanted to ask how often you do these seminars? Is it a one off or done on a regular basis?
Hi Lisa,
The intention is to have an expats event every 6 months or so.
Regards,
James Grech
LEAD Events
Thank you for your reply.
That’s great news! I currently live in the UK but hope to relocate to Malta in the near future and your seminar sounds like the ideal event for me to attend!! Too short notice for me this time but will definitely be at the next one. Thanks again
We’re retiring to Gozo early next year from Canada (British by birth). Will any of this be recorded and available online?
Hello,
How do you enter the giveaway for the complementary tickets?
Hi Mike,
Just add a comment here, under the post, with some useful info about what you’d like most to see discussed / brought up in future seminars perhaps, re expat life in Malta. We’ll be picking two commentators at random from those who submit a comment. Close for comments is midnight Sat 6th October. We’ll let ‘winners’ know by email personally about how to collect tickets etc. Cheers!
I’ve been living in Malta for about two years now and I would really like to discuss with other people what types of beginner adult recreational sports/sport leagues people have found?
I was a member of many sports teams/clubs during University but most of the sports clubs & teams I have contacted (water polo, football, sailing etc.) are usually for experienced players.
Any thoughts?
Mike,
A very useful point you make here re sports clubs. In fact, unfortunately, the pro or experienced attitude starts very early here in Malta. If you have kids here who you just want to play informally with (footie, tennis, etc) and try to find a suitable place to do this, it’s almost impossible. It’s the beach (only open space that’s public more or less – Ta Qali is weedy, rough and with rocks and stones), or you have to hire a court (private, hotel ones) etc etc. Not all kids want to be hot-housed from nappies in football schools from a tender age. My son is interested in football now, age 10-11, but joining a team is difficult as most kids in them have been playing for years already and there’s no provision to start ‘later in life’! It’s a trend that pervades. And where can parents just introduce kids to sports, freely, without the need to buy expensive kit, pay subs? More public sports areas please Malta! For all ages…
Mike, there are tennis clubs for adults of all levels if that is one of your sports, also sailing at Vikings (Floriana and Portomasso (also windsurfing). If rugby or cricket there are adult teams who welcome players of varying levels…also badmington…and if you are more into individual sports there are clubs for sea kayaking, climbing, running, open water swimming/swimming, triathlon… It takes a bit of digging but there is plenty of stuff out there…if it has to be footie, there are 5 a side teams which play at a more casual level, and plenty of pitches for hire.
Amanda,
Thanks for the very useful list of possibles for Mike to find out about. However, it can be a bit daunting as locals tend to have been in the sports for years and while newcomers are welcome one would have to be determined to join team sports (Mike’s preferred option I think). Expats are forming various teams and pool together for informal kick-arounds. This is a good area for discussion on Wed 10th then.
Hi there,
Congratulations on organising such an informative and interesting event.
My name is Freya and I am a british citizen currently running a small maltese NGO called GetUpStandUp! over here. I was wondering if it would be at all possible to attend perhaps near the end of this event to give the audience some details about our EU integration project called Next Door Family EU which aims to aid the smooth integration of non-eu families. We hope to organise 20 separate lunches between maltese and non EU families on 18th November, and are currently looking for families to participate. Our hope is that this will be a fun day full of food, laughter and new friends. We wanted to create a relaxed, informal setting for integration and celebrate the strength and beauty of diversity.
I look forwards to hearing from you.
Many thanks,
Freya
http://www.nextdoorfamily.eu
nextdoorfamilymalta@gmail.com