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in 1999, we have sought to pay tribute to distinguished Maltese artists,” said Mr Scerri. “This commitment is in itself testimony to Bank of Valletta’s ongoing commitment to promoting Maltese artistic talent.”

Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta and Mr Edgar Preca paid a courtesy visit and were given a brief tour of the exhibition by the artist himself. Minister Chris Cardona launched Malta Enterprise’s new scheme aimed at start-ups, ‘Start-Up Advance’, as part of the government’s commitment to drive innovation and encourage growth, during the first B2B Malta Expo.Qualifying start-ups can be granted up to a gamechanging €100,000.

Malta Enterprise offers a large number of grants and support catering from the ground up and to nurture it along the way with financial help and advice.

“Our economy has reached new highs but we know that our country boasts so much potential. This grant will bring us one step closer to tapping into prospective entrepreneurs’ talent. We want to empower and attract bright, innovative, diverse, educated, and globally-minded people and make Malta an exciting place to be”, the minister said.

The minister encouraged the 900 delegates and exhibitors to approach the B2B Expo with a spirit of generosity and not only operate with the thought of reciprocity in mind.

“Your business will grow faster when you help others grow theirs. Though it might sound counter-intuitive, it works time and time again. Business is about building a relationship with your customer and fundamentally trust. And in a B2B context, we’re talking relationships that are usually long-lasting and produce big numbers - bigger investments and greater revenue generation”, Minister Cardona said.

The B2B Expo programme included international key speakers with inspiring addresses on team leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Keynote speakers included Sir Clive Woodward, the Head Coach who led England’s rugby