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venues as well as a major outside venue which is to be situated on the top of the building affording a magnificent view of Grand Har- bour. It can cater for 800 people and benefits from a unique back- up plan - the floors beneath it. be available to visitors through a downloadable app that opens up like a time machine which takes you back in time.” It is clear that the MCC manage- ment is maximising on the versa- tility of the building available and this will be generally improved tremendously. All this shows clearly that any DMC or conference organiser with very specific high technolog- ical requirements will find all that they require at the MCC. At the same time they will find that they can integrate with the MCC’s set up since the infrastructure already caters for the latest technologies and the highest power loads. The fact that most of the leading local “Additionally, there is anoth- er hall beneath the ‘La Valette Hall’ that we will restore back to its original grandeur” pointed out Mr Fenech. The second hall was used primarily used as a water storage tank in the Seventies and is now not utilised any more for this scope. These will contribute to meeting the full capacity of the Centre.” Another project which is being planned aims to focus on adding to the delegates’ experience – as well as that of the tourist and local visitors alike - of what the MCC is – or was - helping them to trav- el back in time, to 450-yeas ago. Mr Fenech said that “visitors will be able to experience the place and how it was used back then. This will be achieved through the use of the latest technologies, such as augmented reality, holographic technologies, time windows, gps technology etc. The idea is to cre- ate a virtual museum which would HOSPITALITY MALTA Conclusion suppliers on the Islands are al- ready very well versed on what the MCC has to offer makes for a very efficient setup indeed. The MCC is a perfect example of how one can nicely marry the Re- naissance architecture from the 16th century with the opportuni- ties offered by the 21st as we know it. Managing to combine those two key characteristics and preserv- ing the Maltese heritage, by en- hancing it with Valletta’s spiritual experience, is what is making the Mediterranean Conference Centre so successful and popular among national and international clients alike. Pierre Fenech commenced his hospitality education at the Institute of Tourism Studies, which he furthered at the University of Malta as a graduate of tourism management. Pierre further developed his skills and knowledge on hospitality and tourism at MBA Executive Management level. Pierre has over 25 years of experience in Food & Beverage management with various hotels, as Director of Operations and Quality Assurance, and at General Manager level within the conferences sector. Pierre is today the Chief Executive Office of the Mediterranean Conference Centre. SEPTEMBER | 2017 31