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EDITOR'S LETTER

Things are different: part two. While we really would have liked to have been bored of Coronatalk by this issue, the rising cases of the second wave along with the colder, darker winter months, have made COVID-19 as relevant as ever.

This time we take a look at some of the longer-term effects of the pandemic, and which changes implemented will stand the test of time. We have a great interview with Abby Rachel Cosgrave, founder of SafeComply, about women smashing glass ceilings in the gaming world and how the pandemic has helped working mothers, with some absolutely stunning photos

by Ruccya.

EBM Magazine EBM No 13 / WINTER 2020

Making it to the cover this month is Mikael Hansson, founder of Enteractive. It was a pleasure to work with him, and to learn how his company is helping clients increase their retention rates. Could chatbots be the secret to freeing up enough human resources to really get those support departments functioning more efficiently? Check out our latest on how AI will change the shape of the iGaming world.

After three years of EBM Magazine, we have finally got co-founder Martin Pettersson to sit down with us and shed a little light into how it all began and how the company’s attitude to adaptability from the start has created an enterprise that will stand the test of time.

Life has changed because of Corona, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun. I’m a huge fan of Paolo Mangioala and was thrilled to get an insight into his vision for ŻfinMalta. With Christmas fast approaching we’re almost in the yummy season. This time we’ve featured recipes from some of my favourite chefs, James Staniland and Rachel Zammit Cutajar. I’ll definitely be trying out some of these over the holidays and pairing them with some of the French cocktelier, Nico de Soto’s incredible cocktails — it is Christmas afterall!

On that note, we hope you enjoy this issue of EBM and draw some inspiration for chill and active Christmas time!

Subscribe to EBM Magazine for free! Enjoy every issue delivered to your door or workplace.

How it all started In April 2013, EBM (formerly Events by Martin) was founded by iGaming & telecom sales veteran Martin Pettersson. After spending a few months on the island and realising that there was a lack of innovative high-end events, Martin organised EBM’s first invite-only event at a boutique hotel in St Julian’s and Events by Martin was born. EBM is now under the umbrella company of Ambassadör Events which was created by Martin and Managing Director, Pierre Lindh. Together, they have shaped Ambassadör Events into a one-stop shop for high-end experiences, concierge services and hospitality within the B2C and B2B sectors.

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For sales contact Martin Petterson  sales@ebmmagazine.com For any other enquires  info@ebmmagazine.com

Pierre Lindh

Managing Director, Ambassadör Events

Martin Pettersson Head of Sales, Ambassadör Events

Julia Boikova Editor, EBM Magazine

 hello@ebmmagazine.com  @ebmmagazine  @ebmmagazine #ebmmagazine

For bookings contact  martin@ambassador-events.com No 13 - EBM MAGAZINE - 7

CONTENTS 11 16

Bridging the divide Jools Moore meets Mikael Hansson of Enteractive.

Is COVID helping to close the gender gap?

54

ŻfinMalta

58

The dust between dreams… refusing to settle

Abby Rachel Cosgrave on the pandemic’s impact

Flip Giles on Malta, music and the ‘new normal’.

on women in the iGaming industry.

22

Telling the right stock market story

60

Ramón Pedrosa-López of The Paloma Project

Building the tech, shaping the future EBM sits down to discuss technology and success with Daniel Schembri of Enteractive.

30

The future of iGaming is powered by Artificial Intelligence Serial entrepreneur Fernando Pérez-Borrajo talks about his game-changing new venture, Aunoa.

34

Opening doors to luxury in Valletta A new gem in the Edwards Lowell crown.

40

Increasing diversity to drive profitability Alain Gavand’s quest for diversity in the workplace.

43

Setting the standards in fine dining Valletta has a new luxury destination as ION - Harbour opens its doors.

48

The softer side of construction

Adapting to new ways of socialising Martin Pettersson, the founder of Ambassador Events, tells his story.

explains all.

26

Producer Nicole Bearman talks to ŻfinMalta’s Artistic Director Paolo Mangiola.

64

A Gozitan Diary

70

Brotox brings all the boys to the yard

Michele Tufigno takes an evocative trip to Malta’s sister island.

Dr Joanna Delia and Dr Gorana Pecotic of People&Skin share their secrets with the boys.

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Sugar & Spice and all things nice Rachel Zammit Cutajar serves up indulgent sweet treats for the festive season.

78

Fine recipes for cold winter

84

The Globe-trotting Bartender

Heartwarming dishes to comfort and nourish from James Staniland.

Nico de Soto’s award-winning expertise at your fingertips.

86

How I stumbled upon COVID-immunity in London Felicia Wijkander immerses herself in a virtual world of viruses and vampires.

Jully Khamula shares her journey from construction to interior design.

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Cover image BALMAIN dress, this page full outfit by DOLCE & GABBANA. All available from SARTO.

C O V E R S T O RY

Bridging the

divide Words by Jools Moore | Photography by Kris Micallef | Cover design by Vanya Rubin

When the Swedish Renaissance arrived in Malta and revitalised the ailing iGaming sector over ten years ago, Mikael Hansson saw an opportunity to carve out a niche pushing back the tide of player churn in the industry. Now in 2020, Enteractive, the company he founded, is reaching new heights around the world. Jools Moore met with Mikael to find out more.

As I enter the Enteractive offices in Gzira, Mikael Hansson greets me with a beaming smile and warmly invites me in. I instantly have the impression that this is a man who likes to be hands-on, involved, leading by example. He seems the consummate host, and perhaps this is the secret of his success with Enteractive - the company has seen consistent growth since 2008 to become the leader in its field for the iGaming sector, returning lapsed players to brands and building both loyalty and retention.

design with the sporting theme, but there’s more of a story behind each.

As we move into the expansive space that Enteractive calls home, it’s clear that there’s a solid work/life balance at play.

A welcoming cafe space greets visitors upon entering, a warm hearth for the office where breakfast is served every morning, and a healthy lunch later. Sports channels stream on banks of TVs, giving it a sports bar feel. Comfortable chairs and bespoke designed banquettes blend with tables and booths, forming a space where, Mikael explains, the company gathers for both regular company updates and social activities.

“We’ve got ice-hockey over here, giving a nod to our Nordic roots where it’s the predominant sport,” says Mikael with passion. “That’s the NHL legend, Wayne Gretzky. Then we’ve got Lionel Messi in the Nou Camp, Formula 1 hero Ayrton Senna, and this one is a still from the film Moneyball - the moment Scott Hatteberg hits a home run to give the Oakland A’s an unbeaten run of 20 wins in the MBL.”Mikael reveals that the true-life story of Moneyball has been one of the inspirations for his business objectives. Billy Beane, played

by Brad Pitt in the movie, combined technology and mathematics with his love of sport, and alongside whizzkid Peter Brand, he changed the way baseball team management worked. “He was revolutionary,” continues Mikael. “That’s how we want to approach our objectives within the iGaming industry, applying our custom-built technology to benefit the operators we work with. And the maths works!”

The rest of the office is equally wellconsidered with its design. Beautiful plants add a touch of green to the office space and divide the grouped desks, while breakout meeting rooms surround the area, with sports images covering feature walls in each. There’s a competitive dynamic to the

In 2018, Enteractive launched the (Re) Activation Cloud service - a culmination of tech know-how and expertise from the in-house IT team, led by CTO, Daniel Schembri, and years of experience working with operators to bring players back into the fold.

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C O V E R S T O RY

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C O V E R S T O RY

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C O V E R S T O RY

“48% of players will leave an operator because they don’t feel valued”, Mikael tells me, quoting a recent survey by Enteractive. “But we have been actively changing that statistic for our clients since 2009, working on behalf of partners like Betsson to bridge the divide between operators and players. It’s the only way to truly engage with players - on a oneto-one basis - and last month, we successfully reactivated more than 13,000 players for our operator brands.”

It’s quite something to see how one person’s idea can come to fruition through the hard work of a handful of accomplished people and grow to create something game-changing for an entire business sector. In the last ten years, the iGaming sector has gone from strength to strength, and Enteractive has played an increasing role in that growth.

Mikael hopes the next ten years will continue to see Enteractive help more brands connect and engage with their players.

This incredible growth marks a 500% year on year increase from 2019, elevating the company into the top tier traffic generators for the igaming sector. “I am very proud of our achievement, and this is down to the unity and shared power of all the employees that lifts the company to another dimension.”

Looking to the future, Mikael sees more work to be done. “It’s a symbiotic relationship, between players and operators - one cannot exist without the other. But that relationship has not been nurtured enough by the iGaming community, with so much more that operators can do to get closer to the players.”

Great business leaders know that success is a sum of all parts, and Mikael modestly shares this opinion. “No man is an island, and I believe the fantastic results we are seeing right now are due to our teams achieving great things together. At the end of the day, there is only one goal, one focus. To communicate honestly and directly with the player at the other end of the line. And everyone knows that in our company. Everything we do has that goal.”

Enteractive plans to change this imbalance and benefit everyone in the process. “If they’re not using one-to-one conversations to find out how the players are feeling and how they’re playing, how can brands promote a sustainable and safe gaming environment?

Engaging the players on a more personal level, in turn, feeds their trust and enjoyment of this growing entertainment sector, and ultimately delivers a healthy bottom line for sector revenues.”

It’s this winning leadership style that breeds success for Enteractive. “We show the same love to our staff as we do to our clients’ players. It’s about being inclusive, flexible, treating everybody the same, and keeping them healthy and happy. In the office, we get together for a few beers every Friday to wind down from the week, and it’s something close to my heart to see the amazing teams we’ve built and the great work that we do. With over 100 talented people now working across the company, we like to think of our business as a family - the Enteractive family.”

Seeing the way this strategy and Mikael’s vision has flourished into a truly forwardthinking company such as Enteractive, it’s hard to disagree.

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www.enteractive.com

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IS COVID HELPING TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP? Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar | Photography by Ruccya

There is no doubt that coronavirus has caused many changes both to the way we work and the way we live. While some other industries are on the verge of collapse, iGaming seems to be holding strong, with the pandemic causing more of a change to work practices than altering the industry as a whole. Abby Rachel Cosgrave, founder of SafeComply Group, talks about the changing conditions for women working in iGaming and how COVID-19 has helped working mothers.

Abby has witnessed the changing face of gender equality in the iGaming industry and is excited about the potential the industry is showing, giving women the chance to excel in the workplace. A solicitor in the UK, Abby joined the iGaming industry in 2014 with Betsson Group, and in just two years was promoted to C-level, holding positions of Vice President Legal and Betsson Group General Counsel. “It is easier for women to break through glass ceilings here than in other industries I’ve worked in. Having worked in sports and telecoms, I feel like there are more opportunities for women to get promoted and taken seriously in their roles. Particularly in today’s climate."

“Having said this, there is still room for improvement, especially when you go right up to the top. Ultimate beneficial owners still form part of a boys’ club, and this may be the result of lack of interest from women to go for entrepreneurial roles or a tendency for the boys to want to work together.”

Global gender parity will not be attained for 99.5 years, according to The World Economic Forum. The iGaming industry, however, fares much better with many gaming companies putting in measures that give women equal opportunity. In 2017 women held 35.2% of jobs in this sector while the All-in Diversity Project reported female job occupancy in gaming at 46.5% in 2019, a radical increase for such a short time period. As you climb the ladder, the gender gap increases somewhat with only 28% of gaming boardroom positions held by women. This is still higher than national averages for countries like

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PEOPLE

Photo by Julia Boikova

UK (27.2%), USA (21.7%) and EU (14%), though lower than leaders France (43.4%), Iceland (43%), Norway (42%) and Sweden (36.3%).

A mother of two, Abby took a step back from full-time employment with Betsson and set up her own consultancy firm SafeComply in 2018, a company that provides hybrid compliance solutions to iGaming operators, including consultancy, advisory, compliance implementation techniques, training, team structuring and organisation reviews. “It’s a valued service in the industry. Companies need to be compliant to operate though entrepreneurs don’t necessarily know exactly what they need. This is where we would step in to evaluate their requirements and recruit their permanent team.”

Despite the intention of working less, Abby has juggled work and family life, and Coronavirus made that all the more difficult. With schools and daycare centres closed throughout the spring she, like all other parents, was forced to find a balance and change practices to accommodate family life while making sure clients were satisfied.

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Photo by Julia Boikova Photo by Julia Boikova

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“Despite its challenges, Covid has created a more tolerant attitude in the workplace. Disruptions became commonplace for everyone working from home and sometimes calls had to be scheduled at times that were inconvenient to my predominantly male client base, but I’ve never had business removed because of it. Without the effects of the pandemic, I believe this would have appeared unprofessional.”

Abby believes that some of the new work practices adopted during the pandemic will remain in place. “Companies will have to determine how much office space they really need, and while they will still have a base, they will no longer operate at full headcount, retaining some of the working-from-home practices. I hope that the tolerance for working mothers juggling work and family life will remain entrenched in industry ethos.”

Abby left school at 16, with no formal education and got into the modelling business, even starring in a small role as a Bond girl in The World Is Not Enough. This is where she became interested in the legal purchase of rights to photos and went to on to university and qualified as a solicitor. Her former modelling career evokes different reactions from people today. While most people don’t give it much credence, some think it’s a wonderful thing to have done while others hold a “strange” belief that someone with that background cannot possibly be smart enough to act as a consultant.

“I’ve never been the type to pay much attention about what people think. It is impossible to change someone’s point of view by directly arguing with them. You can, however, change their mind by proving them wrong.”

Closing the gender gap depends a lot on changing attitudes at an individual level, and working practices employed by companies are of utmost importance. While Coronavirus may have posed many challenges, choosing to adopt measures that assist workers will help narrow the gap, bringing more talent to the table.

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E VO EN S PE PT LE

TELLING THE RIGHT STOCK MARKET STORY Words by Rachel Grech | Photography by Kris Micallef

Taking a company public is a measure of success in itself, but achieving such status is no mean feat. Much like an exclusive club will only let in guests who fulfil a number of criteria – image and spending power among the most important – any stock exchange has certain requirements potential listing companies must fulfil. Corporate image is everything when going through this process, not only to be accepted on the stock exchange but also to secure investor funds. Ramón Pedrosa-López is the President of The Paloma Project, a London-incorporated, Malta-based, global one-stop-shop in financial communications. He explains the importance of a flawless equity story.

As one of the first countries to create a regulatory framework for iGaming, the industry has flourished and become the third-largest private sector in Malta, accounting for roughly 12% of the country’s GDP. As the industry booms, companies have gone from startups to listed companies. Ramón Pedrosa-López, President of The Paloma Project, is a financial communications and investor relations specialist, helping companies get traded on European and American stock exchanges and aiding non-listed companies and startups raise funds from venture capital while increasing their profile and reputation.

During 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, one of his clients, Lleida.net, a digital signature company, became the bestperforming company in Europe and one of the best-performing in the global markets, with over a 940% increase in its market price.

“One would say that in Malta, there are as many listed companies per square mile as there are in London. There are almost 15 listed companies on the Malta Stock Exchange and a large number of iGaming companies listed in other international stock markets, with at least one in New York, some in London and others in Oslo and Stockholm. Besides these, there are a number of companies in the process of being listed, so it made a lot of sense for us to move here.”

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Ramón leads a company - a project, like the Alan Parsons’ one - that has clients operating in New York, Paris, London, Madrid or Mexico. He has a vast knowledge of Latin American markets, advising global companies on how to access them, having lived and worked in Mexico City for seven years, after moving straight from Hong Kong.

“Many companies struggle to communicate their market positions to investors due to the nature of the industry when it comes to iGaming. Gambling’s reputation may make investors shy, however, an extensive knowledge of the highly regulated market and experience in other delicate industries such as banking, digital signatures and defence has given us the ability to successfully promote any equity story. The more complicated the industry the better we perform.”

The collective experience of The Paloma Project’s team is insurmountable, spanning more than 20 years. This is the third company Ramón has founded, all of which have been in public relations in the financial world. He started out as a journalist at the age of 17 and, soon became a foreign correspondent, working for international news desks from Hong Kong to Belfast, Tokyo and Jakarta writing about international finance and foreign policy.

The Paloma Project is a small company with a highly specialised team, most of who are certified by the Investor Relations Society

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of the United Kingdom. “The Paloma Project is as global as it can get with specialists working in London, Paris, Spain, New York, Mexico and Qatar, among others. We are fast, global, digital and nimble. I wake up to messages from Russia and go to bed talking to Mexico. I learnt the trade covering the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges a million years ago. This is what we do best.”

Communications have undergone enormous changes over the past few years with numerous platforms opening up and causing varying degrees of influence depending on the market. “We have invested heavily in technology, artificial intelligence and data analysis, which we use to support our market communication strategies. The role of traditional media as a gatekeeper in terms of where investors get their information has somewhat faded. We put a lot of effort into finding out how investors in a specific industry think and we identify the channels they use to get their information so that we can focus efforts there. These may not be what you’d expect. For example, investors in some industries will pay more attention to a particular message board on the web than an article in a major newspaper.

We use technology to identify influential touchpoints and focus our efforts there.

We work differently to most companies, and we have created global success out of nothing.”

A spotlight is shining on the thriving iGaming industry as potential investors are looking to get into the lucrative industry, particularly the US and Latin

American markets, where a brave new world is emerging and where The Paloma Project is particularly strong.

“We have very close ties with the markets in Europe, Mexico and New York, the last one having always been the goldstandard in trading. We are the point of contact for any company wanting to be listed in New York, but we also are eager to help penetrate the Latin American markets and help startups raise funding from venture capital”.

Just before the pandemic hit, Ramón Pedrosa-López was destined to fly to America to set up shop there. However, COVID-19 put some spanners in the works, and he decided on Malta for a number of reasons. “I’ve always considered Malta to be a financially sophisticated place in terms of the rule of law, ease of doing business and location.

Government is incredibly helpful, it’s reasonably global, and not far from anywhere. And to tell the truth, the fact that the weather, food and culture are pretty close to that of my hometown in Valencia, also in the Mediterranean, helps.”

“The iGaming industry in Malta is a market in which we can make a difference. The pressures on the industry are not to be taken lightly.

It is prone to changes in global and financial regulation, but it is a wheel in the financial machines that are moving as fast as ever. Companies need to move fast to keep up with changing financial markets.”

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BUSINESS

BUILDING THE TECH, SHAPING THE FUTURE

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BUSINESS

As Chief Technology Officer for Enteractive, Daniel Schembri leads the team that develops the company’s proprietary (Re) Activation Cloud software and more.

We caught up with Daniel to get the details on how the IT department plays a central role in the success of the company.

Why is technology so important to Enteractive as a company?

For our clients, it’s all about ease of integration, making their experience with Enteractive both seamless and transparent - when we start working with a client, we are essentially a unique extension of their CRM teams.

For us, the technology marks the progression of the company from our early days where we literally picked up a phone and dialled a customers number from an excel sheet, to where we’re at now, with automated systems that allow us to be more agile in our approach, and certainly much quicker in terms of processes. With our agents currently dialling around 15,000 customers per day across 20 different countries, we’re constantly optimising our tech to ensure both Enteractive and our clients get the best output possible.

We now have a technical team of 10 who are constantly working on our (Re)Activation Cloud platform and it's an absolute pleasure working with all of them on a daily basis.

So, what is (Re)Activation Cloud?

(Re)Activation Cloud is our flagship product, unique in its field, comprising a collection of modules we have created and improved over the past 4 years - simply told, it’s a Reactivation-as-a-Service solution tailored specifically for the igaming industry. It’s tech that’s powered by humans, aimed at helping operators find value in their lapsed and not yet active player databases.

The technology automates all of our processes, leaving our (Re)Activation agents to focus solely on what they do best - having conversations with players. With Responsible Gaming protocols and marketing exclusion checks built-in, (Re) Activation Cloud provides an end-to-end solution that has the players best interests at its core.

How easy is it to integrate the product for iGaming operators?

We’ve exposed all of (Re)Activation Cloud’s functionality over API’s & webhooks, so I would say it’s very easy for our partners to connect with. Once we have an agreement in place, the cloud-based technology makes everything a breeze and we can be calling players almost straight away. Our clients benefit from complete transparency with the product from the outset, with both real-time dashboards to measure our performance and oversee the quality of our calls as well as complete feedback into their systems. We’ve built it to be transparent, flexible and secure.

How does this contribute to Enteractive being one of the biggest traffic drivers in iGaming?

Personalisation is key to the Enteractive approach. We succeed by offering the players a personalised, unique customer experience, which promotes trust and loyalty with our operator brands.

What’s important is giving players the flexibility to be contacted at their preferred time and on their preferred channel (being Voice, SMS, Chat, and so on), whilst also making it easy for them to opt-out so that they are being engaged with on their terms - with many choosing to stay in the loop.

With the myriad of cultural and generational differences within the segments we contact, giving the player more control of how we interact with them really makes a difference to the positive responses we get.

What's next for Enteractive?

Well, we’re only just getting started really - the technology we’ve developed opens many new avenues for us, and from here we will keep learning and adapting from the vast amounts of data we have to understand our customers better.

And soon we’ll be adding to the channels we use to connect with players, allowing us to fit in better with how customers want to be contacted. Currently we focus on one-to-one voice calls, which is the best approach for a more personalised customer experience.

It’s an exciting time, despite 2020 being a little different for everyone! It’s a great deal of work, but the outcome will be worth it, and very satisfying for myself and the technology team here at Enteractive. We can’t wait to see the initial results!

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The future of iGaming is powered

by Artificial Intelligence Photography by Justine Ellul over Zoom

The iGaming boom is partly due to the high adaptability of the industry.

The first online casinos of the late 90s look nothing like an iGaming operator today. Changes have occurred across all levels of the sector from plan digitalisation to regulatory, and talent acquisition and will continue to change fast. As the industry is dependent on digital technologies, staying ahead of the game, in this respect, it is vital for the survival of both operators and the industry at large. Fernando Pérez-Borrajo, Corporate Director and co-founder of Aunoa - a European conversational Artificial Intelligence company - talks about how technology will free up human resources that will allow for better customer service around iGaming.

A serial entrepreneur, Fernando Pérez-Borrajo’s latest venture is Aunoa.

Launched in Spain, it has been heavily invested by venture capital since its birth.

Having provided services for global telecom companies, utilities and public administrations in the United States, Europe, and Latin America, he is planning to launch a subsidiary in Malta before February 2021.

Aunoa deploys Artificial Intelligence chatbots that use Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing tools to attend the needs and questions of thousands of online platform clients at the same time.“Last week, for example, our AI bots assisted 25,587 unique users of Spain’s largest e-commerce, and exchanged more than 670,000 messages with them, successfully solving the problems of over 80 per cent of their needs without human interactions. That is the power of what we do.”

The company was founded by a band of four brothers that have been creating companies and working together in 60 countries since 2001. They believe that ethical and trustable AI will make digital consumers life more comfortable in the immediate future. Fernando, Jesús, Ángel and José manage a 20 people team that has been able to integrate those AI chatbots in existing day-to-day messaging technology. Anything from WhatsApp to Facebook Messenger and some of the most sophisticated of platforms.

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The iGaming industry is facing enormous pressure at the moment in the face of changing regulations around the world, and the team believes that AI-assisted customer care is part of the solution. “We have to think about what is causing this crisis of regulatory pressure.

The reality is that situations like these arise from social pressure when dissatisfied people come together.

These are not usually unhappy with the product itself, but with the service provided by the company. This is where operators need to change. Communication with the company needs to be simpler, more transparent, faster and more accessible. The client must perceive that their complaint has been heard, even if the solution is delayed. AI is the answer to all that and will allow immediate interaction.”

Aunoa is championing a solution of virtual assistance, whereby initial contact is met by machines and the second layer of human attention is reserved for more complex issues which require reasoning, empathy and sensitivity. Many studies suggest a 95% satisfaction rate among users of current virtual AI-powered assistants.

With 30 years’ experience in launching applied innovation companies, Fernando believes that Aunoa’s technology will be a game-changer for the iGaming industry because it will help companies reach more clients, in more languages, saving customer service costs, and faster. “Aunoa’s solution is perfect for an industry that wants to solve the needs of users without delay, without the hassle and with a better overall customer experience, and all this through the channels they use in their daily lives. In the end, gaming platforms work in the same way as e-commerce, with payment issues, money returns, customer’s demands or even compliance.

We are just adapting AI to the most obvious of the digital industries.”

What sets Aunoa apart is the approach that they take.

“Our implementation and supervision methodology is not done by technicians but by documentarists, scriptwriters and linguists, giving it a much more human approach.” They follow up through the entire life cycle, providing continuous feedback to the buyer about what users demand. “It’s not just a matter of technology. We

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train the technology so it will work. This is going to be the future of all industries.”

Selecting the right channels has also been an area of in-depth research for Aunoa. Younger players will not use traditional desktop or laptop devices to play games but are using their mobile phone more and more. While this implies a change in format for the game itself, it’s also essential that customer service is focused on where these younger players ‘live’. Telephone, emails, web pages simply do not exist for younger players, so Aunoa has focused much attention on messaging channels and RRSS applications, like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram or Amazon’s Alexa.

Messaging, on whatever platform is the only tool that does not have a gender gap. “People for 12 to 80 years of age use some form of messaging system as a primary form of communication. It is necessary for companies to adopt the same tools that users use in their daily lives when providing customer service. You cannot expect a teenager to contact a company by phone, email or a web form; they have simply never used them.”

Fernando believes that AI solutions will not only help individual operators but will also help the industry as a whole. “The iGaming sector is immersed in a reputation crisis as a result of multiple stories about promoting overspending, lack of protection for vulnerable people and addicts and ignoring customer complaints. A suitable AI system that allows for human resources to be utilised efficiently by taking over mundane interactions will help paint a more responsible picture of the industry.”

When he isn’t developing the future for e-commerce, Fernando collects and races classic cars. “It’s a very analogue sport. No technology whatsoever; just a steering wheel and a lever.” He believes that the iGaming industry in Malta holds the key to the future of many digital sectors and with the opening of their new subsidiary in Malta in the first quarter of 2021, he believes that the future of digitisation in Malta is bright.

PEOPLE

www.aunoa.ai

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EVENTS

Opening doors to luxury in Valletta Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

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Malcolm Lowell

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What do Fifth Avenue in New York, Bond Street in London and Bahnhofstrasse in Switzerland have in common? They are among the most sought-after areas for retail space by luxury brands. Although luxury labels are available in some of Malta’s high street shops, there are only a few mono-brand boutiques that characterise the high-end shopping experience.

Edwards Lowell’s new Patek Philippe Cartier Boutique in Republic Street has put Valletta on the road to a more exclusive market. It joins the family’s other mono-brand boutique, the Rolex Boutique, which opened in 2018 and graces the corner opposite this latest fifth gem in the Edwards Lowell crown.

As you step across the threshold of the newly opened Patek Philippe Cartier boutique, you are hit by a feeling that goes beyond product.

The interior design of the shop – plush carpets, silk-embroidered wallpaper, opulent armchairs and Cartier’s largest library in a retail Espace in Europe – complement the dazzling watches and give the boutique an evidently cosmopolitan flair, while the exterior has been designed to blend in with Valletta style and pay homage to local heritage.

This boutique is a celebration of many firsts. It’s the first time the 2020 Pasha de Cartier was showcased in Malta in conjunction with the international launch, the first time this Cartier Interior Design Concept was used in Europe, and the first time the two prestigious watch companies have shared a boutique.

Patek Philippe has been a central part of the Edwards Lowell story since 1978 when chairman Malcolm A. Lowell saw a Golden Ellipse on a diplomat’s wrist and decided this was a brand he wanted to represent. Since Rolex had already been a strong part of the Edwards Lowell brand since the late 1930s, Mr. Lowell felt that there was scope for expansion in the luxury watch niche of the family business, and introduced Patek Philippe to the company portfolio over 40 years ago. This was achieved by Malcolm and Isabelle Lowell at a meeting in Geneva with the then President of the Company, Mr. Henri Stern, grandfather of Thierry Stern who is the President today. “We’ve become part of the history of Patek Philippe, having attended both their 150th and 175th anniversary celebrations in Geneva,” said company director Isabelle Lowell.

On the other hand, Cartier is a new addition for Edwards Lowell.

Two years ago, following the success of the Rolex Boutique which the company opened just across the road from the new Patek Philippe Cartier Boutique, Edwards Lowell was selected to represent Cartier, which is among a handful of the top luxury brands worldwide.

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Combining the two prestigious brands, Edwards Lowell opened the Patek Philippe Cartier boutique in late September.

The 100-square-metre boutique was designed by Patek Philippe and Cartier architects and the furniture manufactured in Italy and France, while a local project management firm, DPM, handled installation.

The boutique’s design, with its gilded signage and curved glass, kept local heritage at the forefront. All the original signage was kept underneath, and inspiration for the new design was taken from Valletta shops of yesteryear. “To restore one of the oldest premises in Republic Street, we developed a concept that would respect the past,” managing director Malcolm R. Lowell said. “We are happy to be investing in Valletta, as we believe this is where the top brands should be. The big names want to have more visibility and to do their reputation and stature justice; you need to give them space, prestige and location.”

As you walk down Republic Street and see Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier lined up, it paints a pretty stylish picture.

Edwards Lowell believes that there is more room for luxury shops. “We hope that the business community will take inspiration and follow suit, in order to improve the retail experience in Malta,” said company director Annabelle Bonello Lowell.

edwardslowell www.elcol.com

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PEOPLE

Increasing diversity to drive profitability Photography by Julia Boikova

Diversity in the workplace means employing people who may be different from each other especially on the basis of race, physical appearance, religion, education, age, gender or sexual orientation. Studies have shown that the more diverse a company’s workforce, the more profitable it will be. Alain Gavand is a psychologist, who has focused his career on consultancy, helping large organisations define a diversity and inclusion policy.

Diversity in the workplace is an important factor to consider for two main reasons. The first is simply to respect the human right to work in just and favourable conditions. Alain Gavand, a psychologist, qualified at the University of Paris – La Sorbonne and consultant in employment diversity, said the second of the two reasons is more complex. “Companies have a real interest in being more diverse. I have always believed that gender and ethnic diversity make companies more efficient, and this correlates with profitability. Indeed, the more employees feel good at work, the more committed they are. And the diversity of the teams increases the different points of view and therefore creativity and innovation.”

This is not just an opinion. Numerous studies show that more diverse companies perform better. A McKinsey survey, in 2019, found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 25 per cent more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the

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bottom quartile. For ethnic and cultural diversity, they found a 36 percent likelihood of outperformance on EBIT margin.

However, women and minorities are still underrepresented, particularly at the top of the hierarchy, the notorious glass ceiling, regrets Alain.

This has not been lost on the iGaming sector with a number of companies prioritising diversity and inclusion policies. The All-in Diversity Project is a not-for-profit organisation that acts as a global resource for all things relating to diversity and equality in the industry - working to create tools such as knowledge bases, workplace tool-kits, training initiatives, learning exchanges, workshops and interactive events, to support long-term impactful change across the whole industry.

Alain emphasises that it is an issue of attraction and retention of talents and therefore of ‘employer branding’, in a sector where it is crucial and difficult to find talents, especially in iGaming.

PEOPLE

Alain’s dedicated his career to preventing discrimination in the workplace auditing large companies like Heineken and Coca-Cola, among others, to help them define a diversity and inclusion policy, provide training and develop an action plan for the future. He has also authored four books about diversity, human resources and recruitment and is a lecturer in diversity at University Panthéon-Sorbonne in Paris.

He also works closely with the LGBTI community, as the Vicepresident of L’Autre Cercle for the last three years. L’Autre Cercle is the major association in France for the promotion of the inclusion of LGBTI people in the workplace. A survey he conducted in 2020, with over 17,000 employees, shows that the workplace continues to be an environment where LGBTIphobia persists in France. “One out of four LGBTI people has been the victim of at least one LGBTI-phobic attack in the workplace. This is probably why almost half of LGBTI people remain discreet about their sexual orientation. But there is good news! When an entity becomes committed to an LGBTI inclusion policy, it fosters confidence and inclusion for LGBTI people. This is surely why they are more inclined to reveal and accept their sexual orientation.”

A survey conducted by the All-In Diversity Project, All Index, shows that within the iGaming industry organisations are trying to implement initiatives that promote inclusion of LGBTI employees. However, they noted that collecting data in this area was problematic. Of the 26 companies to participate in the survey, only 15% were collecting data on sexual orientation.

They highlighted a number of problems associated with collection of personal data, one of which is that employees can use it to argue that a decision was taken based on that data, so they would simply rather not ask. However, the survey found that 36% of organisations were providing additional training, development and support for LGBTI employees, four respondents had partnered with LGBTI organisations such as charity Stonewall, and two were active supporters or sponsors of Pride.

Alain specifies that it is not necessary to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity to launch an LGBTI inclusion policy. To monitor the impact of actions taken, companies can launch anonymous internal opinion surveys. It is above all important from the company management to affirm its commitment to supporting LGBTI people, to sanction any discrimination and to train management and HR teams in LGBTI inclusion.

Another relevant initiative to promote the inclusion of LGBTI people is to foster the emergence of LGBTI role models within companies. He has worked with L’Autre Cercle to create a list of 60 LGBTI Role Models and Allies. “I am convinced that it is necessary for influential and leader LGBTI people to come out in the workplace by encouraging the emergence of role models who are still not sufficiently present. My purpose was to communicate positively and with heightened value, on the issue of LGBTI people in the workplace to change the image.

It was an amazing success with 250 applicants, 15 million impressions on Twitter and 10,000 viewers of our TV program.

Among our 2020 list, for instance, we count the European General manager of L’Oréal Luxe who is gay or the Senior Director, International Public Affairs of Pfizer, who is lesbian.”

This is also reflected in the iGaming industry, where one issue that came out of the All Index survey was that senior leadership commitment, as well as brand perception, has a significant impact on levels of diversity within an organisation.

Alain’s quest for equality of LGBTI persons both in the workplace and outside continue, with added work on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on these people. Organisations that ensure their workforce is both diverse and inclusive will reap the benefits that come about from fostering greater job commitment, higher career satisfaction and increased productivity.

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FA S H I O N

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PLACES

Setting the standards in fine dining Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

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Paresa

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Luxury dining in Malta has been on the up, with the Michelin Guide finally deeming our little island worthy and awarding three restaurants a star. More and more restaurants have opened their doors and finding an exceptional meal is becoming easier (fingers crossed COVID-19 won’t hurt too much in the long term). Mark Weingard, founder of Iniala Group, is setting the standards with his new restaurant ION - Harbour. He tells his story surrounded by stunning views and a delectable menu.

Anyone in Malta who isn’t living under a rock has had their Instagram feed flooded with images of Valletta’s first truly luxury boutique hotel. Perched on the top of St Barbara Bastions, Iniala Harbour House & Residences commands impressive views of the Three Cities, whilst also appealing to more indulgent of tastes with impressive décor and luxury beyond expectation.

At €3,000 a night for the Presidential Penthouse Suite, this hotel is like no other on the island. Mark Weingard, founder of the Iniala Group, believes that Malta is not appealing to the luxury tourist, not because the island is not impressive enough but that they have nowhere to go when they get there. Using the same ethos of seamless service from touchdown to take-off of Iniala’s flagship property in Thailand, Mark believes he is filling the gap with the opening of this hotel.

Mark’s first venture in Malta was a pop-up restaurant, Aziamendi 100 at the Civil Service Sports Club in 2014, when he took the staff of his Thailand hotel to a different country for 100 days during the low season in Thailand. This was Malta’s first taste of Michelin-quality food, with their three-Michelin

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PLACES

starred chef Eneko Atkza creating their tasting menus. Mark’s aim was to introduce the element of luxury dining in Malta, in the hope that local chefs would be inspired to up their game. And six years later we have three Michelin-starred restaurants.

Mark is back in the restaurant game, with ION – The Harbour, the brand-new breakfast, lunch or dinner spot that is getting rave reviews, and plenty of Instagram space. The restaurant of the recentlyopened Iniala Harbour House & Residences, you can expect your dining experience to be every bit as luxurious as your stay at the hotel.

Location is as important as the food with stunning views that stretch across the Three Cities. “The Grand Harbour of Valletta is the most beautiful harbour in Europe and our dining room is perched above it. Whatever time of day you come, the restaurant is romantic, and the view is unbeatable.”

The concept of this new restaurant is fine dining but without any of the stuffiness that is associated with it. Mark admits to hoping the restaurant will be awarded a Michelin star but, he said, they only hope to get the one. “We want this to be a fine dining experience but also a fun dining experience, with great music, lighting and ambiance. ION – The Harbour is not formal and we want our menus to be dynamic and the atmosphere to be electric. It is not a place for stiffness and formality.”

The four-course menu, put together by Executive Chef, Andrew Borg, formerly of Risette and Black Pig, consists of vegetable-driven cuisine focusing on seasonality. Andrew’s first choice when it comes to procuring ingredients is to go local, ideally straight from source, though this is not always possible, in which case he sources ingredients from Italy, France and Spain.

“The first course is the opening act, a very light dish that teases you with its flavours and technique.

The second dish usually focuses on a carbohydrate such as pasta, potato or rice, but these are always presented as a surprise, a twist on the normal.

The third dish focuses on meats, poultry and seafood, the presentation and the sauces always complementing and accentuating the taste of the protein. For dessert, we try to create something light and tasty - a sweet way to end a meal. If the diner does not have a sweet tooth, there is always a cheese dish to satisfy them. We also have a vegetarian and vegan menu that focus on premium produce and technique. Our aim is to satisfy all, whatever their dietary requirements.”

It’s difficult not to be satisfied when you’re perched on top of the bastions, being served some of Malta’s finest cuisine.

iontheharbour

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DESIGN

The softer SIDE OF CONSTRUCTION Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

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DESIGN

Construction is rife in Malta with buildings going up like more rapidly than ever, but what transforms a house into a home, an office space into a place that employees look forward to going, are the softer touches of the interior space. Jully Khamula puts her heart and soul into breathing life into a building and transforming it into a living space.

Jully has always flirted with both the technical and the creative. With nine years of architectural training in Minsk in Belarus, she started working in the industry and soon realised that although she enjoyed construction, there was something lacking. “I felt like something was missing. Colours, textures, designs… these are all the things that transform a building from bricks and mortar to a place to you want to spend time.”

After working in architecture for a number of small firms, she moved to one of Minsk’s largest construction companies with over 3,000 employees. This gave her the opportunity to join the interior design team, and from there, she never looked back.

Jully said that the transition from working on structure to interiors was not a difficult one, saying “an architect can be an interior designer, but an interior designer cannot be an architect – at least not without returning to education.

“I feel like it’s a huge advantage for me as I know all the technical aspects of the structure, and this makes it possible for me to bring some of my innovative ideas to life. An interior designer with no architectural knowledge has to rely on the advice their architects provide, while I am able to troubleshoot a problem on my own and create realistic solutions that I know will be structurally sound.”

Jully moved to Malta five years ago when she was invited to visit by a friend. She immediately fell in love with the sandy colours of the limestone and the way the light fell on the baroque architecture of Valletta. She worked with a number of local architects

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to start off with, and eventually set up her own design company two years ago. “Although the company is still young, it incorporates nine years of architectural education and 11 years of interior design, which is what has made it so successful.”

Though her experience in Malta includes a range of projects from residential areas, wine bars and commercial properties, one project that stands out is the SOHO the Strand in Gzira. The warm wooden textures paired with soft yellow hues and a myriad of plant life on every floor gives the offices a homely feel, making it a place that employees want to hang out even after the working day is done.

“As an interior designer, my job is to create a space where people want to be, whether it’s a home or an office. The idea is that people look forward to coming to work because the atmosphere is pleasant. Understanding exactly what the space is intended for and the expected flow of people into the area is extremely important in creating a space that makes people feel comfortable. Colours and textures are as important as the amenities provided. And with its own restaurant, gym and rooftop pool, who wouldn’t want to work at SOHO Office.”

Jully emphasised that when considering employing a designer, people should see it as in investment rather than a cost. Homeowners will be adding to the value of their property and will find it easier to sell in the long term.

When designing office space, research has shown that productivity of employees increases when staff members feel comfortable and calm, and this is directly related to the environment in which they work.

Perhaps the move into interior design was inevitable as Jully’s flair for the creative was cultivated at a very young age. She started attending art school from the tender age of five, where there was a heavy focus on the arts in the afternoons while the mornings were reserved for more traditional learning. Today in her free time, she still enjoys painting and will sometimes use her own artworks to fill the spaces on the walls of her projects.

“I like to tend to every single detail. Artwork is an important aspect of the way you feel when you enter a building. I work with a number of local artists to make sure that the overall feeling you get when you walk into a building is one that is comfortable, calm and exactly what the people occupying the space require.”

facebook.com/jkdesign.by jkdesign.by

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C U LT U R E

ŻFINMALTA Words by Nicole Bearman | Photography by Matteo Carratoni

In 2014 the establishment of ŻfinMalta National Dance Company was pivotal in connecting Malta’s dance artists with their international peers and providing a space to develop professionally.

When the company launched its 2020/21 season with the premiere of ’21 Dances for the 21st Century’, there hung a big question mark over whether audiences were ready to return to the theatre. Even though theatre capacity was greatly reduced, all four shows were a sell-out, with many people on waiting lists. As the company prepared for the premiere of its second production for the season, ŻfinMade, company Producer, Nicole Bearman, talked to Artistic Director Paolo Mangiola about his career and vision for ŻfinMalta.

Paolo Mangiola joined ŻfinMalta in its third season and has been instrumental in establishing its place in the international dance community. Notably, he has embedded a spirit of collaboration, engaging choreographers, set and costume designers, composers and visual artists from Malta and internationally, and partnering with other organisations in theatre, opera, music and the visual arts. Mangiola’s vision for the company is supported by his own outstanding credentials and profile as a choreographer, dance educator and performer, from dancing for Wayne McGregor, Deborah Hay, Martin Creed, and Mauro Bigonzetti, to creating works for the Royal Ballet, Tanztheater Nürnberg, and Balletto di Roma, and choreography performed in the UK, the US, and across Europe.

Where did your career in dance begin?

It all started in the south of Italy, specifically in Reggio Calabria. It was the 1980s, and I was a skinny boy with a health problem. The doctor advised my parents to send me to ballet or swimming to gain strength.

So, when my mother learned that my neighbour’s daughter was at ballet school, she enrolled me. Within a month, the teacher phoned my mother and declared, “Paolo must become a ballet dancer! He must move to Milan or Rome to train with the Accademia Nazionale.” Of course, this didn’t happen. My parents are very progressive, but not to the point of sending me to Milan on my own at the age of ten. But at 18, I made my way to Milan.

Describe your transition from dancer to choreographer?

I always saw myself as a choreographer, more than a dancer. For me, the transition was smooth thanks to the mentors I encountered along the way. I have been fortunate to work with big dance companies, which provide a platform for their dancers to create work, based on an old

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C U LT U R E

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model originated by Stuttgart ballet. The practice of choreography – or the creation of work – is essential for a choreographer, but it is a very expensive art form to work with, requiring skilled dancers and studio space.

I was lucky to have access to these resources, and this is exactly what I would like to give back at ŻfinMalta; a space where local artists and dancers can create new work, experiment, and take risks.

What are your influences?

Generally, I’m interested in translating abstract concepts into movement, and composition plays a big role in this.

I love creating movement that is a response to the space.

I’m drawn to complex patterns as well as the removal of the obvious. Lately, I’ve been dedicating my work to the exploration of ‘big topics’ affecting humanity – AI, the way algorithms can shape our decision-making process and my interest in dystopian fiction as a tool for enabling us to see the present. All of these elements are recurring in my work, which I would describe as ‘experiences’, that are both physically challenging for the dancers and provide a platform for thinking for audiences.

What do you see as the role of a National Dance Company?

The role of a National Dance Company is multi-faceted.

First and foremost, it is to provide Maltese audiences with world-class performances and to continue developing a culture for contemporary dance in Malta that allows everyone to experience the transformative power of dance

zfinmalta

paolomangram

www.zfinmalta.org

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through intelligent, curated programmes. As well as live performances, we have an outreach programme for students and professionals, and participatory projects for a broader audience.

Our experience in the theatre should be entertaining and formative. The language of dance can be cryptic at first, but once you’re in, the rewards are the same as watching a beautiful movie or reading an amazing book.

Every artist who works with us is asked to share their ideas and methodology generously, and to communicate in a way that is accessible to all of our audiences, regardless of whether they are experienced dance spectators or attending for the first time. ŻfinMalta employs ten professional dancers from Malta and all over the world. I select dancers who are resilient, emancipated and hungry to learn. These are the kinds of creatives I love to work with, who ultimately make me grow as an artist as well.

Why is it important to continue creating new work right now?

Nothing can replace the experience of a live performance.

I believe this with absolute conviction, now more than ever. It has been proven throughout history that access to the arts is critical in the healing process in the wake of major conflict and trauma. To see dancers on stage is a beautiful and visceral experience which we must continue providing for our audiences.

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PEOPLE

The dust between dreams... refusing to settle Words by Flip Giles | Photography by Julia Boikova

The performing arts have officially been shelved and put on hold across the globe. Tucked away behind ancient cans and seldom used condiments, people’s life-long endeavours and creative visions have been left to collect dust.

In their place, Zoom concerts have emerged as the new norm.

Artists have been forced to wrack their brains and squeeze their creative juices to a pulp trying to survive in this new, masked, and expressionless world.

I am Flip Giles; a singer, songwriter and new-comer to the island. Like most artists, I have faced these challenges headon. Each morning I wake up feeling suspended, almost as in a state of limbo, wondering what the dilemma will be this time.

We have all seen first-hand that the attitude towards performers and the arts during this current crisis is less than ideal – just think about the circulating images of professional musicians with the caption “time to get a real job”.

This being said, I am determined to find solace in the fact that Music transcends national boundaries, languages and identities as a global unifier. Despite the bleakness of recent months, it has managed to bring joy and peace to millions across the world.

Malta’s Magnetism...

With an abundance of musical and creative talent, it is no wonder that countless foreign visitors stay. Entranced and inspired, Malta’s magic reignites the embers of their once creative flames.

Having long planned to move abroad, I came to Malta on a whim to partake in a yoga course. But the nurturing nature of the island's inhabitants made me want to stay. Their kindness is unrivalled. Close friendships were formed with ease, and with the gap between loved ones abroad and myself getting ever wider, the support of this found family soon became invaluable.

In the Yogi tradition, the Navel chakra provides a source of personal power, relates to self-esteem and links to the power of transformation. I too, was transformed through my time in Malta and precious areas of my life, which had been overlooked for too long, such as my desire to write and sing became vital once again. Had I found myself in the belly button of the world? As the lyrics of Jovanotte’s iconic song L’ ombelico del mondo say;

And we are dancing already? Does Malta ever stop? The sad reality is that, yes, many of the events, parties and venues that bring the people of Malta together, offering a refuge for self-expression, friendship and love, can no longer open their doors to us. Safety must come first as we struggle to fight this virus which has caused the world to stop in its tracks.

Events by Martin know this only too well. With their most recent event, a Dinner Soiree at the Phoenicia Hotel, falling victim to the current global climate and the necessity to adhere to social distancing measures. With a reputation for some of the most spectacular events on the island, recent months have undoubtedly delivered a harsh blow.

Along with other accomplished performers, I was excited to sing my heart out at this event. Not long after I arrived in Malta, I attended the EBM Masquerade Ball at Palazzo Parisio. I was inspired not only by the venue itself but also by the attention to detail- the venue was impeccable, the costumes exceptional and the night itself luxurious. No expense had been spared. I was desperate to meet the curators in the hope that one day I too might get involved.

Pixelated Perceptions… distorting all I thought I knew.

I am under no illusion about how fortunate I am, even with only two gigs a week I cling to these performances by a thread and I cherish them. Many others are not so lucky. But Palazzo Parisio and Mezzodi in Valletta still act as a nostalgic bridge to a life that, for many reasons, feels archaic in this brave new world. A life of live performances and summers packed with festivals, years of training and dedication leading to tours of Europe.

This being said, each tapestry begins with a single thread. In the same way, artist’s journeys begin with love, dedication and persistence. With that as a foundation, our creativity knows no bounds. Music, the soundtrack to our lives, will remain invaluable and continue to unite and captivate us.

All the smiles on faces will soon enough once again be visible.

I speak for all creatives to say, they will be reflected back tenfold as the embers of our creative fires once again ignite.

Our dreams may be stuck on pause, but unlike dust, we will not settle.

flipgiles

“This is the navel of the world It is here that energy is born Neuralgic centre of the world It is from here that any new road begins From the provinces of the great empire, I hear a voice rising This is the navel of the world And we are dancing already."

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ADAPTING TO NEW WAYS OF SOCIALISING Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar FOOD

When you think of how COVID-19 could have affected an events company, you wouldn’t be faulted for thinking that there is very little hope. However, the flexible approach adopted

by Ambassador Events from the very beginning means that, though having faced one of its mosto challenging years, it will 60 - EBM MAGAZINE - N 13 continue to thrive. Founder Martin Pettersson tells his story.

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EVENTS

When co-founder of Ambassador Events, Martin Pettersson, arrived in Malta in 2007, events management couldn’t have been further from his mind. What started as casual dinners at his home for a few friends slowly evolved into the high-end events giant known for massgatherings the likes of Showers, The Masquerade Ball, iGaming Idol and iGaming NEXT to mention a few.

The cancellation of their event, Dinner Soirée at The Phoenicia Malta, scheduled earlier in November is not the first casualty of social life this year with the iconic Showers cancelled in August. “Although we were given permits to go ahead with Dinner Soirée, we felt that this is the wrong time to be hosting large gatherings. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean you should do it.”

Though their largest events were cancelled in 2020, Martin says the more chilled out fixtures over the summer did better than previous years. “This happened for a number of reasons. Many of our clients travel over a lot of the summer and as travel was restricted this year, they spent a lot more time here and they were looking for safer options for entertainment. Hanging out by the pool at SKYBEACH or Beef Bar and having a drink or two is way safer than being in a crowded bar and because bars and clubs were closed, people were getting up on a Sunday with more energy for a day by the pool.”

To a certain extent, this was also helped by a clientele that was “growing up”. “A lot of our clientele have been coming to our events since the beginning in 2013. In seven years, a lot of them have got married, had kids and listed companies, so they were already looking to slow down a little from the wilder parties with which we started out.

Our initial challenge with EBM Sundays at SKYBEACH was that people were worried about having to be at work on Monday after a day of drinking, but they soon realised that it was ok to go out on a Sunday for lunch and a few drinks and be fit for work the following morning. This is what people were looking for through this COVIDrestricted summer, so we had a little bit of an advantage in that we were already going down that road.”

EBM was born in 2013 when Martin helped a friend at Plus One Dreams host a high-end pool party to attract talent to work at their company. This proved so successful that even though the party cost a lot of money, it was still cheaper than the recruitment agency fees

they were using in the past. This started a trend in the iGaming industry for companies to invest more in their employment brand, offering employees perks like free breakfast, drinks on Friday afternoons and plenty of social events. Teaming up with Pierre Lindh, Martin set about creating an events company unrivalled on the local iGaming scene, organising corporate events and weekly gatherings and eventually large parties. “Though people think of Ambassador Events as the mass-gatherings that are publicised, a large portion of our revenue comes from corporate events. COVID has changed that in that no company wants to risk hosting an event that starts an infection cluster.”

Balancing that loss of revenue in the corporate world is iGaming NEXT, a content driven iGaming Conference that has quickly gained a reputation for being one of the best in the industry. While most other event companies were scrambling to transfer their events online in a copy-paste fashion, iGaming NEXT were quick to understand the potential of a digital strategy that could be incorporated into their calendar even after the threat of coronavirus had passed. The launch of iGaming NEXT Power Hour, an monthly online discussion on current topics in the iGaming industry, and their digital conference held earlier in November which attracts over 5,000 iGaming professionals has changed the company’s demographic, removing the limitations of location and allowing access to participants all over the world. This digital strategy will be implemented through 2021, even if COVID restrictions are completely removed.

Planning for 2021 has been tricky. The Masquerade Ball at Palazzo Parisio has been postponed to the end of March, and Martin hopes that this will be their first event back, with Showers planned for August. However, he said, if they are unable to host these large events, then they will focus their energy on the chill-out events at places like SKYBEACH and Beef Bar. “The trick to this coming year is going to be flexibility.

Make plans, analyse the situation and adapt to the conditions we are dealt at the moment. The world is changing, and the only way forward is to change with it, regardless of the industry in which you operate.”

Martin Pettersson

Founder, Ambassador Events & EBM

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A Gozitan Diary Words by Michele Tufigno| Photography by Julia Boikova Bags: check. Sunglasses: check. Keys: check. Passport, expired.

Flights, cancelled. As I board the ferry, I’m oddly calm. My trip to Tunisia is not to be, and I shan’t travel to Palermo for fear of bumping into my ex. The wind is invigorating; the sound of the parting waves a promise of the rest to come. I spot the neo-gothic chapel atop the hill: I’m approaching the Kingdom of Heaven. For Gozo, you see, is so much more than badly decorated farmhouses, shabby pine furniture and watermelon vodka shots: it’s still a refuge from ugliness and vulgarity, from concrete and traffic jams. It’s an island that moves at its own pace, oblivious or rather, impervious, to the artificially pumped-up rhythms of the outside world.

I’ll be staying in old Rabat as I always do, armed with books, uncomfortable shoes, ginseng supplements and the memories of lost Gozitan loves. But what I will do, most of all, is immerse myself in this beautiful land of many layers, which at the time of Covid still provides the mirage of escapism and beauty we so desperately need. It might not seem an obvious choice to those who only know Gozo in the summer; however, it is in winter that it truly comes alive, emptied of sunburnt day-trippers and screaming children unsuccessfully trying to manage their 99 Flake ice cream cones. Its hills are now a lush green, revived by the October rains; the squares are quiet and shaded and the stifling summer heat is nowhere to be felt.

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After a coffee in Saint George’s Square, dominated by one of Gozo’s most beautiful baroque churches, I decide to wander around Rabat (from the Arabic ribāṭ, or fortification), meandering through its narrow, car-free streets. The houses look different here; there are no incongruent concrete buildings save for the odd 80’s collonnaded terraced house. I spot Lola ‘Tal-Ġelat’ watering her aloes; I can smell garlic frying and hear the rosary being said over the radio. I visit my favourite gold shops, Cachet and Meilak in search of antique jewellery; I find a small stickpin with a red enamelled fly perched upon it, topped with a rose-cut diamond.

I pin it to my jacket’s lapel; it’s gorgeous. Just outside the gold shop, past the brushed aluminium glory of the eerily quiet Coney Island Bar, is the ramp to the old fortified citadel and there my date awaits me.

I see her every time I go to Gozo and she’s always beautiful.

Majmuna died in 1174, yet her beautifully preserved tombstone, now housed in the Gozo Museum of Archaeology, remains a tangible reminder of this island’s chequered history, of its exotic past and present. Engraved in Kufic script over a recycled Roman slab are prayers and her eulogy; I too say a little prayer for this girl I’ve never met. Upstairs lie some of Malta’s finest Roman marbles and the museum’s ticket also grants me entry to the Cittadella Visitor’s Centre, a beautifully produced exhibit accompanied by a brilliant audio-visual presentation. I walk round the citadel,

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Gozo’s old medina, while listening to Natacha Atlas, marvelling at the saqifahs and the yellow plastering. It’s time for my nap.

Dinner. Where to go when the sea’s dull and rough, when you’re tired of often soggy fritto misto and watered down Aperol Spritz?

Well, it depends entirely on my mood, as most things do. This time I’ll be going to the Michelin Guide featured Tmun Mgarr; it might equally have been Francesco’s Special Pizza, housed in the minthued Zebbug parish club, and which serves a good and dirt cheap pizza on a narrow terrace overlooking the valley and the Ġordan lighthouse. The food at Tmun is delicious; the atmosphere warm and the service excellent. Some of the waiters have charming accents and the wine is divine. My bed is comfortable and the book I’m reading’s pretty engaging; I might stay somewhere else next time, maybe that room with the hot tub at Duke’s Hotel or the achingly chic pink room at Thirtyseven Gozo.

I’m not one for heavy breakfasts; in fact, I don’t have any breakfast at all. After coffee, I head to Gozo’s westernmost village of Għarb (from the identical Arabic); I walk round its streets and down its valley towards the chapel of the legendary San Dimitri. It’s a short and relatively comfortable hike even in my highly inappropriate

footwear. I smoke a cigarette and decide to visit the Ta’ Dbieġi Crafts Village, particularly its new addition, The Perfume Studio and their beautifully created, evocative scents. I buy some bottled prickly pear juice from It-Tokk (have it with spumante; a Barbary fig Bellini if you wish).

The Dwejra Azure Window is no more, but after a short bus ride I’m at the inland sea, heavy with memories of ħobż biżżejt from the rock-hewn bar by the shore, straw boater hats and yellow swimming shorts and the shyness of young love. Back in Rabat, I wander past the stalls in Pjazza Savina and buy myself a traditional handmade palm frond basket (ġewlaq) after some very enjoyable haggling. Cocktails on the terrace at the venerable relic that is the Hotel Ta’ Ċenċ and Spa before dinner at the Maldonado Restaurant in Rabat. It’s cosy and the food is divine; I can even smoke in their back courtyard. My cousin calls me and tells me he’s also in Gozo for the next few days. Cocktails tomorrow at the Gleneagles Bar in Mġarr. My peaceful idyll is inevitably broken.

But I will be back.

I always go back.

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BEAUTY

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BEAUTY

"Brotox" brings all the boys to the yard Words by Dr. Joanna Delia & Dr. Gorana Pecotic

Brotox, Mantox, miracle poison; call it what you will, it’s the most requested non-surgical aesthetic procedure for men year after year, and millions worldwide have officially hopped on board the cosmetic bandwagon. Dr Groana Pecotic and Dr Joanna Delia, the experts at People&Skin, share the secrets to that cool, calm and collected boardroom look.

The stigma associated with male aesthetic procedures is fading, and men are refusing to settle for looking older and more tired than they actually feel. They’re taking conscious control over their appearance and taking extra measures to look their best. People who speak negatively about aesthetic procedures, especially in men, generally lack a deeper understanding of the nature of these treatments as well as the impact numerous insecurities can have on someone’s psyche.

“I think men are just as vain as their female counterparts.

They’re hitting the gym every morning, counting macros and spending a small fortune on treating premature hair loss, so shaking the shame off anti-wrinkle injections was simply an inevitable and natural progression. Admitting vanity doesn’t make you weak. It makes you honest,” Gorana said.

Men are definitely feeling the pressures of modern living.

Physical appearances are impacting professional and personal relationships like never before. Competitive job markets demand an energetic and youthful appearance, and social media apps have never been quicker to judge based purely on a few online photos. Joanna emphasises, “you’d better look your best in a reality where looking angry, worried or tired is the kiss of social media death. Botulinum toxin is the quick-fix everyone doesn’t know they need until they try it. I can almost guarantee we all know someone who’s a convert.”

As time goes by, the repetitive contractions of facial muscles damage the structure of the overlying skin and result in the formation of wrinkles. In particular, men who train often and lift heavy commonly get signs of gym strain, which causes the face to create stronger tension lines on the face. These eventually settle into permanent wrinkles around the eyes and forehead, resulting in a stressed appearance even when at rest.

Injecting small amounts of Botulinum toxin interrupts the chemical communication between nerves and muscles, blocking the contraction for a period of time. It gets rid of unintentional resting angry, tired or worried facial expressions and prevents future wrinkles from forming. Joanna philosophy is to remove the tired look without creating a face that looks worked on.

“Botox is ideal for the frown, forehead and lines around the corners of the eyes. The results are subtle yet effective. Men appear more youthful, confident and approachable. Our ethos is: erase deep lines, maintain expression. No one wants the 90s Hollywood ‘frozen face’ syndrome,” she said.

Botulinum toxin also has the added benefit of blocking nerve signals to sweat glands, preventing excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). If you’re a believer of the classic boardroom advice “never let them see you sweat”, this treatment can make you the living embodiment of “cool, calm and collected”. Areas most commonly targeted are under the arms and palms of hands.

Essentially the concept of treatment in men is not very different to injecting Botulinum toxin in women. However, male and female anatomy is slightly different. “Men have thicker skin, larger bony structures and more muscle mass.

Contractions are stronger, and wrinkles tend to be deeper.

Therefore precise injection sites and dosages are tailored to maintain peak masculine form – flatter straighter brows, strong jawlines, wider chins.”

Getting Botox is a simple procedure that only takes a few minutes and can essentially be done in your lunch break.

Post-treatment care is minimal. Gorana explains what to expect. “Minor swelling and redness generally disappear within an hour. Most people get straight back to their daily routines. Gym junkies – swap that cardio session with a lighter strength training one to avoid excessive sweating post treatment. You can actually sweat some of the product out, rendering the treatment less effective. No helmets and no tight hats/headbands for the first 24 hours as the pressure might displace the product and cause asymmetric results.”

After those initial 24 hours of care, all you have to do is sit and wait as it takes anywhere between 5-14 days before results become apparent. “We offer everyone a follow-up to assess results and correct any persistent muscle movement.

From then on it’s smooth, wrinkle-free skin for an average of 3-4 months. Once the effect wears off, the procedure can be repeated. Regular treatments prevent reversion to previously existing lines and combat future wrinkles from appearing too soon,” Gorana said.

Extensive research has been conducted on the safety and efficacy of Botulinum toxin treatments. The most common unwanted effect is light bruising around the injection sites.

This generally disappears after a couple of days and leaves no permanent marks. Occasionally, some people experience headaches during the first 24 hours post-treatment.

For a long time, women were held to a much higher aesthetic standard than men, but that aesthetic standard gap appears to be closing. Treatments are more accessible than ever and offer immediate, dramatic results. Joanna reiterates it’s time for men to catch up. “In a world where being proactive about appearances can give us all the competitive edge that life increasingly demands - what are you waiting for?”

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FOOD

Sugar & spice and all things things nice

Words & photography by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Covid-Christmas is going to have a little less socialising this year. No staff gatherings, no Christmas vacations, and social distancing everywhere you look. But if last spring’s breadbaking trend was anything to go by, a socially distanced Christmas is the perfect excuse to get into the kitchen. This year we have been given the go-ahead to start Christmas celebrations early, so get your tree up, put those Christmas carols on and try your hand at something new. Get the kids involved and get into the Christmas spirit (we won’t tell if your Christmas spirit is a bottle of whiskey. It pairs nicely with the Ferrero Rocher cupcakes!) We all deserve a little happiness at Christmas time and what could be happier than cake?

themalteseolive

NUTELLA CHRISTMAS TREE INGREDIENTS: 2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry 1 cup Nutella 1 egg Icing sugar, to garnish Raspberries, to garnish

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Method 1.

n a lightly floured surface, place the two O sheets of pastry on top of each other and cut a triangle shape at the top of the tree, saving the extra bits to make the star at the end.

2. Remove one of the sheets and spread the Nutella evenly on the second sheet.

3. Cover with the first sheet.

4. Starting from the bottom of the tree, cut branches from around one third away from the edge on both sides.

5. Continue to cut all the way up to the triangle part of the tree.

6. Twist each of the branches, being careful not to get Nutella everywhere.

7. With the remaining bits of pastry cut two star shapes and sandwich with Nutella and place at the top of the tree.

8. Brush with egg wash and bake for 20 – 25 mins until golden.

9. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.

10. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with fresh raspberries

PEOPLE

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Comino

FOOD

GINGER CAKE WITH CINNAMON FROSTING INGREDIENTS: 350g plain flour 350g dark brown sugar 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground cloves ½ salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g butter, cubed 3 eggs 2 tbsp treacle 200ml milk 2 tbsp orange juice 1 orange, zest only 1 tsp vanilla extract

CINNAMON FROSTING: 400g double cream 200g icing sugar 360g cream cheese ½ tbsp cinnamon

Method 1.

2.

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4.

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8.

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reheat the oven to 180C and prepare three springform baking P pans, lined with baking paper and greased well.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt).

Add the butter and mix until the mixture looks like wet sand.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl if the mixture starts to stick.

Add the milk, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mixture in the three pans and bake in the oven for 25 mins until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 mins before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, whip the double cream and the icing sugar until you have soft peaks.

Remove from the mixer and beat the cream cheese with the cinnamon.

Slowly add the whipped cream, beating as you go along. Don’t overbeat.

When the cake is completely cold, place a large dollop of the frosting onto the bottom tier and top with the second tier. Repeat with the third tier.

Place some more frosting over the top and the sides and smooth over.

Decorate with ginger biscuits.

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FOOD

FERRERO ROCHER CUPCAKES WITH NUTELLA INGREDIENTS: 1 cup plain flour ¼ cup cocoa powder ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 120g butter ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolk ½ cup buttermilk 12 Ferrero Rocher

CINNAMON FROSTING: 226g butter 400g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt ½ cup Nutella A few tbsp milk, as needed 12 Ferrero Rocher

Method 1.

2.

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7.

8.

9.

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re-heat the oven to 180°C. P Sift the flour and the cocoa powder and combine with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides with each addition.

Add the vanilla essence and mix.

Add half the flour and mix until just combined.

Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.

Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.

Place half the batter into 12 prepared cupcake papers in a muffin tin.

Press down one Ferrero Rocher into each of the cupcakes and top with remaining batter.

Bake for 20 – 25 mins until a skewer placed in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the buttercream, place the butter, icing sugar, Nutella, vanilla and salt into a mixer and mix until combined.

Add as much milk as you need to get the right consistency. You shouldn’t need more than a few tablespoons.

Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake and top with a Ferrero Rocher.

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FOOD

Fine recipes for cold winter Photography by Julia Boikova

A person’s lifestyle is heavily influenced by the food they eat and the places they have been. James Staniland, founder of The Wandering Kitchen, has spent much of his life exploring the world and the culinary flavours it has to offer.

Born in Monaco to parents with English and South African roots, James always had a natural affinity to both travel and food. Feeding off his mother’s passion for both growing and preparing food, he realised early that the best ingredients are sourced locally. After living on a boat until the age of 5 with his parents, his family and James have finally settled in Malta. He was then exposed to the Medditerranian Sea and a job as a chef on a private yacht has taken him all over the world and with every country he visits his curiosity grows.

James believes that every dining experience should be tailored according to location and he will change the dishes he turns out accordingly. “Wherever in the world I happen to be the formula for creating a unique experience is the same, sourcing my ingredients must be both local and sustainable, while adhering to a certain standard in flavour, presentation and overall experience.”

Having spent some time in Malta, creating the successful Wandering Kitchen pop-up dinners as well as specialising in private dining, James has flown the coup and is now settled in Mallorca where he is discovering the essence of Spanish ingredients. While on a short visit to Malta, he transforms some local autumn ingredients into a warm and hearty feast.

chef_staniland

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FOOD

CONFIT PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN PUREE AND SAGE BROWN BUTTER, CRISPY SAGE A lovely dish using in-season pumpkin, utilising all its components with no waste.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: Whole pumpkin (about 2 kg) 1 litre grapeseed oil 500g salted butter 1 bunch sage 250ml cream Salt to taste

Method Cut and trim the pumpkin reserving all the seeds and skin. Cut the pumpkin into four equal pieces of roughly 250g each. You can cut them into any shape as long as they are of equal size so they cook at the same time. In one pot add all the pumpkin trimmings, a pinch of salt and the cream. On a medium to low heat, with a lid on, cook the trimmings until completely broken down. Add the pumpkin along with the cream into a blender and blend until very smooth. Set aside.

In a separate pot, pour in all the grapeseed oil, the pumpkin skin and the seeds, bring up to a simmer and then switch off and let infuse for at least an hour. Strain and reserve the oil.

To make the sage brown butter, add 500g butter to a pot and put on medium heat, let the butter cook stirring occasionally until it turns brown and you smell a pleasant nutty smell, Once it is browned remove from heat and add 15 sage leaves to the butter (be careful as may spit) strain and leave in a warm place.

To make the crispy sage leaves, pick all remaining sage leaves from the bunch and heat up 100ml of canola oil till hot, add leaves in batches and fry till crispy and then put on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

To cook the pumpkin, heat oil in a pot on medium to low heat till you have little bubbles in the oil coming up in intervals.If you have a thermometer, this will happen at roughly 80 Celsius. Add the pumpkin pieces and cook until a toothpick is easily pushed into the meat.

This will depend on the size and age of the pumpkin, but will take around 30 minutes.

Switch off heat and carefully remove pumpkin pieces (they will be very delicate). Warm puree and add to plate placing confit pumpkin piece on top. Pour over a good amount of brown butter and then add crispy sage leaves to the top and serve.

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FOOD

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KALE WRAPPED LAMPUKI, ROASTED BEETROOT AND KOHLRABI (Ä IDRA) AND PARSLEY SAUCE This is a lovely dish using seasonal ingredients: fresh wild lampuki, and all the greens and root vegetables of autumn.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: 1 lampuki (roughly 2kg) cleaned and filleted 4 litres water 400g fine salt 1 large bunch kale, preferably cavolo nero ROASTED BEETROOT: 4 large beetroots 500g rock salt 2 tbs canola oil KOHLRABI AND PARSLEY SAUCE: 1 large kohlrabi 50g butter 300ml double cream 2 large bunches parsley 500ml grapeseed oil

Kale wrapped lampuki First of all, make sure the lampuki fillets have been cleaned properly and all bones removed. In a large pot, mix 4 litres of water with 400g salt, mix very well or blend so all salt has been diluted in water. This is a brine which will help add flavour to the fish and help break down the proteins so it will help to keep the meat moist.

Add fillets to brine and leave for 15 minutes, remove from liquid and dry well with paper towel.

This next step is a bit of a process, and if you don’t want to do the whole process you can easily portion fillets into four pieces, massage the kale with some olive oil and salt and spread on a baking tray reserving some to place on top of fillets, bake in an oven at 200 Celsius for 15 minutes.

While the fish is brining, clean and wash the kale. Remove the stalks, trying to keep the leaves as intact as possible. When the fish is ready, cut it into strips roughly the length of the kale leaves. Wrap a leaf of kale around the individual pieces of lampuki, and continue until all the pieces of fish have been rolled up. Trim them all to the same length. Spread a 30cm long piece of cling film out onto the counter, and at the end closest to you, pile up pieces of the kale-wrapped lampuki, and then roll into a cylinder using the cling film to keep it together. Roll tightly until you end up with a cylindrical shape. Do this twice, so you end up with two cylindrical rolls.

Keep in the fridge until needed.

Roasted beetroot To roast the beets, heat the oven to 200 Celsius. Mix the oil with the salt, and place beetroots on a baking tray. Cover them with the salt oil mix. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes. Remove, and let cool then peel them. Portion them into pieces or cut into discs using a cookie cutter.

Kohlrabi and parsley sauce Start by making a parsley oil. Pick all the parsley leaves and wash well, reserving the stems for stock. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to boil, and get a large bowl with iced water ready. Once the salted water is at a rolling boil, add the parsley and blanch for 6 seconds. Remove and add to the iced water. Remove as much water as possible from the parsley and add to a blender along with 500ml of grapeseed oil. Blend for about 2 minutes, then strain through a coffee filter.

This can take an hour or two but be patient, as you'll end up with a vibrant green oil. While the parsley oil is straining, peel and roughly chop up the kohlrabi. Melt the butter on medium to low heat in a pot and then add the kohlrabi. Cook for a minute or two; you don't want any caramelisation. Add 200ml of water, lower the heat and cook until soft for about an hour. Once ready, blend and pass the liquid through a fine sieve. Add liquid back to a clean pot, and on a medium heat, slowly reduce by half. Once reduced, add cream and mix well, keeping warm. Season to taste.

To serve Bring a pot of water up to a simmer and put a steamer on top. Remove the fish from the cling film and place the fish in steamer. Steam for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up the kohlrabi cream mix. Once fish is steamed, remove and rest for five minutes. Then carve each roll into two pieces, add to the centre of a bowl. Pour the parsley oil into the cream mix and mix gently. The mix will be split, but this is what you want. Pour over the fish and then garnish with beetroot discs or pieces. Pour over a little olive oil and serve.

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FOOD

LEMON RICOTTA CAKE WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE This is a lovely light cake with a lemony tang. The pomegranate sauce is rich, and adds a delicious creamy richness and colour to the cake. Serves 8

INGREDIENTS: 120g unsalted butter (room temperature) 150g sugar 3 large eggs 3 tbs lemon juice 1 ½ tsp. vanilla essence Zest of 1 lemon 140g plain flour 2 tsp. baking powder 250g fresh ricotta 60ml milk POMEGRANATE SAUCE: 2 large ripe pomegranates 1 litre of water 3 tbs honey 500ml cream

Method Preheat oven to 180 Celsius. Grease a round 8-inch cake tin with butter and then line with baking paper.

In a mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar, and vanilla essence and beat until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.

Add the lemon juice, zest, baking powder and ricotta. Beat on a low speed, add the milk and beat briefly until combined. Pour the batter (it may look clumpy, but this is fine) into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 30-40 mins, or until a skewer stuck into the middle comes away clean. Leave to cool completely in the cake tin. While cooling, make the pomegranate sauce.

To make the sauce, remove all the seeds from the pomegranates and put into a pot. Make sure you remove all the white pith. Cover the seeds in 1 litre of water, bring to the boil and allow to infuse and then cool completely. Blend well and strain through a fine sieve. Pour back into a pot and reduce on medium heat along with 3 tbs of honey. You want the liquid to reduce down until it is quite thick, or coats the back of a spoon.

Once reduced, add the cream and stir well.

Serve alongside the cake, with fresh pomegranate seeds on top if desired.

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DRINKS

The Globe-trotting Bartender How do you become a master at your game? Your first port of call is research and Nico de Soto’s thirst for knowledge has taken him to all parts of the globe – 95 countries to be precise. Bucket lists come in all forms, and part of Nico’s is ticking off the best bars and restaurants in the world. So far, he’s got through every single bar on the World’s 50 Best Bar List (2018) and 63 of the Top 100 Restaurants.

Whilst sipping on some of the world’s best cocktails, he draws inspiration for his own cocktail list. Beverage consultant by day, and owner of the 28th Best Bar in the World for four years running, Mace in New York, by night Nico’s approach to drinks is inspired by travel and food, where he is constantly experimenting with new flavours, combinations and techniques.

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DRINKS

ST-GERMAIN DES PRES INGREDIENTS: 40cl Citadelle Gin 20cl Belvoir Elderflower Cordial 20cl St-Germain 20cl lime juice 4 dashes Thai Chili Tincture 5ml cucumber juice THAI CHILI TINCURE: 100g Thai Chili infused in 500g Wray & Nephew for 2 weeks.

Method Shaken with ice.

MACE INGREDIENTS: 25ml Linie Aquavit 25ml Aperol 20ml Thai Coconut Syrup 25ml beet/OJ 2 mists Mace Tincture Beet/OJ: Juice beets to get 1L of juice.

Add 1L of fresh orange juice, 50g of citric acid and 30g of malic acid.

Young Thai Coconut Syrup: Open coconut, take juice out and mix 1L of juice with 1L of sugar. Do not boil or cook.

Mace Tincture: Infuse 50g of ground Mace in 200ml of vodka for 2 weeks.

Method Shaken with ice.

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G AM ES BO OK

How I stumbled upon COVID-immunity in London I found myself walking down the streets of London, a city I’d never visited until now. But here I was, a sense of unease stirring in my gut as the road ahead of me lay empty; Not a soul in sight.

A tiny bell rang as I opened the door to a classic British pub and stepped in, the posters of a virus and how to protect oneself from it scattered around the establishment. “Wash your hands. stay indoors. Keep your distance”.

The bar is almost as eerily empty as the streets outside, with the barman, Tom, casually cleaning some glasses behind the counter.

I’m asking him what happened, and he tells me: "curfews, quarantines, the virus. People are dropping like flies, and this place is just not what it used to be, ya know?" The barmaid ayes in agreement, as she disinfects tables in the back of the pub. Windows are open although the weather outside is all but welcoming. It’s important to keep good circulation to minimise any risk of virus-particles lingering in the air, apparently.

After a short chat, I leave what used to be a place packed with cheerful people, and walk down the street, and as I do, come across a man lying on the pavement. He’s dead, has been for a while. His white mask is still covering his face; all I can see are his eyes.

And it is right at this moment that it hits me, that these Spanish Flu-ridden streets of 1918s London, are very much like our own.

The Spanish Flu raged during three waves between 1918 and 1920, with the number of suspected cases reaching 500 million, with an approximation of 50 million deaths.

Compared to our current situation with over 52 million COVID-19 reported cases, and 1.3 million deaths, there’s a strong correlation between the two, especially when looking at cytokine storms being causes of death in young people.

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Photo by Julia Boikova

I’m basically playing the news I’m here as Doctor Jonathan Reid; a surgeon turned Vampire in the Dontnod Entertainment game Vampyr. First released on the 5th of June 2018, it was unbeknownst to everyone that it would soon come to play out a truth too-close-to-home. Even as the game released on Nintendo Switch on the 29th of October 2019, this was still just a Vampire-game.

Well, a successful Vampire game. Over one million copies have been sold, contributing to a 22.1% increased revenue for Dontnod, and has been awarded the “Best of E3” award from GamesRadar+ in 2017.

In Vampyr, we follow the “good” Doctor on a journey through parts of London not yet completely quarantined by the H1N1 virus, as he seeks to know who turned him into a vampire, why the virus only takes some lives while changing others into horrible beasts, he himself completely immune to it.

And although this does sound incredibly far-fetched, it still digs its fangs of familiarity deep into the throat of its prey, me.

As he enters the Pembroke Hospital to get to know his new colleagues, he’s met by tired nurses and doctors. They’ve run out of PPE gear and medicine, some have left, some have died, some have surrendered to the never-ending labour they are faced with as more and more sick people find their way to the hospital every single day (sounds familiar?).

I know that this is a video game, but yet I am unable to shake the fact that playing it is like reading the news. And although I’m a huge horror fan, usually unscathed by the usual scares, nothing has made me feel as uneasy than playing a game about a pandemic, during a pandemic.

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Looking beyond vampires, viruses, and vultures What concludes a journey through empty streets and closed up shops is that Dr Reid may provide aid to those in need (and feed on those not worthy, a choice completely up to you), while it’s clear that we are indeed following the same patterns of dealing with a disease as we did over a century ago. Vampires or not.

Of course, other games have also explored pandemics, the most prominent one being Plague Inc (2012), where you are given the world as your playground to grow a deadly virus with the goal of completely erasing humanity.

About the author: With over seven years in the iGaming industry, and a lifetime as a dedicated gamer nerd, Felicia Wijkander has found the key to happiness in mixing the written word ( her favourite way of communication) with gaming as a freelance copy and content writer.

Having an artistic parent with a passion for old splatter-movies set the stage for Felicia’s preference of games, books, and movies. It opened her eyes to the written worlds of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Ajvide Lindqvist, and Anders Fager.

The immensely popular Resident Evil franchise uses the T-Virus as warfare, and we play against the clock, injected with the RNAtype Uroboros virus, in Resident Evil 4 (2005). Even The Last of Us (2013) tells the story of survivors after a Cordyceps fungus outbreak in the US. And although I’m sure playing any of these now is bound to stir up feelings of uneasy familiarity as well, Vampyr is still the only game that brings me as a player in contact with posters, leaflets, and medical-masked people preaching the same guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus as I’m exposed to every single day in real life.

In the end, we’ll get through this pandemic as well, but until we do, wash your hands, keep your distance, and if you’re anything like me – play some video games.

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