After months of what has been a very uncertain period for the ELT industry, Malta is back to organising one of its staple local events. And what a comeback for the industry this event has been! Celebrating nothing other than resilience, while bringing together ELT industry professionals, the ELT Malta Conference organised by the ELT Council, took place on Friday 8^th and Saturday 9^th October.

Friday, 8^th October 2021:

The first day was called Business and Management Strand because it brought together those who have kept the language schools in Malta alive; in other words, Schools Owners, Heads of Schools and senior Managers.

The event kicked off with a welcome speech by the Education Minister of Malta, Hon. Dr Justyne Caruana. This was followed by a couple of questions and concerns about the ELT industry in Malta, from the participants. The conference then proceeded with two very interactive talks:

1. Why is it so hard to Grow our School? by Robert Craven, and

2. Selling after the Crisis by Frank V. Cespedes

The aim of these sessions was to help those running ELT schools understand how to keep their business going, and growing. Although we may all be aware of the theory that surrounds these subjects, the two seminars at the ELT Malta Conference, tackled the ELT industry in Malta, specifically, and therefore, provided more realistic examples to those attending.

Saturday, 9^th October 2021:

The Intercontinental, St Julian’s, Malta, welcomed 150 ELT educators, as well as Heads and Senior Managers, this time for a face-to-face event. Despite sticking to all the required safety measures, the atmosphere here was warm. People from different ELT paths, who may not have met for months, greeting each other and looking happy to finally be back at this event. The first part of the morning was characterised by networking which led to the opening address of the conference. Dr Daniel Xerri welcomed all those attending and was followed by the announcement of the winner of the ELT Inspiring Award 2021 from Dr Odette Vassallo.

Such a moment of honour for Dion Pizzuto from EC School Malta, who has been inspiring people and colleagues for several years. He was described by his colleagues as always having a positive outlook and being a constant source of inspiration. Additionally, he is also involved in humanitarian work and several community projects. After the photos were snapped and a short speech was given by the winner, all those present gathered for the Plenary of the day. This was entitled Recovering from Adversity: How can we Rebuild English Language Teaching as a Resilient Profession? and delivered by Achilleas Kostoulas. The rest of the day continued with seminars held by various speakers, local and foreign, focusing on different teaching techniques and topics which teachers can make use of when in class.

The conference came to an end at 03:00 pm with the conference closing speech and a raffle. A very successful event and one that has celebrated the strength of the ELT industry in Malta. Congratulations to Dion Pizzuto, winner of the ELT Inspiring Award 2021 and a huge well done to all those who were involved in organising this event.