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MFCC - a World Class Arena Venue for Malta
A performance by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli accompanied by the Maltese National Orchestra launched the new Malta Fairs & Convention Centre (MFCC) as a concert venue. The show was attended by 7,500 people including prime minister Lawrence Gonzi, and president Edward Fenech Adami.
The new 27,000 square metre MFCC venue is located on a purpose-built site at the centre of the Island, with a large parking area and easy access from all directions. It’s the largest performance/convention/exhibition space in the country and the only indoor venue offering full production facilities to accommodate medium to large concerts, tours and shows.
It is intended to generate a whole new level of commercial fairs, concert, conference, corporate event and live music business in the county, attracting world class performers and leading destination management companies.
The structure is the brainchild of Ruben Caruana of Sign It, Malta’s leading event production company. He joined forces with Fairs & Exhibitions Ltd, leaders of commercial fairs in Malta, to form MFCC. Adrian Bajada, president of the Malta Federation of Industry was appointed chairman of the new company.
Caruana has been working on the project for the past six years and says: “Malta really needed a venue like this. It’s absolutely unique and gives the country the scope to host international artists, trade fairs and conventions of all types all the year round.”
Previously, large live concerts could only be staged during the summer months, when the weather could be guaranteed, and the largest available indoor venue could accommodate only 1500 people.
MFCC’s capacity is 22,000 standing and 10,000 seated. It measures 150 metres long by 50 wide, has 17 metres of headroom and can withstand wind-speeds of up to 30 knots – ideal for the often gusty Maltese environment! It has been built complete with all the essentials like toilets, AC/heating, dressing rooms, foyer, bar and FOH facilities, plus two main entrances.
The floorspace can also be laid out for gala dinner events or sectioned off for seminars and workshops. Stage size is variable – for Bocelli the dimensions were 60 metres wide by 20 deep.
The venue was built by UK-based Arena Structures, and is the same structure that served as the temporary replacement for Wembley Arena during its year-long refurbishment in 2005/06. It took just eight weeks from levelling the ground and laying the foundations for MFCC to be fully erected and hosting its first full European corporate event - for holiday giants Thomas Cook.
Several modifications have been made to the original build. Primarily the addition of three load-bearing steel structural arches which are movable along the length of the venue. These take up to 35 tonnes each and can be utilised for rigging lighting, video audio and other production elements. This also gives them the flexibility to build a stage in any position and orientation in the venue.
“We are primarily targeting the conference, convention and event business,” explains Caruana “There’s a whole raft of 5 star hotels that have opened on the Island over the last two years and with MFCC, all the infrastructure is now in place for Malta to become a leading European conference destination. It’s very exciting.”
He also thinks it is ideal as a production and rehearsal facility for major artists who want to develop their shows away from the glare of the press before going on the road.
Naturally the Bocelli show is seen as a great endorsement of the quality and production values offered by MFCC as a live concert facility. Lighting for Bocelli was supplied by locally-based Nexos lighting. The rig consisted of Clay Paky Alpha Spot and Wash 1200s and Stage Zoom moving lights, 5k Fresnels and Griven Kaleidos illuminating the cyc, all run from an Avolites Pearl 2004 console operated by Gerard Ajius and Ismael Portelli. Lighting was directed by Paolo Marchetti for Andrea Bocelli.
Audio was supplied by Major Tom from the UK – Bocelli’s regular sound company. Consisting of a Meyer Milos line array system with a Digico D5 console out front, the artist was mixed by Andrea Taglia and Francesco La Camera. The system was configured as a mono centre hang, plus mono left and rights, all time-aligned, matrixed and with the levels set. The engineer’s approach aims to make the audio sound like it’s coming directly off the stage - wherever you are sitting in the auditorium. All the onstage mics were Schoeps.
The show was promoted by Renaissance Productions, specialists in staging large concerts and fashion shows, and was a huge success. Renaissance’s Amabile Zammit says: “We are looking forward to a busy time all year round in this venue. With MFCC running the production side, all the logistics are made very easy. It will be a great asset to the country.”
2nd January 2007
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