Verdala Palace doesn’t whisper. It stands. High above Malta’s Buskett Woodlands, this 16th-century palace, once the summer residence of the Knights of St. John, became the stage for something more modern: ambition in motion. On the opening day of , a six-day innovation event dedicated to high-performance business building, the focus was clear: Malta Success. And there was no better way to begin unpacking the story behind SiGMA global expansion than with a conversation titled “Removing Borders” between Emily Micallef, CEO of SiGMA Group, and Janos Barberis, CEO of SuperCharger Ventures. This engaging fireside chat embraced that theme throughout its discussion.
“Some of the most valuable conversations don’t happen centre stage,” Barberis said as he opened the discussion. “They happen in the quieter corners like this one.” Then he turned to Micallef.
“I first met Emily offstage in one of those smaller moments,” he said. “But today, I want to talk about something bigger.” He asked, “Is SiGMA the biggest iGaming conference brand?”
“In Malta, yes! I’d say the largest,” Micallef replied without hesitation. “And hopefully, one day, globally too.” That ambition, she explained, had always been in the blueprint. “So, SiGMA was born in Malta. And the mindset from the very beginning was always global.”
The roots of SiGMA’s global expansion
How do you transition from an island conference to an international platform?
“You always keep your realities in mind, but you aim as high as possible.”
“That’s something I believe we achieved, Micallef said. We started with people working out of our office in Malta, and we grew from there.” The turning point came not in comfort but in crisis. “Timing helped us. And not just when we launched our first local event, but especially when we launched our first event abroad.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Malta’s event scene came to a standstill. SiGMA didn’t.
“In a strange way, COVID gave us the push,” she said. “Events in Malta weren’t possible, but we could do them in Dubai. That became the turning point.”
The SiGMA team didn’t panic. They pivoted.
“We worked with a clear sense of mission,” Micallef said. “At any SiGMA event or within the company, it doesn’t matter who you are. No one is ‘more’ than anyone else.” That mindset travelled well. “So, when the time came, the mindset wasn’t foreign to the team. It was already there.”
From Dubai, the map unfolded. “Then came Dubai, then Latin America, then Asia, now we’re on six continents, and it just exploded.” SiGMA’s global expansion hasn’t slowed, and its next chapter begins even closer to home, with an exclusive affiliate retreat in Gozo marking the launch of SiGMA Euro Med 2025.
Malta’s mindset powers global momentum
Barberis brought the conversation back to home soil. “Now that you’ve gone global, but Malta is still home, right?”
Micallef didn’t pause. “The government believes in investing in new sectors,” she said. “They’re not afraid to take risks. They understand that’s part of what it means to be a hub.”
” Accessibility. That’s what sets Malta apart.” It may be small geographically, but it’s absolutely not small in opportunity.”
She spoke of speed and access. “Malta gives businesses an unparalleled level of government access to ministers, to decision-makers,” she explained.
“Of course, logistically, everything is a five-minute drive away. But it’s the access, the willingness, the support that makes Malta truly unique. There’s no other country in the world where we’ve found that level of accessibility. Elsewhere, it can take months to schedule a meeting or book a venue. In Malta, it happens in days.”
Barberis agreed. “I’m not even in events, but I’ve seen it too. The access, the speed, the willingness.”
Speed gets you noticed. But it’s Malta’s collaborative mindset that keeps doors open, and that’s crucial to SiGMA’s global expansion. “We’ve worked with partners from all over the world,” Micallef said. “And sometimes there are barriers to overcome, but in Malta, it’s different. It’s a collaborative business culture, and that’s quite rare.” That culture isn’t confined to conference halls. Just days before the interview, an elegant all-white iGathering event brought operators, affiliates, and innovators together beneath the Maltese sky.
Growing global doesn’t mean growing distant
Some fear that when you scale, you lose your roots. Micallef doesn’t buy it. “One thing I’d say very clearly is this: expanding to other jurisdictions doesn’t mean abandoning your identity.”
“You don’t lose your DNA. You adapt it.”
And competition? That doesn’t scare her, either.“In reality, if someone else is doing something similar, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. You just have to do it your way.”
It all comes down to the approach. “With the right research, the right business model, and a clear value proposition, there’s always space,” she said. “There’s more than enough business to go around. Success doesn’t have to be singular.”
Barberis turned to the audience with a measured nod. “With SiGMA now a truly global platform, you’re not just growing the brand. You’re flying the flag for Malta, too.”
Micallef nodded and left the audience with a final truth: “Don’t be afraid to sleep on the big decisions,” she said. “But don’t delay too long, or you’ll miss the opportunity. Don’t be afraid to make a call. Make it. And adjust as you go.”
At that moment, beneath the centuries-old stone and beside a CEO who still carries her island’s rhythm, it became clear: Malta isn’t just where SiGMA started; it’s what made SiGMA possible. As SiGMA’s global expansion continues, continent by continent, it carries that same mindset with it. It was a lesson in how borders only matter if you let them.
