SiGMA team resorts to gaslighting while 150,000+ stuck in traffic

The iGaming convention currently held at the Mediterranean Maritime Hub is widely blamed for the traffic congestion which extended as far as to Kappara.

It is the second time that the annual mega-event is taking place in Marsa’s industrial area where the country’s busiest arterial roads meet.

Transport Malta announced last week it was introducing traffic management measures, following even worse gridlock caused by the event last year.

These measures include designated zones for the drop-off and pick-up of attendees who make use of cabs and shuttle services.

On Tuesday it became clear that neither the organisers nor the authorities had succeeded in preventing a situation similar to last year’s traffic collapse.

’30 to 90 minutes’ lost

A source close to Transport Malta told NEWZ.mt it is estimated that this year “more than 150,000 commuters” are “directly impacted by SiGMA traffic” each day.

This “direct impact” translated to an individual loss of an “additional 30 to 90 minutes” while stuck in traffic on roads leading to Marsa junction.

The inofficial estimate seems plausible, given that bus operator Malta Public Transport (Tallinja) stated on Tuesday evening that “All bus routes in Malta are currently experiencing severe delays due to heavy traffic”, while the company blocked users from commenting – as usual when shit hits the fan.

Unsurprisingly, both the Labour Party’s radio and TV station One and the Labour-controlled ‘public’ broadcaster PBS did not report on the traffic situation.

Transport Minister Chris Bonett – who had just announced plans to ease traffic congestion throughout the year – and Prime Minister Robert Abela were nowhere to be seen on Tuesday.

Only on Wednesday morning, Bonett said in Parliament that an event of this kind was “like a football match held abroad” and will result in congestion.

He said he sympathises with all who were stuck in traffic, adding he also got stuck in traffic when he [deliberately] went to Marsa to understand what was happening.

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech stenographically noted the “jammed country” was due to “a government without a plan”, pointing out the Nationalist Party was focused on giving people “a better Malta and a better quality of life”.

Thousands voiced their frustration online, criticising both SiGMA and the government for again not having done enough to ease the additional traffic caused by the 27,000 people attending the event.

Among the huge number of negative comments in social media, a group of SiGMA managers and staff tried to gaslight angry commuters by spreading meticulously worded positivity.

Copypaste-style PR language

Commenting on a NEWZ.mt Facebook video showing heavy traffic at Blata L-Badja, SiGMA’s marketing chief, Lauranne Urban, reacted with what appears to be prepared copy:

“Thanks to the gaming industry, Malta has transformed into a thriving business hub. SiGMA launched ten years ago to unite this dynamic industry, fostering invaluable connections. This year, SiGMA attracted 27,000 people to Malta, generating a €100 million boost to the country’s tourism”, Urban said.

In another comment under a Facebook post by MaltaToday, Urban admitted that “traffic concerns have raised some alarm”, but did not elaborate further on it.

Instead, the chief marketing officer boasted that it was “important to recognize the significant benefits SiGMA has brought to Malta over the past decade”, again praising her employer and the whole industry.

‘Absolutely top-tier!’

A comment on NEWZ.mt’s Facebook by Irene Perpetua Kokkinou, who appears to be a marketing expert connected to SiGMA, similarly sounded overly professional:

“SiGMA has truly brought incredible opportunities to Malta, and this year’s event was absolutely top-tier! With over 100+ directional signs for taxis, coaches, and ferries, getting here was easy and organized. Let’s not forget—Malta is a small island, and SiGMA is making it shine on the global stage.”

Seconds later, the ‘digital marketing expert’ copy-pasted her words under a post on Times of Malta‘s Facebook page.

‘I call that a success’

Marie Reyjal, SiGMA senior sales manager, asked Times of Malta commenters to “be more open minded” and to “look at what SiGMA conference brings to Malta!”

She pointed out that restaurants, hotels, taxis were getting business in what she described as “such a dead month” and called on people to thank SiGMA – her employer – “instead of blaming them!”

SiGMA events manager, Maxine Formosa Gruppetta, similarly made heavy use of exclamation marks in her comment under the Times’ post:

“The economic impact this event has on our island is insaneeee!! The amount of business generated in just a couple of days is more than the country sees over MUCH longer periods of time!”, she wrote.

None of the team members of the iGaming convention pointed out in their comments that they’re in fact working for SiGMA.

Needless to say, their contributions on news outlets’ social media pages were not well received by most of the commenters.

Neither SiGMA nor Transport Malta have announced any additional measures to further address the disproportionate trouble the event causes.