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Month: June 2019

35th MEB Members Rendezvous

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/06/2019

The Monaco Economic Board has presented its programme of events to 300 stakeholders in the Principality’s economy gathered for the 35th Members Rendezvous. After an intense BtoB session, Executive Director General Guillaume Rose unveiled changes to the MEB and details of this year’s heavy schedule.

MEB Executive Director General Guillaume Rose

The BtoB session was organised by the Monaco Chamber of Commerce and included 85 one-on-one meetings involving 55 companies. Each lasted 10 minutes, giving those present an opportunity to talk business and make new contacts.

Afterwards guests gathered on the terrace for the Rendezvous itself, which started with a welcome speech by Chairman Michel Dotta.

MEB Executive Director General Guillaume Rose

Executive Director General Guillaume Rose then took to the floor to explain changes at the MEB since his arrival in March. They included the creation of a dedicated department for coordinating actions taken by public and public-private entities involved in operations abroad, and the reinforcement of the Monaco Chamber of Commerce team to give members an improved service.

Mr Rose also announced the main upcoming events which include five trade missions: Bucharest and Rostov-sur-le-Don in September, Naples in October, Turin in November and Seoul in December. For each trip, the MEB is drawing on the knowledge and expertise of local networks, starting with the Principality’s own diplomatic and consular network.

In Italy and Romania, ‘Monaco Destination’ Ambassadors and businesses with strong ties to the Principality will help develop opportunities.

Promotional operations abroad in partnership with Monaco for Finance (AMAF*) are also on the agenda including to London, Vaduz and Zurich.

In Monaco, two renowned economists, Jean-Pierre Petit, (Cahiers Verts de l’Économie) and Ludovic Subran (Euler Hermes /Allianz) will again distil their knowledge in talks scheduled for 13th September and 15th October respectively.

Finally, the 8th Monaco-Matin Eco Club Awards recognise remarkable entrepreneurs in the Principality on 12th November.

The Executive Director General also outlined the main avenues of action in 2020 with 12 destinations either scheduled or being evaluated.

 

 

Monaco Sport Academy: on route to excellence

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/06/2019

More than 200 people including personalities from sport, business, politics, local authorities and education have attended the Monaco Sport Academy’s first event ‘Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body’, held 14th June at the Yacht Club of Monaco.

It was under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II, alongside YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri and the man behind the project, YCM board member Philippe Ghanem, that the Monaco Sport Academy was launched in December 2018 at the YCM Awards.

“We need to give these young athletes a hand to take them to the highest level,” said Philippe Ghanem.

Compered by former international French footballer David Ginola, the event was an opportunity to present the project to an informed public of high profile personalities.

“For talented young people, turning your passion into your career is one of the best things in the world that could happen,” said Mr Ginola.

Sport and its associated values were top of the agenda in a day that started on the water with demonstrations by the Academy’s first intake in their various disciplines.

At the same time as they were putting on a show in the bay of Monaco, the front-runners in the 67th Rolex Giraglia race were crossing the finish line. It is the second time the Principality has hosted the end of this legendary offshore race, an amazing setting for guests to see for themselves the potential of the young Monegasque athletes.

The afternoon was dedicated to workshops run by men and women who have reached the top of their game. Silvio Arrivabene, involved in numerous editions of the America’s Cup, and Yohann Taberlet, French Paralympic skier, Team World Champion and bronze in the super-combined, were among those taking part in the first session ‘Success stories from athletes competing at the highest level and their training centre history’.

“Having a structure like the MSA is fantastic, as it is the future of sailing,” said Silvio Arrivabene.

Others who added their vision were Maxime Nocher, 11-time kiteboarding World Champion, and Claire Tétard, member of France’s national sailing team. An engineer at Thalès, Claire is one of those champions who has managed to pursue success in sport at the same time as carving out a career: “One of the keys to success is knowing the objectives, prioritising them and working out how to attain them.”

Prince Albert attended the event with more than 200 high profile personalities

After the break, ‘Anticipation, perseverance, investment, frustrations, failures, entourage influence: the importance of mental as well as physical strength to win medals’ was the focus for the second session. Stefano Tirelli, mental coach behind the Complementary Sport Techniques method and who has worked with many well-known teams and individual athletes, opened the debate.

His opinions were shared by Lisa Mashal, another mental coach with a different approach based on neuro-hypnotic relaxation to re-programme the mind in a positive way.

The afternoon ended with a workshop entitled ‘The Sport Academy – a tool for success by encouraging transmission of a universal language focused on excellence’. Hülya Biren kicked off by highlighting the link between sporting and academic success at school.

“This aspect of an athlete’s life is essential,” said Ravy Truchot, founder of the Paris Saint Germain Academy Florida and the man behind the first International Centre of European Football.

The Monaco Sport Academy was keen to emphasise the ongoing year-on-year investment required to lead future generations towards a committed and active life, where they draw on all their resources attained from the values that top-level sport brings.

“It is important to achieve your goals, but the most important thing is the journey as a whole that we make, for it is that which makes the man,” concluded Yohann Taberlet.

 

Boosting security standards in luxury

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/06/2019

A new committee has been created in Monaco to regulate security standards within the luxury sector.

Minister of the Interior Claude Cardone and Director of Public Security Patrice Cellario ©DR

A conference was held on Tuesday 18th June at the Technical and Hospitality High School focussing on the partnership between luxury professionals, specifically specialists in watchmaking, jewellery, jewellery trades, and public security.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario, in the presence of Richard Marangoni, Director of Public Security and members of his staff. The result was the creation of the Monaco Luxury Safety Committee and the election of its president Claude Cardone.

The implementation of this committee forms part of the ‘Public Safety 2020’ plan, in which the ‘Monaco, a safe city’ project focuses on a global solution to improving security criteria with socio-economic partners. In the Principality, the focus will be on the development of a common relationship based on prevention.

The Public Security department issued safety recommendations in two charters, VIGILUX and VIGIEXPO, and professionals who implement these recommendations will receive a certificate, representing a seal of quality for safety.

TV Festival awards winners

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/06/2019

Winners of the prestigious Golden Nymph Awards have been announced at the 59th Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Golden Nymphs covering a range of categories from long-fiction programmes, drama and comedy series, and news programmes as well as a number of accolades including the International TV Audience Awards and the Prince Rainier III Special Prize were presented during the Awards Ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene at the 59th Monte Carlo Television Festival. Photo: MC TV Festival

A glamorous red carpet saw H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco welcome Hollywood star and Crystal Nymph winner Michael Douglas, along with many leading US and international acting and creative talent from hit television series.

“The 59th Monte-Carlo Television Festival has not only offered glittering entertainment but has provided a forum for contemporary, topical debate,” said festival honorary president Prince Albert. “All this has been possible thanks to our wonderful international television industry participation. From fiction to documentaries to news content, our Golden Nymph Awards celebrate excellence across all genres.”

“This year it has been a honour to welcome the esteemed actor Michael Douglas, who we have had the pleasure in awarding our prestigious Crystal Nymph Award for his outstanding work in the industry. I would like, once again, to congratulate all our award winners and to thank our jury members for their contribution, without which none of this would be possible.”

More than 20 Golden Nymphs were awarded. Feature ‘Escape at Dannemora’, based on the true story of the escape of two prisoners convicted of murder in New York State in 2015, was awarded the Best Fiction Program award, while Patricia Arquette, who embodies Tilly Mitchell in the film, was awarded Best Actress.

The award for best comedy TV series went to On the Spectrum, telling the story of three young autistic adults living together.

Other series to have been awarded include The Good Doctor, My Brilliant Friend, Lethal Weapon and From your heart to mine.

“The Monte-Carlo Television Festival presents the very best in television from around the world and the 59th edition has been no exception,” said Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. “It has been a star-studded and thought-provoking week, in which we have been honored to welcome the finest international creative and acting talent to Monaco. The festival is testament to the fact that as the industry adapts and evolves with the times, good storytelling never goes out of fashion.”

Full list of awards:

Best Long Fiction Programme: Escape At Dannemora
Outstanding Actress: Patricia Arquette – Escape At Dannemora
Outstanding Actor: Grégory Montel –   La Soif De Vivre
Best Documentary: Dollar Heroes – North Korea’s Secret Slaves
Jury Prize: Crackdown, The “Rule Of Law” In China

Best TV News Item: Khashoggi Body Double
Best Live Breaking News: Good Morning Britain

Best Comedy TV Series: On The Spectrum
Outstanding Actress: Naomi Levov – On The Spectrum
Outstanding Actor: Niv Majar – On The Spectrum

Best Drama TV Series: My Brilliant Friend
Outstanding Actress: Vicky Krieps
Outstanding Actor: Richard Madden – Bodyguard

Best Drama TV Series: The Good Doctor
Best Crime TV Series: Lethal Weapon
Best Telenovelas – Soap Operas: From Your Heart To Mine

Prince Rainier III Special Prize: Drowning In Plastic
AMADE Prize: Yemen: Kids and War
SIGNIS Prize:  War
International Committee of the Red Cross Prize: Care
PeaceJam Prize: The price of free

One year celebration for the Hercule Fitness Club

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/06/2019

The Hercule Fitness Club has celebrated its 1st anniversary with the inauguration of a new pergola.

Photo: Mairie de Monaco

Managed by the Municipal Service of Sports and Associations of the Town Hall of Monaco, Hercule Fitness Club blew out one candle on Tuesday 18th June in the presence of Mayor Georges Marsan and Councillors Jacques Pastor, Axelle Amalberti Verdino and Claude Bollati as well as Mélanie Flachaire.

In his speech, the mayor reflected figures for the previous year, saying, “Today we have nearly 700 members and a total of 21,624 entries. There have been 1,690 group lessons, while 572 spinning sessions were delivered in one year. 63,638 kilometers were traveled on carpets, upright bikes, and either elongated or elliptical.”

“The increasing attendance shows how much this gym has been able to meet a expectations. The success goes well beyond our expectations,” he said.

Given the growing number of membership applications, two novelties have been presented.

The first is the installation of a 100m2 bioclimatic pergola​​. In summer, the structure will accommodate fat burner classes, hiit, body sculpt, CAF, and oxygen, freeing up the indoor fitness room for the rest of the members. The pergola will also be used as a new training ground for athletes until 9pm.

Another new addition is the introduction of a special “low hour” tariff, offering reduced prices for members who use facilities at traditionally quiet times.

The Hercule Fitness Club is open to everyone regardless of place of residence, and offers a wide range of hours: Monday to Friday from 7am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 8pm. The aquatic area with aquagym and aquabike sessions is also popular, recording 498 courses and 2,535 reservations in one year.

The celebratory evening included the screening of a short film about the first year of Hercule Fitness Club and the presentation of awards to the most dedicated members of the first year and the winners of the recent sports challenges.

Monaco affirms its commitment to World Food Program

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/06/2019

A delegation from Monaco headed to Rome in June to take part in the annual meeting of the Council of Europe and the administration of the World Food Program (WFP).

WFP Executive Board – Yordanos Pasquier, Senior Program Manager at the Directorate of International Cooperation and Robert Fillon, Ambassador of Monaco to Italy, Permanent Representative to the Rome-based Multilateral Organisations © DR

The delegation was composed of Robert Fillon, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the Rome-based Multilateral Organisations, and Yordanos Pasquier, Senior Program Manager in the Directorate of International Cooperation.

During the session, held from 10th to 14th June, WFP’s actions and assistance programs in the different regions of the world where food security is not ensured were studied. While highlighting some important progress in food supply, WFP Executive Director David Beasley also noted serious difficulties in channeling international assistance in some countries affected by armed conflict, such as Yemen. The executive director also highlighted the growing disruption of climate change in the most vulnerable agricultural production systems.

The Principality of Monaco, committed to Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), has made food security one of its four priority areas. In 2019, WFP became the first multilateral partner of the Monegasque Cooperation, with six development projects supported by Monaco in Sahel, Madagascar and Burundi, as well as emergency assistance. Almost €800,000 has already been allocated during the year 2019.