Following Monday’s announcement that Monaco Yacht Show 2020 will be an “intimate” affair, Monaco Life spoke to the show’s Director Gaëlle Tallarida about organising this year’s event amid an unprecedented environment of uncertainty.
Monaco Life: What is the feeling among the local yachting industry now that you have been able to confirm that the Monaco Government and Informa are pushing ahead with this year’s Monaco Yacht Show?
Gaëlle Tallarida: Even before the announcement made this week, some exhibitors had decided to confirm their participation in the show (if the Covid19 pandemic improves with the arrival of summer). So we can assume that Monday’s announcement will strengthen their position. Other exhibitors await the evolution of the pandemic in the coming weeks. It is in this perspective that we wanted to reassure the yachting industry on the framework of the show and in particular on the sanitary measures implemented to ensure the safety of participants. Other companies have decided to cancel their participation given the current health framework. As every year, each exhibiting company is free to participate in the event with a presence in terms of exhibition space that it chooses according to its commercial and marketing strategy (stand area, number of yachts on display for example), so it’s the same this year. MYS Director Gaelle Tallarida You have labelled this year’s event an “intimate” yacht show. How different – in terms of scale – are you expecting it to be compared to last year?
The intimate nature of this year’s show, with a focus on putting the safety of participants first, will maintain the quality of the event for all participants, with exhibition areas which are in line with usual stand organisation: The quays will still be dedicated to brokers, shipyards, designers, yacht management and tender manufacturers. Large tents will regroup equipment and services companies, and decoration and interior design companies will be located on Parvis Piscine. The Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) and the seven yacht brokers belonging to the Large Yacht Brokers Association (LYBRA) have pulled out of this year’s event, saying the 2020 edition of MYS should not go ahead. What is your response to this and how will the withdrawal of these associations affect the show?
We are all coping with an unprecedented situation. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the businesses of everyone. Each will have different plans for the remainder of the year. This is understandable. We respect the decision of any company to withdraw from the MYS, whatever the reason. Each company faces its own commercial and economic issues and we must respect this, keeping in mind that our mission is to support any yachting company that would like to recover in the aftermath of Covid-19. And we’ll always be there for any company that needs the support and the long-standing experience of the MYS. With restrictions on international travel still uncertain, are you expecting a stronger European presence at this year’s show?
The MYS attracts visitors from worldwide indeed, and we know that there are lots of exhibitors and visitors coming from Europe. As we will run an intimate show with a low density controlled footfall, this can be turned as an opportunity for European citizens to attend the show. The first brake is safety. Everyone of us must now face a new reality with health and safety constraints. Our mission is to set the highest health and safety standards to reassure the visitors that would like to come. When will we know for sure if the 2020 edition of the Monaco Yacht Show will go ahead?
We’re currently working on the pragmatic details of the health and safety measures with Informa and the Monegasque Government. But if, by 20th July, the evolution of the Covid‐19 pandemic renders it impossible to put on an MYS that complies with the highest levels of sanitary measures we want to set, the MYS will not go ahead as planned.
Now is the time to start putting all the coronavirus insanity in the rear view mirror and look forward to what summer in Monaco has to offer, including the upcoming auctions at the Principality’s premiere maison aux enchéres, Artcurial.
Summer is fast approaching and life is returning to a kind of normalcy after a long, hard and fear-filled spring. What better way to head into the warmer months than with a new bauble, bag, timepiece of even car to brighten up the mood.
Prestige auction house Artcurial is hosting events from 19th to 21st July for their annual summer splash out. The Hermitage Hotel is the site of the events and as ever, the sales will be an excellent chance for collectors and enthusiasts to purchase rare and one of a kind pieces.
The team at Artcurial ensures the public that all required health and safety measures will be respected without scrimping on luxury and comfort. Auctioneer Stephane Aubert will be at the hammer, ready to assist in all sales.
This year’s auctions will feature Hermes collectables and valuable men’s timepieces on the 19th, unique jewellery on the 20th, and elegant watches for ladies and nearly 80 extraordinary motorcars on the 21st.
Artcurial has consistently been the go-to for those looking for special collection items since 2015.
The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa has taken the #strongtogether campaign to her home country in the form of a celebrity challenge.
Some of South Africa’s biggest celebrities have joined with global non-governmental organisations under the auspices of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa to launch the #strong together Celebrity Challenge, a programme that aims to save lives and impact communities in the Princess’s native South Africa.
This social awareness initiative was first contrived in Monaco after Prince Albert II fell ill with the coronavirus earlier this year. After his recovery, the Sovereign Prince and Princess came up with #strongtogether as a unifying rallying call to the country, reminding the people of the Principality that we are all in this together and to keep faith that all will be well.
The Princess brought the plan to South Africa in order to give hope to those affected by the pandemic, though it is with a twist. Her Foundation has gathered together personalities from the arts, cultural, sports and music worlds and asked them to find creative ways to heighten awareness and raise funds for charity.
Some of the celebrity ambassadors include Bryan Habana, Kurt Darren, Jeannie D, Melinda Bam, Gareth Cliff, Terence Parkin, Victor Matfield, Juandre Kruger, Kefilwe Mabote, Margaret Hirsch, Louis Oosthuizen and Angelique Gerber Potgieter.
In addition to the challenge, there will be a ‘lucky draw’ where for R$10, ticket buyers have a shot at winning tickets to the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix or a five-day stay at Etali Safari Lodge, a five-star lodge in Madikwe, South Africa.
All ticket proceeds and funds raised by the celebrities will go to charity as well as to purchase and distribute masks to those unable to access or buy them and teach people how to protect themselves from contracting the virus.
The event runs from 26th May to 9th June. To follow the fun of the #strongtogether Celebrity Challenge, go on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or to the Foundation’s website at https://pcmfsa.com/
Ernesto Sirolli gives TEDx talk on life in time of crisis
TEDxMonteCarlo alumni Ernesto Sirolli shared personal stories from the past 12 weeks in a memorable and witty talk entitled Strong Together? Sit Up and Listen about entrepreneurial spirit and obligation in the time of coronavirus and beyond.
The world has changed forever from the effects of the recent health crisis, but change doesn’t have to be all bad. Ernesto Sirolli, a sustainable development expert and former aid worker, argued on his recent TedxMonteCarlo Talk that “no crisis should be wasted” and that opportunities abound for people to come together to be better global citizens.
Sirolli posits that what we are currently looking at is akin to a wartime economy, and the companies and businesspeople who adapt their business models to be of service to the people will come out winners in the end. Community led, “glocal” entrepreneurship is highlighted in his speech and is a solid way forward for companies to extract themselves of the quagmire the health crisis has caused, saving their companies whilst creating jobs.
He has spent his career teaching civic leaders, governments and corporations how to partner with local people for long lasting prosperity. He is called the “Iron Man” of community development, running the Sirolli Institute in California which is “a model of local economic development based on capturing the passion, intelligence and resolve of local entrepreneurs.
After the talk, Sirolli took a full half an hour to let the audience answer questions, share ideas and ask for advice.
Since the age of 16, Geoffrey Kent has had one vision: adventure by day, security and luxury by night. The founder and co-chairman of Abercrombie & Kent, and Monaco resident, has achieved more in one lifetime than many of us could only dream of.
From his home in the south of Brazil where he is riding out the crisis with family, Geoffrey Kent spoke to Monaco Life about how his company reacted when Covid-19 hit, what luxury travellers should be considering in future adventures, and why 2021 will be the year of the bucket list.
Monaco Life: Throughout your many years in the luxury travel industry, have you experienced anything like the crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic?
Geoffrey Kent: I started Abercrombie & Kent in 1962 and I have been through many revolutions, epidemics and catastrophes. But this one is different. This is SARS, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Depression all rolled into one. This pandemic is a disaster for the travel and tourism industry to date. Africa, Tanzania, courtesy Abercrombie & Kent When and how did you react?
I knew this was coming. I didn’t know it was going to be as bad as this, but I knew it was going to be bad. So literally within weeks we scaled back the company to bare operating level and myself and senior management all took large pay cuts. The intention was to keep the company running on bare bones, so our top staff could remain. We have done this in the past – with 9/11 and SARS – and we have always been able to pay the money back eventually. As a result, we are able to still have 55 offices all around the world continue operating through telecommunication.
Finally, some green shoots are starting to appear, and I think travel will come back when they find a vaccine or cure, particularly on an international basis.
The problem is there are different countries with different rules, so New Zealand is saying they may only open the border with Australia, the UK is applying a quarantine… everyone will be relying on travel information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). When people do decide to travel, they will definitely travel locally to begin with. Given the lockdowns, there are suggestions that 2021 is going to be the year of the bucket list adventure. Do you think that this crisis will give people the motivation to finally travel to places they always wanted to go, but never found the time or opportunity?
Yes, because we just don’t know if another pandemic is hiding around the corner. So if there is a gap, people are going to want to see the things they have always dreamt of seeing. How can you possibly live on this earth and not see the pyramids, for example? By the way, I think people would be very foolish to simply book their trips online, because if something like this happens again when they are on holiday, they have to consider how they are going to return home. Egypt, Aswan, Woman at the Abu Simbel temples So how did A&K react when the crisis hit?
As soon as it happened, we were able to get 100% of our clients home and safe. We immediately chartered jets and had our companies on the ground (we cover 135 countries) working around the clock to get these people back. So, I think some will be saying: “Yes, I want to go there in 2021, but what if something happens again? How do I get home? What if I catch something? Who will take care of me?” These feelings of fear will become the elephant in the room. Was it a challenge to get everyone home? As the founder of the company did you feel responsible for the safety of everyone?
Myself and my partner Manfredi Lefebvre are both from Monaco, and of course we had a huge responsibility. Many of our clients are our personal friends, so we moved within days to get everybody back. We worked with our three tour operating businesses – A&K Australia, A&K America and A&K UK, and all our 55 ground operating companies. Because we own everything, we were able to get everybody back very quickly – we didn’t have to go to any board of directors for approval. We just said: “Right, let’s get everybody home, now.” Have you learnt anything from the lockdown?
I have been doing this since 1962 and I don’t think I learned too much from a business perspective. It’s an exaggerated form of the 9/11 and SARS crises that we went through. But what I did learn from a personal perspective is that being locked down with my family has been a silver lining. Usually I travel 287 days a year, so I have never had this luxury. Bhutan, Paro, Geoffrey Kent at a Private Grand Tshechu festival at the Isuna Lhakhang Monastery The global luxury travel ecosystem, valued at 1.54 trillion, provides employment for around 62 million people and generates tourism taxes that go back into local communities and fuel business opportunities for travel providers. Do you agree that the contribution of luxury travel to the recovery of so many economies, businesses and families cannot be overstated?
Absolutely. 10% of the world’s employment comes from travel and tourism; 10% of the world’s GDP comes from travel and tourism, it is essential. People who make cheese, sell flowers, operate taxis… they are all affected and so many have lost their jobs and livelihoods.
The airline industry is also a major concern. We have never seen this before. We have always had airlines, they are your main bridge to tourism, but now the industry is in jeopardy.
Another thing that worries me is nobody is in the nature reserves and parks now protecting endangered species from poaching. Five rhinos were killed just recently because no one is watching them in Botswana, South Africa, Kenya. Who is going to pay all the game wages? The are no fees from tourism to support the government.
If I had never been to Africa before, this is the first place I would go to start reinjecting money where it is desperately needed. Africa, Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park Do you see any luxury travel trends emerging over the next six to 12 months?
I think people will travel to where it is safest, so Australia and the Australasia area, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea. I think Americans will definitely stay around the Americas and when they do venture out, it will be in places like South America.
Europeans might be a bit more adventurous and go to Africa, or see some of the rarer parts of Europe by helicopter perhaps, as well as the islands – Seychelles, Maldives, Caribbean. Also, cold places like Iceland and the Poles are becoming very popular.
I think people will want adventure. The high thread count sheets and Dom Pérignon when you enter a room is over. People still want exotic, beautiful suites and wonderful food, but nothing ridiculous. The expense will be in having great local guides to teach you as much as possible so you can return home with an experience that you will never forget.
The future is going to be tailor-made travel and people will want to travel with their families and share their experiences together. The great thing about A&K is what I call the ‘A&K cocoon’. So you book in America, you come to Africa, and you are always being taken care of in this cocoon without ever knowing it is around you. What is next for Geoffrey Kent?
I have my own trips that I am organising, which I call ‘Inspiring Expeditions by Geoffrey Kent’, with my wife Otavia, and I am going to kick off as soon as we can. I’ll probably do a private wing safari within the Americas which could include Alaska. I am also putting one together for Australia, especially the Kimberlie, and New Zealand. I would also love to do one around France, perhaps driving a Ferrari to all the best places in the country. And of course, I would also love to do Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and maybe Mozambique. It will be something simple, unusual and exotic.
