Exclusive: Inside Prince Albert’s extravagant fundraising gala

Monaco Life goes behind the scenes of the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health to discover what it takes to put together the largest, most spectacular fundraising event in the history of the Principality.

From the very first edition in 2017, the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health (formerly known as the Monte-Carlo Gala for the Ocean) has been an incredibly unique and extravagant event, bringing together celebrities, royalty, philanthropists, business leaders and scientists on the terraces of the Opera Garnier.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Robert Redford and Sting have all taken centre stage to receive personal honours from Prince Albert for their environmental efforts.

Beside them have stood some of the biggest names in entertainment: Uma Therman, Sharron Stone, Nicole Kidman, Andy Garcia, Gwen Stefani and Johnny Depp, to name a few. Is it no wonder that the Monte-Carlo Gala is the hottest ticket in town?

Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health 2020 by Tuff Consult

But like most things here, the gala has a very clear message and purpose: To save the world’s oceans. In exchange for an elaborate star-studded evening, privileged guests are invited to dig deep and provide crucial support to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

To date, millions have been raised for vital ocean-related initiatives through the gala’s auction, which is as jaw dropping as the gala itself. Organised by Global Fundraising Chairman Milutin Gatsby and featuring the “Mick Jagger of auctions” Simon de Pury, an incredible array of unique pieces have gone under the hammer – from intimate experiences with the Prince and autographed fast cars, to a water bike lesson with Princess Charlene, time on a Hollywood film set and incredible art works.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene at this year’s gala, photo by Eric Mathon / Prince’s Palace
The “Mick Jagger of auctions” Simon de Pury at the Monte-Carlo Gala For Planetary Health 2020

Even in this unprecedented year of Covid-19, while the world’s most famous A-list events were being wiped from the calendar, the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health went ahead on 24th September, against all odds.

Its design, production and organisation was entrusted to event agency Tuff Consult. “We had an internal Covid department, providing us with real-time information on what we needed to do to protect people – both guests and the teams putting the event together,” Stefan Santoni, founder of Tuff, tells Monaco Life. “We can be very proud of the fact that from this event, organised for around 400 people, there were zero Covid cases.”

Stefan Santoni prefers to stay behind the scenes at the Monte-Carlo Gala For Planetary Health

The Covid-19 pandemic did put a stop to Stefan’s other major annual gig – the amfAR fundraising gala at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc during the Cannes Film Festival – but, he says, Milutin Gatsby was always determined that the Monte-Carlo Gala would go ahead.

“Our fundraising chairman believed in it more strongly than anyone else, which was extremely helpful because it gave us all positive energy,” reveals Stefan.

Monte-Carlo Gala For Planetary Health 2020

Together with Vice President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Olivier Wenden, the three are credited with creating the elaborate concept for 2020’s gala, dedicated to the Ocean, Earth and Humanity.

The very structure that envelopes guests is the distinguishing feature of the Monte-Carlo Gala. Previously, an enormous transparent marquee has hugged the walls of the Opera Garnier while ocean projections feature on the façade.

This year, guests were invited to step into a giant 1,500sqm three-dimension dome and be completely immersed in images of galaxies, forests, ocean floors and glaciers.

“The entire structure was created to project these incredible videos of the planet,” says Stefan. “It actually takes about a month to set up and involves around 500 people on the day of the gala to make it happen. But the whole process, from conception to execution, takes a year.”

To achieve a fully immersive experience, the production team used more than 38 video-projectors as well as 3D simulation technology.

Reflecting these mesmerising scenes was another dome at the centre of each table, upon which guests could also view the entire night’s proceedings.

The galaxy inside the gala’s 3D dome

“With the dome, we were able to project anything we wanted – the art for auction, a movie, or a live interview,” says Stefan. “Last year we had holograms in the middle of each table which showed the auction items that they were selling on stage. We always try to come up with a new technology to surprise people. It’s important for guests to anticipate something different every year.”

Despite the headline-grabbing nature of the event and its celebrity guest list, very few images of the actual gala ever make it in to the media. But Stefan Santoni was proud to share his work with Monaco Life.

Stefan Santoni keeping a watchful eye over everything at the 2020 gala

Indeed, this modest Swedish man has much to be proud of. He started his career as a roadie running cables under the stage for Pink Floyd in France. From there, he became a production director for high-end fashion shows across the globe. But it was the consultancy firm that he created, Tuff, that eventually propelled him into the lucrative world of celebrity fundraisers and luxury events. He now counts the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Chopard, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation among his very long client list.

Stefan acknowledges that having a “carte blanche” for the Monte-Carlo gala makes it extremely fun and interesting. “It is a big event with a big result,” he says, highlighting the millions raised for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

But catering to the rich and famous can sometimes bring outrageous demands. “Once I was asked if I  could put a live elephant in a swimming pool, which we didn’t do obviously. We have many crazy things that people ask for that we can’t do – either because we simply cannot do it, or because it is not appropriate.

“Usually, we take this very seriously, but with a lot of fun,” he says.

Of course, it has not been all fun this year. The global crisis brought about by the pandemic has heavily impacted the events industry, forcing the cancellation of most private parties and fundraising events.
Thankfully, says Stefan, with support from the French Government, he has been able to keep his full team afloat. He only hopes that things will pick up as soon as possible, with the Monte-Carlo Tennis Masters and the Cannes Film Festival signalling the beginning of a busy events season in 2021. But even then, Stefan acknowledges that the industry will not go back to “normal” any time soon.

“I can’t read the future, but I am ready for a change in the events industry,” he says.

We can only imagine what Stefan and his team will put together next year. Of course, he is remaining very tight lipped about it all, but we can expect that it will be very big, very impressive, and very Monte-Carlo.

See more photos of the Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health 2020 here (click to enlarge)…

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Prince honours Sting at red carpet gala

 

All photos, unless otherwise specified, were supplied by Tuff Consult

 

 

 

Money laundering tops National Council agenda

Monaco’s National Council spent their entire session on Wednesday discussing Bill No. 1008 and a report compiled by Thomas Brezzo concerning money laundering, terrorism financing and corruption.
The report was created essentially for Monaco law to incorporate the fifth anti-money laundering directive of the European Union, which has a compliance deadline of 31st December 2020. Implementation of Monaco’s commitments toward this directive are set to be implemented by the end of 2021.
The EU directive stemmed from the European Commission’s action plan of 2016 to fight the use of the financial system in the funding of criminal activities, terrorist financing and the obfuscation of funds.
Brezzo, the chairman of the Legislation Commission, referenced Prince Albert II in saying “Monaco must be irreproachable”, adding that the Principality has been very active in fighting these issues.
The country has been involved with several international associations who deal specifically with anti-money laundering, including Moneyval, the permanent monitoring body of the Council of Europe who assesses compliance with the main international standards to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism and the effectiveness of their implementation, as well as with the task of making recommendations to national authorities for the necessary improvements to their systems.
Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and the Economy, said that though the subject may seem rather dry and difficult to follow, it is of utmost importance to Monaco and its people. The text, he reminded listeners, helps banking and finance sectors continue growth by adding to the local economy through revenue from the State’s budget both directly and indirectly. It also, critically, allows Monaco to continue to use the euro as it’s national currency and to be integrated into the SEPA payment system.
Then Corrine Bertani took the floor and made a point of the fact that whilst those who offer services are exempt from the new list of taxable persons, those who trade in goods are not. She clarified that that this is for the sale of all goods paid for in cash over the amount of €10,000, and that traders will be required to identify the purchaser in these cases. Traders can still receive cash payments up to €30,000 in this context.
The bill was put to a vote and unanimously passed.
The report in its entirety, including the 134 separate articles proposed in the bill, will be published in the Journal de Monaco.
 
Photo: Thomas Brezzo at the National Council meeting on Wednesday, courtesy the National Council of Monaco
 
 

New ballet schedule

The Monte-Carlo Ballet will now be starting all performances at 4pm to ensure audiences can return home in time for the 9.30pm curfew.
The Ballets de Monte-Carlo has a full dance card this holiday season and is inviting Monaco to join in, albeit a little earlier than normal.
From 19th December to 3rd January, the public will be treated to three large-scale narrative ballets: Cinderella,Romeo and Juliet and LAC, done choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot’s way.
These modern reinterpretations of traditional ballets is a speciality of Maillot, giving audiences a chance to see some old favourites through new eyes.
Cinderella will be performed at the Grimaldi Forum on 19th and 20th December, Romeo and Juliet will bookend Christmas and be performed on the 23rd and the 26th December, and LAC, Maillots Swan Lake, will delight on 30th and 31st December and again on 2nd and 3rd January.
For the end-of-the-year festivities, the Grimaldi Forum will host a ‘100% Jean-Christophe Maillot’ choreographic fireworks display with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo to celebrate his 60th birthday.
All start times are 4pm to ensure compliance with the current rules regarding curfews.
The ballets will all be accompanied by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Igor Dronov and Kazuki Yamada.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.balletsdemontecarlo.com
 
Photo: LAC by Alice Blangero
 
 

Seaexplorer honoured at YCM Awards

The Yacht Club of Monaco (YCM) Awards may have been held remotely this year, but Club President Prince Albert II still managed to reward sailors who fly the colours of the Principality and make their mark on the world.
The 16th YCM Awards did not look as festive as previous years, but the sentiment was still there.
YCM President Prince Albert II focussed on offshore racing this year, specifically on the participation of Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco in the Vendée Global. The global solo race is a gruelling test of mettle for any sailor, and skipper Boris Herrmann is doing the Principality proud.
Not only is Herrmann holding his own in the race, he has participated in a “needle in a haystack” sea rescue that saved a fellow racer. He is also collecting vital scientific data to help better understand parts of the oceans that are not commonly frequented by hordes of people.
“Boris’s goal is to collect more data on temperature, salinity and currents, but also the state and chemical composition of the sea in parts of the world less frequented by yachtsmen,” the Prince said in his speech. “Unfortunately, I believe that Boris has already noted the presence of plastic on the surface. I am very proud that we have been able to join the forces of my Foundation and the Yacht Club of Monaco around Team Malizia to make this a sporting and ecological project to protect our seas and oceans.”
It has not exactly been smooth sailing for Herrmann, who has suffered issues with equipment but is still persevering and is currently in 6th place.
“Boris is having a fantastic race,” said Pierre Casiraghi, YCM Vice-President. “The Vendée is a race of elimination, especially in these last two weeks. We have seen lots of breakages on boats. Of course, Boris has had a few small technical issues, forcing him to keep a course further north, but he has managed to preserve the boat which is essential. The milder conditions have enabled him to fix them. For the last couple of weeks, he’s been missing a very important intermediary sail (J2). The boat can now be used in optimum conditions and Boris is in great shape, ready to tackle the second part of the race. It’s incredible that after 37 days at sea, he is neck and neck with four other contestants.”

The ceremony was also an opportunity to remind people of the collaborative efforts made by the YCM, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Credit Suisse on the Superyacht Eco Association’s SEA Index, which measures the environmental impact of yachts more than 40 metres long to assist them in meeting carbon emission targets.
The awards were then presented, starting with Matteo Asscher, a 13-year-old sailor who came out on top in the Optimist category for his 3rd place finish at the Monaco Optimist Team Race 2020.
Then Pierrik Devic was honoured, receiving a special prize for his win at the Euro Master Circuit 2020 in the Lasrer Radial Master category, and his 4th place finish at the Laser Master European Championship.
The YCM Awards 2020 also recognises members who have best defended the Club’s burgee during the past year. This year’s winner was Timothy Sukhotin, captain of the Beda who won the Primo Cop-Trophée Credit Suisse, Cappa Europa and had a 2nd place win in the Smeralda 888 finale in October.
For the second year in a row, Ludovico Fassitelli took the prize in the J/70 class, finishing 3rd in the 2019/2020 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, 1st in the Med Cup, 7th in Malcesine J/70 Cup, 5th in the J/70 Italian Championship and top spot in the Corinthian amateur category.
Finally, the Sailor of the Year Award went to Lord Laidlaw of the Highland Fling/Oui Fling. His third nomination since 2017 for this award, he wins for the “sum of his successes in the world’s most prestigious races.”
“I like new challenges, but above all I love getting a project to work and making it a success, which is not easy,” Laidlaw declared. “It means finding the right boat, a good crew, organising the training sessions… Everything must dovetail to perfection. What inspires me most is winning. I love competing but I prefer winning races even more”.
 
Photo source: Yacht Club of Monaco