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Month: December 2020

Monaco meets Japan

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/12/2020

Made in Japan is returning to Monaco, offering visitors a bit of the East with culture, food and traditions.

From 11th to 13th December, the Grimaldi Forum will be hosting Made in Japan in the Indigo Hall, an event much anticipated by lovers of all things Asian.

It gives those who join in a chance to discover Japanese teas, cakes, sakes and a variety of other products, many of which are only available in Japan. In addition to food items, there will also be a selection of traditional hand-made luxury products including traditional socks, dresses, kimonos and workshops teaching the Japanese secrets of healthy living.

At 3:30pm on both days, guests will be treated to a concert by the ensemble group Iris, a kendo dojo demonstration as well as a calligraphy demonstration hosted by Chieko Imamura.

With 25 exhibitioners, there will be plenty of choice and lots to discover!

 
Photo was taken before the Covid crisis, credit Grimaldi Forum
 
 

#REEVENT: life after Covid

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/12/2020

The Principality will embark on a major international campaign to lure business tourism back to the region from 2021 and help restore an industry that has been decimated by Covid. 
While the global crisis generated by the Covid-19 pandemic has severely slowed the tourism industry, it has literally brought the business tourism industry to a complete standstill.
When the world “restarts” next year, members of the MICE sectors (meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition) – both organisers and institutions – will have to rethink their business models in line with the safety measures that people have come to expect.
In the Principality, professionals from the Tourism and Congress Department (DTC) are working to achieve these necessary changes with inventiveness and innovation, focussing on intellectual capital, flexibility, and optimisation of transport and spaces, all with respect for the environment.
“In this context, Monaco has all the arguments to establish itself as a precursor of this transformation: through its know-how, its recognised excellence in the organisation of events and its personalised approach, but also through its historical commitment to preservation of the environment and its perpetual search for sustainable innovation,” says Guy Antognelli, head of the DTC.
On Tuesday, the Monaco Convention Bureau launched a new communication campaign under the label #REEVENT, coinciding with the first edition of the virtual IBTM World exhibition.
“Much more than a call to reinvent business events, #REEVENT is a rallying cry and an invitation to professionals in the sector to come back and organise events in the Principality,” explains Guy Antognelli.
The campaign is made up of six visual catchphrases that convey the values ​​of ‘Destination Monaco’: safety, service, its compact layout, and commitment to the environment.
The campaign will be rolled out from 2021 through a print and digital media plan, in particular on European and US MICE professional media.
 
 

Historic F1 racing car leads Ferrari auction

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/12/2020

Looking for a unique gift to give this Christmas? How about Ferrari’s milestone car marking 1,000 Grand Prix races, signed by Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc? Or you could just settle for a signed rear wing.
RM Sotheby’s is currently in the middle of presenting the unique Online Only: Once In A Millennium auction, offered entirely without reserve.
Held in celebration of Scuderia Ferrari’s milestone 1,000th Grand Prix event, which took place at Mugello, Italy in September of this year, the Online Only sale is offering 16 exclusive motorsport lots relating to the race and will be held to coincide with the season-ending 2020 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.
Up for grabs is Charles Leclerc’s signed memorabilia, including racing gloves, a replica of his racing helmet, a custom-made racing suit and rear wing endplate.
Monaco-born Charles Leclerc made an explosive debut on Ferrari’s Formula 1 team in 2019 by winning the Pirelli Pole Trophy in his rookie season. Now, with a five-year contract, Leclerc will be the face of Ferrari’s racing team for the foreseeable future.
Signed memorabilia from his team mate Sebastian Vettel are also going under the hammer, as are some unique experiences such as a 2021 Formula 1 Grand Prix race experience at Ferrari Gestione Sportiva, and a “behind the scenes” experience with Scuderia Ferrari at the 2021 F1 Grand Prix.
Headlining the auction is the SF1000. The show car was built for a celebratory event in Florence and has been signed by Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel. A second replica will go on display at Ferrari’s museum in Maranello.
The SF1000’s name signifies the prancing horse’s 70th year of participation in FIA racing, and more astonishingly, their 1,000th Grand Prix entry. In an even further nod to Ferrari heritage, the SF1000 was painted to match the first Ferrari ever made, the 125S. It is estimated to fetch between  €150,000 and €200,000.
“It is an amazing opportunity to acquire a piece of history relating to the most successful team in motor racing’s blue riband category,” said Team Principal Mattia Binotto.
Bidding opened on Monday 7th December and will run through to Monday 14th December.
 
Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari
 
 

Ghana kids to get continued support

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/12/2020

The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation has renewed its partnership with EDP Trust in Ghana to help teach children how to swim and train new water safety instructors.
After an initial project that began in 2015 in Awutu Breku, Ghana, the Princess’ foundation has renewed its partnership with the Educational Development Projects Trust (EDP Trust) for another five years.
EDP Trust is a British family charity established in 2009 that operates and develops Awutu-Winton Senior High School, which helps local youth by broadening their professional prospects.
The high school offers a free high-level secondary education, as well providing a swimming pool which was built to accommodate young people from the high school and the surrounding communities.
Just over 9,200 children and adults have since benefited from the Foundation’s Learn to Swim and Water Safety programmes.
“The renewal of this support marks the continuity of the foundation’s main objectives, namely: to teach children how to swim and to raise awareness of drowning prevention, but also to train new swimming instructors and water safety instructors. This initiative aims to reduce drowning risks in the Awutu Senya region, which is home to many bodies of water,” said the foundation in a statement.
 
Photo source: Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation
 
 

Record breaking November

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/12/2020

November 2020 was the hottest November ever recorded, according to the European climate change organisation Copernicus, putting the Paris Agreement firmly in the spotlight.

Scientists at Copernicus, Europe’s climate change service, have been logging the slow but steady rise in global temperatures for years and have found the year from December 2019 to the end of November 2020 to be 1.28ºC above temperatures in the pre-industrial era, according to their monthly climate report put out on Monday.

November 2020 was 0.77ºC warmer than the average for Novembers from 1981 to 2010 and was a full 0.13ºC warmer than the previous November record holders of 2016 and 2019. This November also tied for fourth as most extreme in terms of global warmth compared with the average.

The six years from 2015 to 2020 are the six warmest ever recorded, with no apparent end in sight. This pattern of increasingly rising temperatures puts the world at risk for reaching the upper end of the Paris Agreement limits sooner than thought.

The agreement, which turns five this week and has been signed by 200 countries, put forth an ambitious agenda to collectively lower emissions and keep global warming below +2ºC to reduce the impact of the weather phenomenon already wreaking havoc around the globe.

Temperatures in 2020 are only just behind the hottest recorded year of 2016, though as only provisional data is currently in and the gap is quite small, 2020 could replace 2016 as the hottest year, says Copernicus. As if 2020 wasn’t already bad enough.

“These records are in line with the long-term trend of global warming,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus European service on climate change, who asks leaders to “see these records as alarm bells and look for the best ways to respect the commitments of the Paris Agreement.”

According to the organisation, Western Europe was wetter and stormier than usual, with dramatic weather events such as Storm Alex destroying property and taking lives. Australia has already seen its first heat wave of the season and new fires are ravaging the world heritage site Fraser Island. Finally, Arctic sea ice is at its second lowest level on record. 

The Copernicus satellite has been collecting data since 1979. Before this year, weather agencies had not seen appreciable and consistent rises in temperatures and were found to be more in line with pre-industrial climates.

 

 

Monaco Telecom confirmed for customer security

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/12/2020

Monaco Telecom has just received ISO 27001 certification for the hosting of customers in its Data Centre, a further step in promoting the digital attractiveness of the Principality.
ISO27001 is the international standard that sets out the specifications for an information security management system. It helps organisations manage their information security by addressing people and processes as well as technology.
Carried out by Certi-Trust, this accreditation ensures that security requirements are taken into account in the company’s data centre management. This includes the infrastructure and operation of the company, the information systems utilised, site layout and their security access, team skills, back-up systems and the resumption of activity in the event of an accident.
The certification is the gold standard amongst digital players and is synonymous with reliability and competitiveness according to tough international standards. Receiving this certification is another step in promoting the digital attractiveness of the Principality by giving clients an added sense of security.
“ISO 27001 certification is the culmination of a fundamental approach for the excellence of our hosting services in Monaco,” said Managing Director of Monaco Telecom Martin Péronnet. “It attests to the progress made by the entire organisation in improving the safety and reliability of our processes. We owe it to our customers who trusted us to host their servers in Monaco. The Principality’s digital transformation and the development of its digital economy can now rely on infrastructures that meet the highest international quality standards.”