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Day: 9 April 2021

"We are preparing for every possible scenario"

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/04/2021

In six weeks time, the Principality will host its most anticipated, most extravagant event of the year, the Monaco Grand Prix – a weekend that is as famous for luscious parties as it is the challenging race itself.
But this will be far from a normal grand prix.
With travel restrictions, strict health guidelines, weary suppliers and a pandemic that continues to rage throughout Europe, how on earth is everybody planning to pull this thing off?
To gain some insider insight, Monaco Life spoke to one of the Principality’s most successful F1 events organisers, Sonia Irvine, who for almost 20 years has entertained race fans, royalty, celebrities and the F1 fraternity at her events including the star-studded Amber Lounge and the Charity Fashion Show.
But to understand where Sonia Irvine and her colleagues are today, we must first journey back to that terrifying moment in time when the world stopped.
 
Monaco Life: When did you first get a sense of the impact that Covid would have on you and your business?
Sonia Irvine: I think we were in a little bubble in Monaco and we didn’t actually realise what was about to happen to the world. I flew to Australia for the Melbourne Grand Prix as I always do, to see the race, meet everyone and get the drivers ready for the fashion show in Monaco. I arrived at 1am Thursday, went into the paddock, then at 10pm that night a team member tested positive for Covid. I rearranged my flight home immediately and flew out the next day along with a few of the drivers and team members. I spent the whole journey working out a survival strategy, because I thought this pandemic is going to be big; there’s no getting away from it.
What happened when you returned to the Principality?
I returned home and the next day I met with various team members, advising them that I had to let them go. It was around eight consultants. As part of the strategy, I kept a core team of people who could multi-task, reducing our costs but still maintaining our capabilities to run events and concierge services.
We waited for an announcement about the Monaco Grand Prix, hoping and praying that things may improve. But eventually it was confirmed that the race was cancelled.
By that stage, mostly everything had been organised – the Fashion Show, Amber Lounge, race viewing yachts, the after parties… in reality we were ready to go. Then our job was to un-organise all of our production, but the priority was to advise our clients immediately as to how we were going to deal with their bookings. It was an extremely stressful time for us all, but I don’t believe we had one single complaint which rests with my team for their handling of things and our clients for being very supportive and understanding.
Next in line to be cancelled was the Singapore Grand Prix, and then Abu Dhabi – again un-organising things and looking after client bookings was the order of the day.
We then used our free time to develop the brand, rethink our business strategy and rebrand as the Amber Group to include all of the activities we do. We brought some policies more up to date and looked to the future, always trying to remain positive with all the negativity around. It was not easy, but necessary.
How many events would you normally organise during the Monaco Grand Prix?
We have a ‘Tour with Legends’ involving ex-F1 drivers which starts in Italy and finishes at the Monaco Grand Prix. We have Thursday race viewing, Friday night Fashion Show, Friday yacht party, Saturday and Sunday yacht race viewing, Saturday night yacht cocktail, and then our renowned Amber Lounge dining and after parties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Amber Group yacht race viewing at the Monaco Grand Prix

The cancellation of those events must have defined a gut-wrenching 2020 for you. Did you expect things to be different in 2021?
Funnily enough, I did think that when we finally moved into 2021, everything would be okay. We didn’t think the impact of the pandemic would continue as long as it has, and I think most people felt the same. Maybe its self-preservation, the need to have something to look forward to, something to hope for.
2021 is here and it’s a little bit better, but it’s still not what we thought it was going to be.
We have amended our marketing material for the 2021 events so many times, our designer must be pulling his hair out. But we’ve no alternative other than to keep trying and be flexible, to push ahead with what we can do at that moment in time.
The Bahrain Grand Prix only sold tickets to vaccinated or fully recovered fans. Imola in Italy will not be open to members of the public, and the Portuguese and Spanish Grand Prix look poised to welcome fans amid rapid testing arrangements. So, what are you preparing for in Monaco?
With regards to Monaco, no one is sure. We have heard the grandstands will run at between 25% and 50% capacity, but no one is really sure at this stage.
What we do know is that the Principality is determined for the event to go ahead in some form with strong health measures in place. Our job is to plan and prepare for every possible scenario… yacht race viewing, yacht cocktails for on board guests, terraces, dining, cruises, drinks packages, etc.
One thing is for sure – we will not be earning any money this year. But we need to deliver products to our clients who booked in 2020 and who want to come in 2021, and also new bookings for those who want to experience the Monaco Grand Prix.
Prince Albert at the Charity Fashion Show

Has the Prince’s Government given you any indication as to when you might be told the final conditions?
We were told we were going to hear something in early March, but this date was pushed back. It makes it hard for event companies, but to be honest I don’t blame them. Covid changes daily and if they make a decision too early, the situation could be better than expected when it comes to the event date. It is the nature of the beast.
Amber Lounge is your flagship event, arguably the biggest party of the Monaco Grand Prix. Is it impossible for that event to go ahead this year?
We have always known that it would be impossible to run a full-blown Amber Lounge. If you look at it logically, music or bar set-ups are not even allowed in restaurants. Currently, we do not even know if we can have music on our terraces or yachts this year. So, to answer your question, I would like to say ‘yes’, but it’s probably a ‘no’.
What we can run, however, is dining with our drinks packages and we plan to do this on Friday alongside our fashion show and on the Sunday night straight after the Grand Prix.
Charity Fashion Show at Le Meridien

How are you planning to pull the Fashion Show together?
We are clinging on to the hope that the Fashion Show will go ahead, and we will combine this with dining and our drinks packages.
We have had sign-off from the Grimaldi Forum to run the show, according to very strict health measures. For example, our models must be at a certain distance from the first row, and we have spaced out the seating so there is one free seat between guests. We actually have floor plans for every eventuality.
The fact that the Grimaldi Forum has been at the forefront of hosting safe events must play in your favour in these uncertain times?
Yes, it was a big incentive in moving the fashion show (from Le Meridien), because we needed to have the reassurance that if we say we are going to run something, then we do. The staff at the Grimaldi Forum have been super-efficient to work with; they’ve also been very specific about how to run a safe event and we have collected data from other events on their working practices and amalgamated this into our own Covid health and safety manual.
Photographers getting pictures of celebrities at the Charity Fashion Show

How many people would you normally have at a fashion show?
We normally have between 250 to 300 media and 300 to 350 guests. We obviously will not be anywhere near that this year. We have been told currently we can run with 165 seated guests and there will probably be around 80 media, however we have to wait and see for the final numbers closer to the event.
So, what can we expect from this year’s Fashion Show?
We have confirmed our charity as the Caudwell Children and funds raised will help the charity provide services, equipment, therapies and treatments for disabled children. For the first time ever, we have an online pre-auction this year where guests are welcome to pre-bid on all items which will go under the hammer on Friday 21st May at Amber Lounge Monaco in the Grimaldi Forum.
We have also just signed a contract with Monaco Fashion Week to work in collaboration with them to bring some great brands and elements to the show. Inessa creations, a Monegasque designer, will showcase her swimwear collection. The theme is ‘Made in Monaco’, I planned it for last year, but it was obviously made for this year.
Gulf Oil International and Oribe hair care are also partners and its fantastic to have their support.
It’s been an incredibly difficult year, but everyone I speak to has their silver lining. What is yours?
On a personal level, it was incredible to be able to spend so much time with my family, something I have never been able to do. It had its own stresses, as we had to home school as well as work, but it was amazing.
I was also lucky enough to have my father stay with me for three months and he celebrated his 80th birthday with us. I would never have dreamed I would have been able to spend that time with him and I am eternally grateful for that precious time.
The work silver lining? Well, it gave us time to stop and think about things in a different way, to change direction a little. The team became stronger and more supportive of each other. As for the future, we have lots of positive things to look forward too: a beach party around the Dutch GP, the Singapore GP, the Abu Dhabi GP with a new venue, private parties and a wedding. So, let’s see where this year takes us…
 
 
Photos by Amber Group
 
 

RAMOGE reveals deep water discoveries

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/04/2021

RAMOGE, the tri-country association dedicated to protecting the coastlines from Saint-Raphael to Genoa, has just published its findings from its 2018 explorations in the Med.

A new booklet released by RAMOGE aims to give readers the chance to learn about the enlightening scientific discoveries and the worrying pressures threatening the coastal environments of the region.

The organisation was set up by the governments of Monaco, France and Italy as an “instrument of scientific, technical, legal and administrative cooperation” for the coastal regions running from Saint Raphael to Genoa.

The study first came about in 2014 following a workshop, organised by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Two areas of ecological or biological importance were identified in the northwest of the Mediterranean in RAMOGE Agreement territory. Since then, scientists and those dedicated to issues related to ecological status have identified 66 sites of specific interest.

After the initial success of the work done, RAMOGE decided to carry on with their cooperative endeavours and as such, chose to conduct joint exploration campaigns approximately every two years.

The 2018 oceanographic campaign made it possible to collect new data in the canyons and deep offshore areas. Ten scientists from the three nations were able to work aboard L’Atalante, an oceanographic vessel equipped with a multibeam sonar and a Victor 6000 ROV which can descend up to 6,000 meters.

Much of the data collected on these missions adds to the increasing knowledge about these deep water environments and helps set guidelines in order to manage them appropriately. Though these explorations are currently halted due to the pandemic, they are expected to resume once restrictions are lifted.

 

 
 

YCM continues quest to build future of yachting

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/04/2021

The 8th annual Monaco Energy Boat Challenge isn’t until July, but the contestants are already in full gear preparing for the event which invites researchers, academics, future engineers, inventors, and yachting and energy professionals to present their best ideas for alternative, clean boat propulsion systems.
Organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Yacht Club of Monaco and the International Powerboating Federation, the 8th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is set for 6th to 10th July.
The event challenges some of the best and brightest minds in the yachting community to come up with ways to make green boat propulsion solutions.
Roughly 35 teams are expected to participate. Of these, 17 teams, representing 12 different nations including Monaco, the Netherlands, and China, will compete in the Energy Class.
Candidates in this category are required to design propulsion systems using renewable energy sources. The source is of their own choice, but all teams are restricted to using the same quantity of energy. As such, every team is given a catamaran hull supplied by the Yacht Club of Monaco to modify. The Energy Class competition has been a huge success since the 2018 launch of the category, seeing previous teams returning to try their hands.
A more established category, the Solar Class, which was one of the inaugural classes, looks at boats powered exclusively by solar power alone. One-on-one races, slalom courses and endurance races test the teams’ project limits. There are 15 teams expected to compete in this category.
Finally, the newly renamed Open Sea Class, formerly called the Offshore Class, is open to electric or hydrogen boats already on the market or about to enter it. Those in this class test their vessels through a series of gruelling events, including a 16 nautical mile (29.6 kilometre) race from Monaco to Ventimiglia. The course is both a test of endurance as well as manoeuvrability. The Candela Swedish team, as well as Laneva and Vita Yachts, two Monaco-based companies, have already confirmed their attendance.
Hydrogen power will be a huge focus of this year’s competition. France announced plans to become a major player in hydrogen by 2030 in September, and European nations are looking at this source of energy as a clean way forward. Six teams have declared their intention to use hydrogen in their projects, including Monaco’s own SBM Offshore E-Racing Team.
The competition is only part of the event. The Yacht Club will also be hosting exhibitors. Demonstrators and start-ups will be on hand, as many projects dedicated to new energy sources for the yachting world will be unveiled on the quay and in the YCM Marina. Additionally, the public can speak with contestants at a conference scheduled for 8th July where a broad array of topics will be discussed such as bio-composites, alternative propulsion systems, clean energy in action and build efficiency.
 
Photo by Carlo Boring/YCM
 
 

Novak Djokovic delights fans during ad shoot

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/04/2021

Tennis star and Monaco resident Novak Djokovic spent Wednesday on the courts, but not to train for this weekend’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. He was there to film an advertisement at one of the region’s most historic tennis clubs, the Tennis Club of Menton.
The number one ranked tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, spent Wednesday on the courts at the historic Menton Tennis Club filming an ad for a sponsor, where delighted spectators got to watch him in action up close and personal.
“It is he who asked to come back here,” said Gilles Perez, President of the Menton Tennis Club for the past five years. “He had already shot an advertisement on our courts, four years ago. I have fond memories of it, of a very friendly person, great with kids. A bliss.”
The 33-year-old Serbian holds the record for longest time in the number one position, currently sitting at 315 weeks. He has crushed it in 18 Gland Slams and has 82 titles on the circuit.
He spent a few hours on the court batting balls back and forth with 36th ranked Filip Krajinovic at the nearly 120-year-old facility that was first set up by English enthusiasts as one of France’s first clubs. Today, it is a high-performance school where half of the 480 members are children hoping to excel in their chosen sport.
This interlude was a small, but pleasing break for Djokovic, who is in serious training on another clay court only steps away for the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters this weekend, a tournament he was won two times in the past.
The Monte-Carlo Masters is going ahead behind closed doors. Another beloved tennis tournament, the fabled French Open, has just been postponed a week due to health concerns, it was just announced.
The Grand Slam tournament will now run from 30th May until 13th June, finishing just two weeks before Wimbledon. The postponement was decided upon in the hope that the delay would allow more fans to attend than the limited number of last year, where only 1,000 per day were allowed.
“For the fans, the players and the atmosphere, the presence of spectators is vital for our tournament, the spring’s most important international sporting event,” said French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moreton.
France is currently in lockdown amidst a third wave of rising Covid cases and deaths.
 
Photo: Twitter / Ville de Menton