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Month: July 2021

MEB takes stock at annual general assembly

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/07/2021

More than 150 entrepreneurs have joined the Monaco Economic Board for its General Assembly and Rendez-vous des Members, where past successes and future plans were shared. 
Monaco Economic Board (MEB) members, institutional partners and local personalities including Minister of State Pierre Dartout and Minister of Finance and the Economy Jean Castellini came together on 7th July for the Ordinary General Assembly of the Monaco Economic Board and a meeting of members that followed, marking “the great reunion” after a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In this context of health crisis, the MEB has been able to adapt, with the desire to support its members in their activities, especially those who have been most affected, and to continue its mission of promoting the Principality,” said MEB president Michel Dotta.
While the year 2020 started out with a bang with a mission to Russia and the signing of a cooperation agreement between the MEB and the CCI of the Novosibirsk Region, several trips were canceled due to health restrictions in Paris, Rome, Salzburg, Barcelona and ​​London, as well as promotional operations organised with Monaco’s ambassadors and consuls abroad.
The MEB did manage to get in some missions to Lisbon, Mexico City and London before the pandemic hit, as well as in Serbia for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the MEB and the ICC of Serbia, as part of the official visit of HSH Prince Albert II.

Photo of MEB General Assembly 2021

In local operations, the MEB has tested new formulas such as business breakfasts organised around the accreditation of Ambassadors in the Principality, small gatherings which will be repeated in the coming months. Meanwhile, the MEB’s traditional conferences brought to the Principality the expertise of the “stars of the economy” – Chief economist of Coface Julien Marcily, President of the Cahiers verte de l’Economie Jean-Pierre Petit, Chief economist of the Groupe Allianz Ludovic Subran, and Sophie Vincent, Director of IMSEE.
In presenting the year’s events, Guillaume Rose said that the MEB had adapted quickly during the pandemic and utilised digital technology to offer various “MEBinaries” to its members, covering topics such as finance, international trade, energy transition, real estate, tourism and yachting, or business destinations like Kazakhstan and Italy. The MEB also joined forces with Extended Monaco, the Principality’s digital transition program, and the FEDEM to organise digital workshops.
2021: New horizons
According to the MEB, the year 2021 started at the same sustained digital tempo, but it was marked by the return of face-to-face events with star forecaster Christophe Barraud. The MEB will soon participate in several major events, including the Monaco Yacht Show, and Monaco Business during which a partnership agreement with the Italian CCI in Nice will be signed.
December will see the Ambassadors of Destination Monaco forum and gala in Italy which will welcome many delegations from countries including Quebec, Austria and South Korea. 2021 will also mark the 10th edition of the Eco Trophies, which celebrates the talents of local entrepreneurs.
For its next missions, the MEB has given priority to Europe. Upcoming trips will be organised in Florence, Antwerp, Milan, Saint Petersburg, and Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, Dubai will be given extra attention. “During the six months of the Dubai World Expo, several sector missions and at least one generalist will be organised in partnership with the Monaco Pavilion and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce,” said Guillaume Rose.
At the end of the General Assembly, marked by the appointment of a new female steering committee, Finance and Economy Minister Jean Castellini recalled in his speech how the crisis has revolutionised the way people work and communicate in the public and private sectors, saying: “We had to innovate and adapt constantly. We must learn from the consequences. We must continue to act together, as we did in an emergency and in the interest of the country, and not fall back into old habits. ”
38th Rendez-vous des Members

38th Meeting of Members
MEB members then headed to the Mediterranean Gardens of Monte-Carlo Bay where the 38th Rendez-vous des Members took place – for the first time since January 2020. More than 250 economic players in the Principality were able to network during the evening, while several dozen contacts or appointments were made by the MEB team. During this meeting, Michel Dotta and Guillaume Rose also highlighted the Green Fund, which aims to finance the energy transition of local businesses. Finally, they paid tribute to Stéphane Giaccardi, who has departed the steering committee after 16 years as secretary general.
 
 
 
 
Monaco Life with MEB press release, photos by MEB
 
 
 
 
 

Health pass mandatory at music venues

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/07/2021

Nightclubs are reopening in Monaco from Saturday 10th July under the government’s latest easing of restrictions. However, there are conditions. 
The government announced in a statement late Thursday that all establishments providing music and dance will be allowed to resume their activity, 16 months after they were ordered to close due to the pandemic.
There are conditions however. People attending these venues must make a reservation and present a valid health pass.
Monaco launched its health pass on 2nd July, a digital or paper certificate that is able to confirm a person’s vaccination status, whether they have tested negative for Covid, or whether they have developed antibodies to the virus through previous exposure.
Staff must wear masks at the venues, however patrons will only be required to wear masks while waiting in queues until they have an opportunity to present their health pass. Customers will not be asked to wear masks indoors.
The government says that regular checks will be undertaken at venues to ensure they are adhering to the rules, and capacity will be determined by the size of each individual establishment.
Meanwhile, the government announced that the number of people dining per table at a restaurant can increase from eight to 10 from Saturday.
 
READ ALSO:

Monaco Safe Pass available 2nd July

 
 
Photo by Antoine Julien on Unsplash
 

Monaco Streaming Film Festival award winners

by: Staff Writer
09/07/2021

The Monaco Streaming Film Festival, the first of its kind, debuted this July, bringing together actors, artists, and directors to celebrate storytelling in the new frontiers of streaming and filmmaking. A total of 13 awards winners were announced from Best Soundtrack to Best Content Creator, with the prestigious Greg Grundy Innovation Award as the highlight of the evening.

The award for Best Soundtrack went to Erran Baron Cohen for his contribution to the movie Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Baron Cohen is a musical producer known for his huge range in compositions, from orchestral soundtracks to more eclectic compositions.

The award for Best Emerging Talent went to Kelly O’Sullivan for her work in Saint Frances. In the coming-of-age comedy drama, O’Sullivan plays a nanny who finds an unlikely friendship with six-year-old Frances. The film touches upon the everyday moments of women’s lives, including ironically stigmatised experiences such as abortion, postnatal depression, and same sex relationships.  

The award for the Outstanding Impact Award went to Julian Lennon for his work as the founder of the White Feather Foundation. The foundation raises funds for environmental, humanitarian, and clean water projects around the world.  

The award for Best Creative Content went to Kilian and Maruta. With their fantastic video editing skills, the duo creates videos from a fictional narrative, in which they appear to ‘wake up’ in an empty world. They show clips of empty Monaco and a deserted cruise liner, all of which were completely devoid of life.  

The award for Best Emerging Influencer went to Jodie Woods. Woods is an African American Instagram influencer who’s focused on lifestyle and fashion related topics. 

The award for Best Art Director went to David LaChapelle in his work in the short film Off Hiatus. LaChapelle is an American director and photographer known for his surreal celebrity portraits, often conveying social messages. 

The award for Outstanding Contribution went to Mitch Lowe for his insightful and inspiring keynote speeches for the Monaco Streaming Film Festival. Lowe is co-founding VP of Netflix, and has contributed greatly to the growth and success of the streaming industry. 

The award for Best Motion Picture went to Borat, directed by and starring by Sasha Baron Cohen. Reporter Borat Sagdiyev leaves Kazakhstan for the “greatest country in the world” to make a documentary about American society and culture. 

The award for Best Actor was won by Michael Flatley for his starring role and directorial debut in Blackbird. Written by international superstar Flatley, Blackbird sees him as a retired MI6 operative who owns a prestigious hotel in Barbados. When a former agent and love interest turns up, he finds himself drawn into his previous life, with potentially devastating consequences for millions of people if he fails. With a career spanning 25 years in entertainment, Michael Flatley’s shows have consistently broken records all over the world with over $1 billion in ticket sales across 60 countries.

The Reg Grundy Innovation Award went to Jon Favreau for his innovative work in Star Wars Disney+. Favreau is a prolific filmmaker and producer, with contributions in past decades to films such as the Marvel Comics franchise. 

The award for Best Short Film went to Jason Kemp.

The award for Best Documentary went to Sergio Mata’u Rapu.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Pele.

Monaco Streaming Film Festival champions technological and creative innovations across the film industry as well as emerging and established voices. It was presented with the support of its partners: the Reg Grundy Foundation, Princess Grace Foundation USA, GEMA, the White Feather Foundation, Lan to Capital and the Antropov Foundation.

 
 
 
Monaco Life with press release
 
 
 
 

Clean Equity conference to focus on sustainable tech 

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/07/2021

Clean Equity Monaco, an invitation-only conference showcasing the best new sustainable technology companies, is returning to the Principality this month to wow investors and get the word out on what they’re doing to change the world.  

Hosted by Innovator Capital Bank and the Principality of Monaco, Clean Equity is back on 22nd and 23rd July and opening its doors to 30 up-and-coming sustainable technology companies who will be presenting their ideas and products to financiers who may be able to make their dreams realities.

The chosen companies are given the opportunity to present to and meet with prominent corporate, financial, strategic, sovereign and family investors, as well as government officials, end users, trade media outlets and known industry representatives in a bid to raise funds to take their visions to the next level.

Companies send two representatives and are each allotted a 20-minute presentation as well as a question-and-answer period to expose their projects to the right investors. This is further strengthened by networking sessions, lunches, workshops and a gala dinner that ends with the best of the best be chosen for the Clean Equity Awards.

The awards, which are created by renowned artists, are presented by Prince Albert II and are given for excellence in three areas, namely research, development and commercialisation.

This year’s event will expand on last year’s with a vast audience joining the conference via live streaming brought by partner EarthX. They are looking to top last year’s online attendance, which hit 25,000 people.

Since the expo was founded 13 years ago, they have been able to introduce and nurture more than 350 companies who have gone on to raise more than $2 billion in capital.

 
 

CID to step up support for graduates

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/07/2021

The Graduates Integration Commission says it will be offering individualised coaching and targeted networking opportunities to Monaco graduates to help them find jobs in this post-pandemic environment.

The 11th Graduates Integration Commission (CID) meeting was held this week to present its annual report for 2020 as well as to speak about its progress thus far in 2021.

The CID is the body that aims to develop local links between students and university graduates in the Monaco public and private business landscape. It not only provides job leads but also support for young people who are looking to find a career path suited to them.

In its meeting, the CID highlighted that there was a significant increase in its activity over the last 16 months, as young people looking for jobs have been severely curtailed in their efforts due to the effects of the health crisis.

To this end, the members of the commission spoke of what they can do in the coming months, in light of economic recovery, to further integrate the youth being assisted by CID. To make this happen, they have proposed individualised coaching as well as targeted networking opportunities with potential partner companies to facilitate employers meeting possible new employees.

The 2022 theme of the commission will be ‘The professions of the future and tomorrow’, in order to highlight the professions which are currently recruiting but also those which do not yet exist and which will be followed by today’s high school students.

 
Photo by Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department
 

Picasso to Koons: Jewellery by Artists

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/07/2021

A unique display of fine jewellery created by world-famous artists and passionately collected by Diane Venet is being exhibited at the Grimaldi Forum from Sunday 11th July.
Diane Venet, wife of artist Bernar Venet, began her unique collection of jewellery made by artists in 1967 when she purchased a brooch created by painter Roy Lichtenstein in New York. Her collection began in earnest though after meeting her husband in 1985, when she decided to dedicate all her purchases to commissions from artists.
For over 30 years, she has amassed an extraordinary selection of more than 230 pieces made exclusively by artists, 180 of which will be presented at the Grimaldi Forum.
Well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Jeff Koons, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein all created pieces either bought or made for Venet’s collection.
“These creations are always the result of an encounter, whether with the artists themselves or with other collectors,” says Venet. “Both groups have encouraged me. They have given me no small amount of support in my discovery of this new world where art, seemingly at play, surpasses itself.”
Diane Venet came from a family of art collectors and her father, Jacques Segard, was chairman of the Friends of the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris. She met and married Bernar Venet in the mid-1980’s in New York, where she helped him organise his exhibits and became an avid collector of art herself.
Her idea for exhibiting her jewellery came in 2008, when it received such acclaim that she took her show on the road presenting at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Benaki Museum in Athens, Miami’s Bass Museum, and the Seoul Art Centre in South Korea, to name a few.
Picasso to Koons: Jewellery by Artists will run from 11th July to 19th August at the Grimaldi Forum.