15 ° C
Profile

Month: January 2024

‘Made in Japan in Monaco’ to showcase traditional and modern arts from the Land of the Rising Sun

by: Niki Borisova
19/01/2024
made in japan in monaco

Step into a world where ancient Japanese traditions meet contemporary innovation at the ‘Made in Japan in Monaco’ event, which will be hosted by the Fairmont Monte Carlo in early February. 

Scheduled for 3rd and 4th February in the hotel’s La Salle de la Mer, this cultural exposition, which has already been held three times in the Principality with much success, aims to deepen the ties between Japan and Monaco through a unique showcase of traditional and modern Japanese arts and crafts. 

Among the notable exhibitors confirmed to appear at the event are a collection from the cities of Bizen and Setouchi, who will present the famous style of Bizen pottery as well as Japanese swords and armours. The Saga Prefecture will be showcasing its renowned Imari porcelain while the culinary arts of Japan will also be well represented by companies such as Amabuki Shuzo and Mitsutake Shuzojo for spirits and saké and Rinsendo with the Inaniwa udon. 

The craft sector is equally impressive, with Sansuido’s Kamakura-lacquered products and Joewell Urushi Scissors demonstrating the Iwate lacquering technique on professional scissors both on the list. Mykelys and Mimikohome will add a touch of kawaii and home decor inspired by the world of kimonos. 

A special feature of this year’s edition is the ‘Happy Kimono Project’ by Kimono Beauty Japan, a group that is attending for the second year. Kimono Beauty Japan specialises in the traditional Japanese garment and will offer a variety of kimono-themed events and performances at the Fairmont. 

The event’s organisers, Monaco Emu, will be hosting a special invite-only tour of the show on 2nd February.  

Tickets for the public days cost €10 per person and can be bought on the door. Click here for more information. 

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo source: Unsplash

 

 

Football: Youssouf Fofana joins AS Monaco Kids Tour excursion to Menton

by: Niki Borisova
19/01/2024

The most recent event in the busy 2023/24 AS Monaco Kids Tour schedule took place in Menton, just a short drive from the Principality, on Wednesday 17th January and AS Monaco’s prime midfielder and French international Youssouf Fofana went along too, much to the delight of the young fans who had turned out. 

“It was great to see all the youngsters who turned up despite the weather,” he said following the event. “I’m very happy to spend some time with them, they’re behind the club and it’s important to develop their commitment from an early age. Being here today is a way of giving something back. I wish I’d had this experience when I was their age.” 

The children and their parents who made the effort to join in with the activities despite the rain were rewarded with an autograph signing session and a chance to get up close and personal with the Paris-born 25-year-old. 

The children also got to meet Bouba, the official AS Monaco mascot, try their hand – or foot – at an accuracy contest, take part in a quiz on the Rouges et Blancs, test out a virtual reality experience set in the Stade Louis II and play the latest FC24 games on PlayStation5.  

One lucky fan went home with a signed Fofana jersey while other prizes handed out included an invitation to the upcoming AS Monaco match against Le Havre at the Stade Louis II on 4th February. 

“A way of giving back” 

This season’s AS Monaco Kids Tour has been a resounding success, spanning three countries and covering over 930 kilometres thus far. It has engaged with over 1,700 children and seen participation from professional and Academy players alike, adding a touch of star power to the events. 

Next stop for the Kids Tour is Vence on Wednesday 24th January.  

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo credit: AS Monaco Foot

What’s new in Monaco in 2024?

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/01/2024

From the opening of Amazónico and a new fine dining Japanese restaurant to the exciting re-launch of Moods and a revamp of the wine cellars of the Hôtel de Paris, here is everything worth getting excited about in Monaco this year.

Stéphane Valeri, Deputy Chairman of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, gathered the press together on Wednesday evening in the Crystal Bar of the Hôtel Hermitage to take stock of a successful 2023 and reveal a year full of exciting projects planned by Monaco’s biggest employer.

In fact, it is here in this very bar where SBM will open a brand new restaurant, he revealed on Wednesday for the first time along with a number of highly-anticipated opening dates of other restaurants and nightspots in the Principality.

Fine dining Japanese at the Hôtel Hermitage

A thrilling addition to SBM’s culinary offerings in the Principality will be an intimate, fine dining Japanese restaurant within the heart of Monaco’s ‘Grande Dame’, the stunning Hôtel Hermitage.

The current Crystal Bar will give way to this new gastronomic destination, which will be orchestrated by multi Michelin starred Chef Yannick Alléno. Mimicking his winning formula in the Pavyllon Monte-Carlo, Chef Alléno will transport from his restaurant L’Abysse in Paris the two Michelin starred sushi chef Yasunari Okazaki to recreate for a Monaco audience their award-winning Japanese cuisine.

The opening is expected some time in July, while a new location for the Crystal Bar is still in the works.

Long-awaited opening of Amazónico

Situated above the completely re-built Café de Paris, which relaunched in November 2023, the Amazónico restaurant will swing open its colourful doors on 4th April. With its infectious South American energy and Peruvian and Brazilian cuisine, paired with the ultimate location overlooking Casino Square, SBM is banking on Amazónico being a huge hit with locals and tourists.

Luxury boutiques in Place du Casino

By autumn, perhaps November, the redevelopment of Monte-Carlo will be complete with the opening of seven luxury boutiques near the Café de Paris. Among the famous brands will be luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer and world-famous jeweller Tiffany & Co.

The new Blue Bay

This is the first reopening of the year and it will take place in mid-February, confirmed Stéphane Valeri. The two-Michelin starred Blue Bay restaurant in the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, headed by Marcel Ravin, has received a complete make-over and will re-open as a destination deserving of the talents of this much-loved Caribbean chef.

Moods makes a comeback

It’s been a long-time coming, but on 17th October 2024 one of Monaco’s most iconic nightspots will return to its original location in Monte-Carlo. After closing in April 2011, live music venue Moods will find a second life here, much to the delight of Monaco locals. In addition to live music, the ‘New Moods’ will also offer entertainment such as comedy, said Valeri, including English stand-up comedy.

Finger-food catering will be provided by two Michelin starred Chef Marcel Ravin.

Opening the Cellars of the Hôtel de Paris

Another exciting new announcement involves Monaco’s hidden goldmine… The vast wine cellars that tunnel beneath the Hôtel de Paris to the Hôtel Hermitage and house over 350,000 bottles of the finest wines. These legendary cellars, reserved exclusively for private events, will be renovated and opened to the public as a museum, with exceptional dinners, organised in partnership with some of the world’s leading wine brands, and guided tours to complete the offering.

50th anniversary year for Sporting Monte-Carlo

The home of Monaco’s biggest concerts, the Sporting Monte-Carlo, will this year turn 50 and big celebrations are planned. Over the past five decades, the Salle des Etoiles has hosted the biggest names in the entertainment world, from Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston, to Tina Turner and Elton John. Meanwhile, Jimmy’z nightclub is an institution unto itself.

We will have to wait and see what anniversary celebrations SBM has in store for this iconic venue!

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

Basketball: Élie Okobo reinstated ahead of EuroLeague game against Real Madrid

by: Niki Borisova
18/01/2024

Shooting guard Élie Okobo has made a timely return to the AS Monaco Basket team ahead of an important EuroLeague game against Real Madrid on Friday 19th January. 

An official communiqué announcing Okobo’s “reintegration” was released by AS Monaco Basket on Thursday 18th January.

“AS Monaco Basket is pleased to announce that Élie Okobo rejoined the group at the start of the week, after having resolved internally the problems which led to his suspension,” said a representative for the club. “The club management therefore made the decision to fully involve him again.” 

The player had been removed from the line-up earlier in the month in light of a “violation of the Club’s internal rules” rumoured to be linked with a disagreement with teammate Donatas Motiejunas following the game against Olympiacos Piraeus on Thursday 4th January. 

See more: Basketball | Roca Team confirms the temporary suspension of Élie Okobo

Not much more is known about the internal conflicts between the AS Monaco Basket and Okobo, but according to the most recent statement from the club, the pivotal player “is ready to give the best of himself to help the Roca Team achieve its objectives in the heart of a second part of the season which promises to be intense and exciting”.  

As such, the 26-year-old Bordeaux-native will appear on court in the upcoming EuroLeague fixture with Real Madrid at the Salle Gaston Médecin in Monaco.  

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

Main roads to be closed during Sainte Dévote festivities on Friday 26th January

by: Niki Borisova
18/01/2024

Road closures and diversions for both drivers and pedestrians should be anticipated in the run-up to and during Monaco’s upcoming Sainte Dévote celebrations. Here’s what you need to know about getting around the Principality on Friday 26th January. 

Ahead of its patron saint celebrations on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th January, a schedule of planned road closures and diversions has been released by the Monaco Government.  

The measures are part of the security and organisational plans necessitated by the grand festivities, which will include a procession through the streets and the traditional ceremony involving Prince Albert torching a boat, but will only affect the first day of the event. 

See more: How to celebrate Sainte Dévote 2024: a detailed schedule of events

To facilitate the influx of people attending the various parts of the programme held in the Port Hercule area, special security checkpoints will be established from 5.30pm onwards at key locations.  

A designated public zone will be set up in Place Sainte Dévote for those attending the procession and the Blessing of the Most Holy Sacrament while another viewing area will be made available on the north side of the Quai Albert I for the boat burning ceremony. 

Those using the railway station should note that pedestrian movements will be considerably restricted from 5.30pm onwards. The Sainte Dévote stairs will be closed at this time and commuters will be directed towards Rue Grimaldi for access to the station from the port area.  

From 6.15pm to 7pm, the Route de la Piscine will be closed between Avenue J.F. Kennedy and the Jules Soccal jetty. Additionally, between 6.45pm and 7.45pm, temporary traffic blocks will be implemented on Boulevard Albert I, Avenue J.F. Kennedy and Avenue d’Ostende. 

Transport and parking  

Disruptions should be expected to the urban bus lines 1, 2 and 6 as well as the ZOU lines 607 and 80. 

The government advises that some carparks may be impacted by the festivities, but that details will be communicated on-site.  

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo source: Unsplash

Robert Laure named new President of AMAF

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/01/2024
robert laure

The Monaco Association for Financial Activities (AMAF), an entity that acts as the professional body for authorised institutions conducting banking or financial activities in the Principality, has named Robert Laure as its new president. He succeeds the long-standing Etienne Franzi.  

The AMAF is an employers union that unites those part of Monaco’s Financial Activities Control Commission, which is itself an “independent administrative authority responsible for supervising the conduct of financial activities in the Principality”. 

The main objectives of the AMAF are: to represent its 90-strong members, 27 of which are financial institutions; to defend their interests; and to support authorities in actions that concern the sector.  

Banking veteran Robert Laure has been selected to take up the reins as the new president of the AMAF, stepping into the shoes of Etienne Franzi, who had held the position for 25 years. 

DECADES IN BANKING 

Laure has worked in financial services for 43 years and was formerly the Vice-President of Julius Baer Wealth Management Monaco.  

In the past, Laure was Deputy Director and Head of the Inheritance Management Services at Banca Commerciale Italiana Monte-Carlo, which merged in 1996 with Compagnie Monégasque de Banque (CMB). After the merger, he was appointed Delegated Asset Manager for Collective Investment Products, then Chief Information Officer as well as Executive Chairman of Compagnie Monégasque de Gestion, Managing Director of CMB and its Head of Funds and Discretionary Portfolio Management until 2021. 

He is also the outgoing president of the ACI Monaco Financial Markets Association and Executive Vice-President-General Secretary of Mutual Aid Associations in Monaco.  

Despite his busy schedule, Laure has, over the years, found time for charity work and has been involved in organisations such as MedFund, an environmental trust based in Monaco that is specifically dedicated to the financing of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean, and AMAPEI, an association that works for the protection of children.  

FOCUS ON MONEYVAL 

Of his new role, Laure has said that his priority will be focusing on Moneyval compliance. Moneyval is the EU’s governing body that assesses the observance of international standards to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism. 

Latest related:

Moneyval: Monaco makes public the companies, associations whose ownership is unknown

 

Join the Monaco Life community – sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo supplied