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Top Marques Monaco 2023: Highlights and new additions revealed

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/05/2023
Top Marques Monaco

The countdown is on for the world’s most luxurious supercar show, Top Marques Monaco, which is this year shooting for the stars with some exciting new reveals. 

There is just under a month until the 18th edition of Top Marques Monaco, the world’s most luxurious supercar show, but excitement is already mounting.

While tourists in the Casino Square on Tuesday were treated to a snippet of what’s to be on show in June at the Grimaldi Forum, the press and guests gathered inside the Casino de Monte-Carlo to hear what’s on this year’s agenda.

It was confirmed that the 2023 edition of Top Marques Monaco will be amongst the most thrilling to date, with exceptionally rare hypercars and classic cars on show, as well as the worldwide launch of an electric rover heading for the Moon.

Top Marques returns to Monaco from 7th to 11th June with an extraordinary line-up of the world’s most iconic supercars from yesterday, today and tomorrow – for sale and ready to drive home.

It will feature six world-first reveals, test drives of the finest machines and more than 100 exhibits from the world’s most luxurious brands.

World launches

Top Marques is synonymous with exciting world-first unveilings, and this year the show will see the launch of the nanoFlowcell, the first 100% electric, no battery roadster.

There will also be two Ford Broncos straight from Florida, the first public showing of Venturi’s Flex lunar rover that will be launched into space onboard SpaceX in 2026, and the IR8 Tribute supercar by Dallara Stradale. The sixth and final unveiling remains ‘Top Secret’.

Among the other top brands to be featured are Porsche, Audi, Devinci, Maserati and Aston Martin.

Innovative technology will also be on show by visionaries such as Matador MH2, with their hydrogen concept car, and Nemo 2, the 100% electric submersive.

The nanoFlowcell will be unveiled at this year’s Top Marques Monaco, photo supplied

New this year: Monaco Car Auctions

The first sale organised by the newly launched Monaco Car Auctions will take place on 8th June. The auction will be exclusively dedicated to the Ferrari brand, with both cars and automobilia set to go under the hammer.

Classic cars return

After a successful inaugural edition in 2022, Boutsen Classic Cars led by Thierry Boutsen will take centre stage in the cars of yesteryear section. They will be joined by Classic 4 You, DPM Motors and a Bugatti Royale, on loan from the National Automobile Museum of Mulhouse and the Collection of Cars of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Meanwhile, two Benetton F1 cars driven by Schumacher during his first F1 wins will be on show and for sale.

Entertainment

Ambassador GMK (Georges Maroun Kikano), France’s number one automotive influencer, revealed that a competition will be held this year, titled Car Spotters’ Awards, inviting people to submit their favourite photos and videos of cars, and a lotto in which the winners will receive a pair of limited edition Nike shoes. There will also be Lego workshops for the kids to create their favourite cars, and a design competition for young car designers.

Security and safety a top priority

It was also mentioned during Tuesday’s press conference that Monaco’s Public Security will be out in force to ensure speed limits and respectable behaviour are adhered to. On the spot fines of €300 will be issued for those who fail to comply, and cars will be impounded for five days.

Tickets for Top Marques Monaco

Day passes for Thursday 8th and Friday 9th June are priced at 80€. Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June are 40€. VIP passes are 150€. Tickets are on sale at ww.topmarquesmonaco.com.

 

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Photo above: The hydrogen concept carMatador MH2, courtesy Top Marques

 

MEWS 2023: Monaco’s pioneering metaverse summit

by: Elsa Carpenter
09/05/2023
mews monaco

The winners at this year’s Metaverse Entertainment World Summit included the man behind the Mythical Games, the female entrepreneur who created World of Women and a “young genius” from Nice who built the Equitier empire.  

Prince Albert II, who had given the event his High Patronage, was on hand to dish out the awards on 4th May at the MEWS gala dinner. The awards honoured the “most outstanding talent, creators and companies” from the metaverse sphere, with a focus on categories such as Sports, which went to John Linden of Mythical Games x NFL Rivals, Community, won by Adelina Mettera of World of Women, and Pioneer, which went to Niçois Thomas Chenu, the chairman of Equitier.  

“Creative futurist” VNCCII and Samantha Tauber won the music category for their “outstanding progress” in the music metaverse, while the Better World award went to Tate Dooley for Backyard Farming.  

Michelin-starred Chef Yannick Allèno of the Hôtel Hermitage’s Pavyllon restaurant provided the gourmet element of the awards night while Les French Twins gave a “truly magical performance that captivated and left the audience completely awe-struck”, according to organisers.  

Overall, the three days of workshops, conferences, discussion sessions and networking opportunities, as well as numerous fascinating exhibits and premieres, such as those by Camille Louise Jewellery, Verse Estate, Treehugger, Eyes of Fashion NFT, WizzKid Billionaire, Dworld, Marthaverse, Equitier and Orbis Holographics, were a resounding success.  

“The MEWS Summit and Awards was a huge success, bringing together some of the brightest minds in the metaverse industry to share their insights and expertise,” said the organisers in a post-event communiqué. “With Web3 rapidly becoming an integral part of our digital future, events like the MEWS are essential for ensuring that innovators, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders are all working together to shape this exciting new world.” 

Read more: 

Monaco “turns its eyes to the future” at MEWS 2023 Conference

 

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Photo credit: Ed Wright / MEWS 2022

Millions won at European Poker Tour in Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/05/2023
poker monaco

The PokerStars European Poker Tour held at Le Sporting saw 53 events on the schedule and some of poker’s biggest names filling the tables for enormous cash prizes.  

The PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) took over Le Sporting for 11 days of high stakes action between 26th April and 6th May, and now the results are in: Canada’s Mike Watson has captured his second EPT Main Event title and more than €749,000 in cash after beating out Germany’s Leonard Maue.  

The field of 1,098 entrants created a prize pool in this event in excess of €5.3 million and it took six days to play out.  

In other big matches, Mikita Badziakouski from Belarus nabbed the €25,000 High Rollers title after defeating Britain’s Ben Heath and has taken home a packet equaling €938,042. The 211 players in this category had built up a massive prize pot of over €5 million and the event attracted some of poker’s biggest names, including Timothy Adams, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Artur Martirosian and Justin Bonomo. 

The cash awards of €1.8 million for the €3,000 NLH Mystery Bounty had 678 competitors and was whittled down in the end to a competition between France’s Jeremie Zouari and Antoine Kraous from Bulgaria. The Frenchman beat out Kraous, winning €202,000.  

For serious big spenders, the €100,000 Super High Roller event, which perhaps unsurprisingly attracted only 37 participants, saw Bulgarian Alex Kulev take the top spot and win €1.03 million, beating out the €25,000 High Rollers champ Mikita Badziakouski, who still walked away with over a million.  

The next EPT event will be held from 21st August to 3rd September in Barcelona.  

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Kovsca / Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd. 

France’s vocational schools to get €1 billion yearly boost

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/05/2023
vocational school france

Vocational schools in France are getting a financial boost thanks to new government cash injections that hope to raise teaching standards and lower drop-out rates.  

Vocational schools in France have long been a good option for students whose tastes run to the practical and these varied institutions offer solid training and skills for jobs that may fall outside the usual high school or university curriculums.  

CHANGING PERSPECTIVE 

The system, often thought to be primarily for entry into “blue collar” jobs, is in fact far more sophisticated, offering 70 specific courses of study in fields such as service, catering, maintenance, construction, agriculture and accounting, to name but a few. The schools can also be a stepping stone to further education in a variety of subjects, such as business and engineering.  

To inject new life into the nation’s vocational education system, President Emmanuel Macron has announced a plan based on three pillars: better support for drop-out prevention, with a goal of 100% professional integration; making vocational schools a more attractive choice for both young people and employers; and giving these institutions the means to act, to the tune of €1 billion each year, which will be invested into the system.  

“Together, we have been able to succeed in learning,” said the president via Twitter. “Now, let’s collectively make vocational high schools a sector of excellence.”  

NEW AMBITIONS 

In order to reach this goal, the government has set out 12 measures.  

Some are basic: smaller class sizes; more class choices; better teacher and headmaster/mistress training; school withdrawal prevention methods; increasing Bac +1 places from 4,500 to 20,000 by 2026; and offering internship opportunities for students in their chosen fields.  

Others are a bit more creative and include: language, coding and entrepreneurship courses; offering preparation support for professional integration with external partners; creating business offices in each school; and making student’s projects more interesting and relevant by adopting new pedagogical approaches.  

The task is mammoth, but the results could be equally so for the tens of thousands of young people who will be the professionals of tomorrow.  

Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education and Youth, says, “Our collective ambition is clear: better integrate graduate students and better support those who wish to continue their studies in higher education.”  

 

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Photo source: Austin Ramsey for Unsplash

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene enthuse support for King Charles at his coronation

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/05/2023
prince albert charlene coronation

Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were amongst the most stylish – and publicly supportive – guests at the Coronation of King Charles III in London over the weekend.  

The Princely couple joined numerous heads of state in attendance at the Coronation of King Charles on 6th May at Westminster Abbey in London.  

Both were spectacularly turned out, she in a tasteful and elegant cream skirt suit and he in full military regalia, looking dignified and at ease.

They were also invited to take part in the pre-coronation reception held at Buckingham Palace on Friday night, which was followed by a supper at exclusive club Oswald’s, where they were given much attention by the British press.  

It was an occasion that vacillated between ancient tradition and modern times to great effect. The coronation of Britain’s new King, the first in 70 years, was not one to be forgotten. All the pomp and pageantry from days of old was on full display, mingling alongside such contemporary touches as high-definition television transmission, a gospel octet and a far shorter and lower key ceremony than previous incarnations.  

This was the first time that a reigning Monegasque pprince has personally attended the crowning of a British monarch. In 1953, the coronation was attended by Prince Pierre on behalf of Prince Rainier III, but the relationship between Charles and Albert made the latter’s attendance more than natural.  

The two men have known each other for several years, and have attended many of the same ceremonies, events and festivities over the decades. This has allowed them to create a more personal bond, one which has grown with time due to common interests in the environment and in other charitable causes.  

In an interview with TF1 given before the coronation, Prince Albert had glowing things to say about King Charles, saying, “He goes spontaneously towards people, he likes crowds. I really believe that he has a natural empathy towards people. This will mark, I think, his reign.”  

 

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Photo source: Palais Princier de Monaco

Q&A with Elsa Head Chef Mélanie Serre

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/05/2023
Chef Mélanie Serre

When Elsa reopened in April for the season, the former 100% organic restaurant had a new emphasis: to be a restaurant inspired by nature, enhanced by delicate creativity.

Monaco Life spoke to Chef Mélanie Serre about the sustainable fine dining restaurant at Monte-Carlo Beach.

Monaco Life: This is your second year at Elsa. After understanding the restaurant, its clientele and the concept, how have you adapted/evolved the menu this year?

Mélanie Serre: This year, we have chosen to remove ourselves from the constraints of organic farming in order to work as closely as possible to the nature that surrounds us. It means fewer obligations for our suppliers, and more creative possibilities for me in the kitchen. For example, I used nettles on my spring menu: herbs that are found in large quantities in nature, along the paths, and which grow without chemicals and yet were not considered organic because they are not certified by an organisation.

Do you often get out in the gardens and see for yourself what is fresh and available? Does it inspire your dishes?

We work with the Domaine d’Agerbol, located in Roquebrune Cap Martin, 700m as the crow flies from the hotel. This garden produces only for Monte-Carlo Beach, and we go regularly with the teams or with my sous chef to admire the new shoots or to collect some herbs and flowers. We are then delivered produce two-to-three times a week to the restaurant for vegetables.

You’ve received some important accolades in the last year – Grande de Demain by Gault et Millau, the Ethical and Sustainability Award in the recent La Liste… As a young female chef, what do these acknowledgments mean to you?

These are two great rewards that I am very happy to share with my team in the kitchen, but also with my team in the dining room. We work hard every day to satisfy our customers, to create new recipes, to work responsibly from an ecological and environmental point of view. Today our daily steps seem completely normal to us because they have been acquired by the whole team, but it is always nice to be rewarded for our efforts.

Monte-Carlo Beach General Manager Daniele Garcelon says the goal now is to gain back the Michelin star that the restaurant lost under the previous chef. Is that your goal too?

The priority is and will always remain for me to have happy customers, and customers who come back and that we retain. Of course, we all want the Michelin star back at Elsa restaurant. But that’s not my motivation every morning to go to work. I think that if we take pleasure in doing our job, together as a team, the clients will feel it, and the guides will also feel it… So we have to continue the adventure, as we started last year, and one day, we will be rewarded.

 

SEE ALSO:

Elsa at Monte-Carlo Beach reopens with even more emphasis on local produce

 

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Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM