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Photos: Star-studded amfAR gala raises €18 million

by: Katie Lister
02/06/2022

This year’s amfAR Gala Cannes was back in full force after a rollercoaster two years of pandemic uncertainty and travel restrictions, raising €18 million for amfAR’s HIV/AIDS programs and honouring Robert DeNiro in the process.

Celebrities, philanthropists and the “who’s who” of the global jetset came out to support amfAR’s 28th edition of the gala at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, alongside guest of honour Robert DeNiro, on Thursday 26th May.

Ricky Martin opened the evening with a firecracker of a hip-shaking performance, Charli XCX kept the energy high between auction lots with three of her latest hits, Christina Aguilera gave a second wind of energy to close the night, warming up the guests for the after-party that followed.

Legendary auctioneer Simon de Pury led the bidding wars between guests as they battled it out for high-priced items and priceless experiences. AmfAR’s Global Fundraising Chairman Milutin Gatsby supported de Pury’s auction efforts.

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 26: (L to R) Alejandro Nones, Eva Longoria, Edgar Ramirez and Naomi Campbell attend the amfAR Cannes Gala 2022 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 26, 2022 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Gisela Schober/Getty Images for amfAR)

Guests who came out to support amfAR  included Robert DeNiro, who helped raise €700,000 in the auction with a donation of his father’s artwork and a private lunch with the winning bidder, as well as Baz Luhrmann, Carine Roitfeld, Caroline Scheufele, Cynthia Erivo, Eva Longoria, Ever Anderson, Julian Lennon, Kate Hudson, LaKeith Stanfield, Laura Linney, Lauren Remington Platt, Michelle Rodriguez, Michelle Williams, Michelle Yeoh, Milla Jovovich, Mohammed Al-Turki, Rita Wilson, Sam Bankman-Fried, Tom Hanks, Vanessa Hudgens, amfAR Board Co-Chairs T. Ryan Greenawalt and Kevin McClatchy, amfAR Trustee Vin Roberti and amfAR Global Fundraising Chair Milutin Gatsby.

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 26: Christina Aguilera performs on stage during the amfAR Cannes Gala 2022 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 26, 2022 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR)

Also in attendance were Casey Affleck, Tommy Hilfiger, Edgar Ramirez, Alex Pettyfer, Alton Mason, Bianca Brandolini, Boris Kodjoe, Candice Swanepoel, Cara Delevingne, Charlotte McKinney, Claire Foy, Ciara, Cindy Bruna, Charli D’Amelio, Charlbi Dean, Coco Rocha, Dee Hilfiger, Dylan Brosnan, Diplo, Elizabeth Sulcer, Elsa Hosk, Georgia Fowler, Heart Evangelista, Indya Moore, Isabeli Fontana, Jessica Wang, Jourdan Dunn, Julian Lennon, Kat Graham, Kevin Dillon, Kristina Romanova, Lena Situations, Leonie Hanne, Liza Koshy, Lorena Rae, Luna Bijl, Marianne Fonseca, Matteo Bocelli, Milutin Gatsby, Naomi Campbell, Natasha Bassett, Nicole Parker, Nina Dobrev, Olivia Culpo, Paul Anderson, Pom Klementieff, Sabrina Carpenter, Sabrina Elba, Shalom Harlow, Shaun White, Stella Maxwell, Victoria Barbara, Winnie Harlow, and Zoey Deutch.

Carine Roitfeld curated and produced the evening’s fashion show, presented by Co-Chairs Milla Jovovich and Eva Longoria, which later sold in its entirety for €800,000.  Participating designers included Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Gucci, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Fendi, Tom Ford, Jacquemus, Valentino, Giambattista Valli, Armani, Alaïa, Versace, Monot, Nensi Dojaka, Dior and more.

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 26: Models walk the runway in the fashion show during the amfAR Cannes Gala 2022 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 26, 2022 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Gisela Schober/Getty Images for amfAR)

The models in the fashion show included Jodeci, Xu Meen, Jordan Barrett, Joshua Seth, Paul Hameline, Braien Vaiksaar, Sara Sampaio, Blesnya Minher, Faretta, Madison Headrick, Valery Kaufman, Noemie Lenoire, Shayna McNeill, Ines Rau, Candice Huffine, Ashley Graham, Cindy Bruna, Mao Xiaoxing, Evelina Lauren, Claire Delozier, Hiandra Martinez, Luna Bijl, Ajok Madel, Denise Ascuet, Daphne Groeneveld, Isabeli Fontana, Stella Duval, Issa Lish, Akon Changkou, Bente Oort, Lineisy Montero, Shanina Shaik and more.

Presenting Sponsors were FTX as the official cryptocurrency partner of the gala, and Red Sea International Film Festival. Signature sponsors included Chopard, which donated a unique pair of diamond earrings from the red-carpet collection to the live auction, and Jelenew, which worked with fashion designer Stéphane Rolland to create a custom dress that was included in the fashion show.

Charlotte Tilbury served as the official beauty partner, providing skincare and make-up products and professional make-up artists for the fashion show.  Revolve, in association with The h.wood Group, was amfAR’s after party host. The amfAR Gala Cannes was produced by Andy Boose/AAB Productions.

Over the years, amfAR Gala Cannes has raised a cumulative total of more than €245 million for amfAR’s lifesaving AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and advocacy.

Click on the gallery below to see more pictures from the amfAR Gala Cannes (Photos by Gisela Schober/Getty Images for amfAR)…

Top photo: Simon de Pury and Robert De Niro speak on stage during the amfAR Cannes Gala 2022 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 26, 2022 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by John Phillips/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR)

 

Katie Lister is a global luxury brand consultant and marketing executive, and a contributing writer for Monaco Life.

 

 

Why a cloud of uncertainty lingers over the Monaco Grand Prix

by: Luke Entwistle
01/06/2022

This year’s Monaco Grand Prix drew record attendance and was one of the most exciting races around the streets of the Principality in recent years, but the “mythic” race faces an uncertain future.

Speaking to local media including Monaco Life before the Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc said, “For me, it’s impossible that there isn’t a Monaco Grand Prix. There are lots of tracks that are mythic in Formula 1 and Monaco is certainly one of them. For F1 it is just as important to keep Monaco as it is for Monaco to keep F1.”

Prior to the race, the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM) also sought to dampen talk of the unthinkable – of Monaco losing its spot on the Formula 1 calendar from 2023.

The organisation’s president, Michel Boeri, sought to assuage fears that the Monaco Grand Prix would be axed from the calendar. “I want to mention what we may have read in the press… it was implied that the prices demanded by Liberty Media were too excessive for Monaco and that the Grand Prix would be no more,” he began.

“It is false… I can guarantee you that the Grand Prix will keep taking place beyond 2022. I don’t know if it will be a three or a five-year contract, but that’s just a detail.”

Yet rumours and doubts persist. Lelcerc speaks of an interdependence between Monaco and Formula 1, but new owners Liberty Media, who perhaps aren’t the safest custodians of tradition, seem prepared to cut ties with the iconic race.

No contract for 2023 and beyond has yet been signed, and according to the BBC’s Andrew Benson, it isn’t a matter of “detail”, as Boeri has previously stated.

The sticking points over a renewal aren’t innumerate, but nor are they so insignificant as to simply brush aside. The opaque, stormy clouds that clung to the cliffs of Monaco during Sunday’s race are a perfect metaphor for the uncertain future of the iconic race.

Benson says that Liberty Media are “growing tired of a number of aspects of the race”. Although money is an issue, as is often the case with staging a Grand Prix, this is not the crux of the crisis. Principal amongst the issues is the matter of coverage. Monaco is the only race on the calendar that is broadcast by its local television company rather than by F1’s own TV station, and for a while now, F1 believes that this has led to “a quality gap” which they are “no longer willing to accept”.

Photo credit Claudia G. Albuquerque

There is also the issue of track advertising. In Monaco, F1’s corporate sponsors are supplemented by locally made deals, leading to some “glaring exceptions”.

The track is also an issue, but it needn’t be so. F1 believes that some simple changes could be made, for example at the chicane at the harbour-front chicane, or by simply widening a few corners. Benson claims that the ACM is “reluctant to entertain the idea”.

Overall, this paints a picture of Monaco being unwilling to accept outside ideas, and with the expansion of Formula 1 globally, especially in the USA where they just staged the Miami Grand Prix and will stage the Las Vegas Grand Prix from 2023, the owners are “emboldened”. Liberty Media doesn’t feel compelled to accept deals that quite simply don’t suit them, their objectives, or their vision for the sport.

That boldness could see other traditional races losing their spot on the calendar. The largest worry amongst F1 fans is the disappearance of the Belgium GP at Spa-Francorchamps, which has been rumoured to be dropped from 2023, whilst the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard also looks set to be dropped from the calendar.

There is a growing feeling that in order to survive, Monaco must adapt. As Monaco resident and Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff said after Saturday’s qualifying session, “Monaco has to embrace the new realities of what the sport stands for today.”

One can only hope that that message hits home in time in order to save the Grand Prix that means so much to Monaco, to Formula 1 and to fans globally.

 

See more photos from the Grand Prix Below, courtesy Claudia G. Albuquerque…

 

Top photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

 

 

 

City of Cannes to auction local sites using NFTs

by: Stephanie Horsman
01/06/2022

Auction house Artcurial is organising a first: the auctioning of 10 buildings and places in Cannes in the form of non-fungible tokens.

For the first time, ever, purchasers of immaterial goods using non-fungible tokens, more commonly referred to as NFTs, made from existing places in the real world will be able to make commercial or cultural use of them, after integrating them into a metaverse.

With the I Met My NFT project, the City of Cannes, the Pertimm Company and Artcurial, it will be possible, for example, to build buildings on the Croisette in the metaverse, to organise events at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, or to mount an exhibition at the La Malmaison Art Centre.

This event has been made possible due to a recent change in laws in France authorising auction houses to sell “intangible assets”.

NFTs are individual tokens with valuable information stored in them. Because they hold a value primarily set by the market and demand, they can be bought and sold just like other physical types of art. NFTs’ unique data makes it easy to verify and validate their ownership and the transfer of tokens between owners.

This allows a buyer to purchase a piece of digital artwork, or in this case, a site, on the internet at a reasonable price and get a unique digital token which proves the purchaser’s authority over the item bought.

The auction will take place on Tuesday 21st June at the Port Canto Harbour Masters Office on the Croisette, which coincidentally offers a panoramic view of the 10 sites going under the gavel.

“The sale of the collection of 10 NFTs from Cannes is an event with which we have decided to associate ourselves for its innovative aspect,” explained Arnaud Oliveux, Auctioneer and Associate Director, at Artcurial. “More than a simple sale of NFT, it is a future experience to live in the metaverse that we will offer to buyers and investors, a way to project themselves into another dimension but on the very real bases of 10 iconic places in the city of Cannes.”

Part of the total collected will be donated to the Cannes Endowment Fund and will be used to finance projects in favour of environmental protection.

 

 

 

Colombian artist creates unique mural during Monaco GP

by: Luke Entwistle
01/06/2022

On Saturday, whilst qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix was taking place just a kilometre down the road, Colombian muralist Dast was creating a spectacular mural at the iconic Grimaldi Forum through a partnership with McLaren.

The mural was created through Vuse and McLaren F1’s partnership Driven by Change, which offers underrepresented artists around the world the opportunity to showcase their talent at elite motorsport events.

The Driven by Change campaign made its debut last year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Rabab Tantawy, a female artist from the Middle East, was given the chance to create a special livery. This year, the project saw Jonathan Walker work with the McLaren F1 team in Miami, and Dast’s mural is the second piece to be created this year.

The Colombian artist, originally from Bogota, was chosen for the event due to his “passion for art” and the contrast between the glitz and glamour of Monaco, and the diverse natural geography of Colombia which allowed Dast to step out of his comfort zone. The result is a mural, which “explores the relationship between peoples, places and spaces.”

Inspired by the sounds of F1 cars, which reverberated around the streets of the Principality, Dast worked for 15 hours to create the final piece. He applied his signature geometric style to capture the aerodynamic design of McLaren F1 Team’s car, as well as its vibrant papaya and blue colour theme. a

“Having my work showcased at one of the most exclusive grand prix races and painting the mural in real-time on a canvas such as Monaco’s beachfront makes the opportunity even more special,” said Dast.

The mural has been gifted to McLaren and will continue to be showcased as part of the Driven by Change initiative. The project continues to use the visibility that motorsport brings to give otherwise undiscovered artists a chance to shine on a global stage.

 

Photo source: Driven by Change 

 

 

SBM is back in the black

by: Cassandra Tanti
31/05/2022

The Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) secured almost €200 million more in turnover last financial year, signalling strong recovery for Monaco’s largest company and the region’s most important employer.

For 150 years, the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) has been one of the leading players in the gambling and casino businesses in Europe, and number one in the luxury tourism market in Monaco. The company, which employs over 4,000 staff within Monaco, Italy and France, runs the Principality’s most prestigious hotels, including the Hôtel de Paris and the Hôtel Hermitage, the most famous Michelin star restaurants, from Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse to the Pavyllon by Yannick Alléno, as well as spas, nightclubs, and of course, gaming locations like the Casino de Monte-Carlo.

So, when the global pandemic hit, SBM’s activity went into freefall.

At a press conference on Tuesday morning, SBM CEO Jean-Luc Biamonti revealed a very encouraging financial report for the year 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022. Figures show that, despite the ongoing impact of Covid-19,  the company managed to achieve a turnover of €530.5 million, an increase of 57% on the previous year which garnered €336.9 million.

“Even though activity in the first quarter of 2021 (April to June) remained strongly impacted by the health crisis, like the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters being held behind closed doors, or heavy restrictions on the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the summer season (July to September) saw a resumption of activity,” said Jean-Luc Biamonti. “The second half of the year confirmed the positive trend we saw in the summer period. Although a slowdown in activity was recorded in December 2021 and January 2022 with the arrival of the fifth wave, the favourable trend was again confirmed in February and March 2022.”

While the first quarter of 2020/21 was heavily marked by the temporary closure of almost all establishments in Monaco due to Covid, no such measures were applied last year. As a result, significant gains were witnessed in the gaming sector, which achieved a turnover of €200.8 million against €124.3 million in 2020/2021. However, figures are still down 16% compared to the 2019/2020 financial year.

With the return of tourists came a bounce in hotel revenue, amounting to €213.3 million against €109 million the previous year.

Photo of the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, photo by Cassandra Tanti for Monaco Life

Over the past 10 years, the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group has been developing its property leasing business. So, in addition to its historic portfolio of retail spaces for luxury brands, the company is offering residential properties with high-end hotel services, including the Résidence du Bay, Résidence du Balmoral, Les Villas du Sporting and the One Monte-Carlo.

The move is definitely paying dividends, with the rental sector, which includes retail and office rental activities as well as hotel residences, presenting a turnover of €117.6 million. Less impacted by the pandemic, this sector saw an increase of 11% on the previous year.

“This is mainly due to the increase in residential rental activity following the implementation of progressive rental of the One Monte-Carlo apartments and the non-renewal of discounts that had been granted to shop tenants during the closure period of April 2020,” revealed the SBM CEO.

Meanwhile, the “other activities sector” posted revenue of €9.3 million compared to €4.6 million the previous year, up €4.7 million.

Photo of One Monte-Carlo by Cassandra Tanti for Monaco Life

In March 2021, as SBM grappled with the effects of the pandemic, it implemented a global restructuring plan that included, most significantly, a small number of voluntary redundancies for those aged over 57.

“The announced objective of reducing annual expenses by €25 million resulting from the restructuring plan and reductions in operating expenses has been achieved,” said Biamonti.

The operating profit of the SBM therefore was €35.4 million compared to an operating loss of €103.3 million the previous financial year.

The only negative financial result was seen in its stake in the online gaming group Betclic Everest, which amounted to -€5.2 million for the 2021/2022 financial year, compared to a loss of -€7 million for the 2020/2021 financial year.

It means that, at the end of March 2022, SBM was back in the black with a net positive of €30 million against a net debt of €129.9 million the previous year.

 

Top photo of Jean-Luc Biamonti by Claude Ingargiola 

 

 

 

Video interview: New award to honour F1 team making “positive impact”

by: Stephanie Horsman
31/05/2022

The Monaco Grand Prix was the backdrop for the launch of a new Grace Influential Positive Impact Award, created by the Princess Grace Foundation USA and supported by Prince Albert II and Formula 1.

The lead up to the Grand Prix weekend was the ideal moment to reveal the new Grace Influential Positive Impact Award, an annual prize given to the Formula 1 team who makes the greatest efforts to effect change in a positive way during the course of a year.

An event was held on the Azzurra II in Port Hercule on 27th May where Prince Albert II and Formula 1 owner and CEO of Liberty Media, Greg Maffei, both attended the momentous occasion.

“Formula 1 has set out an ambitious sustainability strategy to forge a path to be completely carbon neutral by 2030, not only within our organisation but also including our global venues and race attendees,” said Maffei. “It is a pleasure for us to support the Grace Influential Positive Impact Award to recognise and amplify all of the efforts made by the teams.”

Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation and Grace Influential added, “This new Grace Influential Impact Award is a key pillar of our commitment to introduce Princess Grace’s legacy of positive change to new generations. We look forward to recognising each Formula 1 team’s unique efforts toward positive societal impact and what better place to celebrate this important work than in Monaco.”

The accolade has been created in conjunction with Dr Christina Pace. The winner of the first award will be announced at a dedicated ceremony during the Monaco Grand Prix 2023, decided by a group of jurists that will include motorsport leaders, celebrities active in positive impact, and a selection of youth judges.

Grace Influential is a global initiative honouring the memory of Princess Grace who, as a philanthropist herself, was credited with spreading that spirit to those in the Principality, as well as abroad. Through a series of global partnerships, new generations will have the opportunity to be inspired by her ongoing influence and impact.

For more info on the future Positive Impact Award or on Grace Influential, visit the website at www.graceinfluential.com

Monaco Life welcomed Brisa Carleton for an interview with Editor in Chief Cassandra Tanti onboard Friendship during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, see the video below… 

 

 

 

Top photo left to right: Formula 1 owner and CEO of Liberty Media Greg Maffei, Princess Grace Foundation USA CEO Brisa Carleton, and Prince Albert II of Monaco, by Fabbio Galatioto