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Nico Rosberg receives European Cultural Award

by: Stephanie Horsman
31/08/2021

Former F1 World Champion and Monaco resident Nico Rosberg has been given the European Cultural Award for his work in the fields of the environment and climate protection.
Nico Rosberg is the latest recipient of the European Cultural Award, which he received in a ceremony at the European Cultural Forum on 29th August in Bonn, Germany.
“What an honour to receive the award after Arnold Schwarzenegger and Prince Albert II. Very proud moment,” 36-year-old Rosberg shared in a post on social media.
Nico Rosberg was shortlisted for the award for his dedication to the environment, notably choosing to invest only in green technologies or companies that promote sustainability.
“For years, Nico Rosberg has supported numerous initiatives that are the most urgent challenges of our time. As co-founder of the Greentech Festival, he gives innovation a stage and brings experts together with start-ups,” said CEO of the European Culture Forum Bernhard Reeder.
Rosberg humbly responded, “I am delighted that my work inspires other people and companies to also commit to climate protection. We can only do it together, and I am proud to have strong partners and a team by my side that will continue to actively work to find sustainable solutions that make our future better.”
The European Cultural Award, which was launched in 2012, is designed to recognise individuals and companies that work to positive common goals on the continent. Environmental protection, peace and cultural work are amongst the categories they reward.
 
 
Photo: Nico Rosberg Instagram
 
 
 

Cyclist Chris Froome joins Board of Factor Bikes

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/08/2021

Monaco-based professional cyclist Chris Froome has joined with Point King Capital and Skip Capital to invest in premium bicycle brand Factor Bikes, and in the process has signed on to the company’s Board of Directors.
Factor Bikes and its parts and accessories subsidiary Black, Inc. now have a bona fide cycling superstar on their Board in the form of Chris Froome. The Monaco-based racer has joined up with two investors, Sam McKay, Co-Founder of Point King Capital, and Scott Farquhar, Co-Founder of Skip Capital, to invest in the company’s future.
Froome and McKay will sit on the Factor/Black Board of Directors, and CEO Rob Gitelis will keep his position as majority shareholder.
“We are genuinely excited to bring on new capital partners who will help Factor realise its potential,” said Gitelis in a statement. “With Chris, Point King Capital and Skip Capital we have the ideal team to support and advise us on every aspect of our business as we enter a new, growth-oriented chapter. They all understand and support our mission to push boundaries and challenge the status-quo, which is critical.”
The new influx of capital will help the company in its global growth strategy. The focus will be on continued investment in the products, innovation, talent and global channel expansion.
Factor/Black had recently announced its intention to open a new retail shop in Melbourne as part of improving on their direct-to-consumer experience. They have also signed on for another year as the sponsor for the UCI World Tour professional cycling team, Israel Start-up Nation, who Froome races for.
This will be Froome’s first foray into investments in a bicycle company and he intends to play an active role in strategic direction, product development and marketing and sponsorship decisions.
The Brit has won seven Grand Tours including four editions of the Tour de France, one Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España twice. He has also won several other stage races, and the Velo d’Or three times. He has also been awarded the Oder of the British Empire (OBE) for his achievements.
Speaking from Monaco, Froome shared his excitement about the new venture, saying, “I’m really excited to be joining the Factor/Black Inc team. Over the past year, I’ve had a first-hand look at Factor/Black Inc’s technical and development prowess. I truly believe that they’re building something special, and I can’t wait to bring my racing experience and product understanding to help the company continue to bring ground-breaking innovations to cyclists all over the world.”
Factor CEO Gitelis is equally happy about Froome’s involvement, saying, “As much as his physical abilities, Chris’ obsession with extracting every last ounce of performance from his equipment has played a key role in his becoming one of the greatest cyclists of all time. The fact that he chose to make his maiden bicycle company investment in Factor/Black Inc. after just one season of racing on our products speaks volumes about his belief in what we’re doing. We will benefit greatly from his knowledge of both the product and the peloton.”
 
 
 
Photo supplied
 
 
 

Princess’ Foundation details 2020 achievements in annual report

by: Stephanie Horsman
25/08/2021

Despite the pandemic and all the restrictions that it brought, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation was able to move forward with several key projects and programmes centred on water safety and drowning prevention, as well as putting on events, assisting in Covid prevention missions and welcoming a new ambassador.
The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation this week released its 2020 activity report, highlighting the programmes, projects and key moments from the previous year, notably several key missions in 17 countries, a mask distribution scheme during the height of the first wave of the pandemic, the Le Mans virtual race, the Monaco Water Bike Challenge and the welcoming of a new ambassador, Peter Sagan.
The main focus of the Princess’ Foundation has always been on water safety, and whilst the majority of the activities were geared for this, the pandemic gave them a chance to offer help in other ways as well.
“2020 was a strange year for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, as it was for many humanitarian associations and NGOs around the world,” said Gareth Wittstock, the foundation’s General Secretary.“Fortunes changed and swayed, initial disappointments gave way to hope, and missed opportunities quickly turned into brand new ideas for the future. They were trying times for everyone.
“Throughout 2020, we remained strongly committed to fighting for the health and development of all children. We remained strongly committed to the fight against drowning, and we chose to commit to the fight against Covid-19.”
Princess Charlene herself reiterated her goals for the Foundation but acknowledged the limitations that 2020 brought.
“The primary mission of my foundation is to save lives by fighting against drowning, which results in an increasing number of deaths every year,” said the Princess. “Drowning rates continued to be of concern in many countries in 2020. Children had even more restricted access to pools and facilities enabling them to learn how to swim and to protect themselves against water hazards.”
The year in numbers
The Foundation, which was created in 2012, has since sponsored 398 projects in 38 countries around the world benefitting 864,465 individuals as of the end of last year.
In 2020 alone, the Foundation was instrumental in teaching 12,172 people to swim, gave 121,541 water safety skills, and educated 6,915 in the values of sport. The Foundation’s total investment in the projects came to €531,258.
The Foundation increased social media presence and had 7,000 Instagram followers, 21,000 Facebook followers and 19,327 YouTube hits.
Projects
The Foundation hosted drowning prevention and learn to swim missions in several countries, including in Burkino Faso, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, France, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Greece, Sudan, South Africa, Cambodia and the USA. This was enhanced by the online drowning awareness programme launched in summer 2020, which reminded people of water hazards throughout the summer season and got 34,000 views.
Additionally, The Foundation supported projects centred on Sport and Education to promote well-being and good childhood development. To this end, they hosted ‘Education through the values of sport’ missions in South Africa, Georgia, Madagascar and Monaco.
The Foundation took a different route when the pandemic hit, and distributed masks to institutions and organisations who were in desperate need of PPE in the early days of the first lockdown. Additionally, the Foundation took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans virtual race with their own team on the roster with team members Francesco Castellacci, Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa as well as a sim racer, Tony Mella.
The Calvi-Monaco Water Bike Challenge also returned despite the health restrictions, which pitted the Princess Charlene-led Team Serenity against Team Notorious, headed up by Gareth Wittstock.
Finally, the Foundation welcomed a new ambassador in the form of Serbian cyclist Peter Sagan. The three-time road race world champion joined the foundation as a face of the organisation and said at the time of his appointment that it was “an honour and a privilege for me to become an Ambassador of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and to contribute to its important mission.

Princess Charlene “thrilled” to reunite with Prince and children

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/08/2021

Prince Albert and six-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella have joined Princess Charlene in South Africa as she recovers from her recent surgery.
The princess, who has been in her homeland since earlier this year, took to Instagram to share the long-awaited reunion of her family.
The Palace recently announced that Prince Albert would be joining the princess as she recovers from a four-hour surgery undertaken on Friday 13th August.
Princess Charlene shared pictures on social media with the caption, “I am so thrilled to have my family back with me ❤️. (Gabriella decided to give herself a haircut!!!) Sorry my Bella I tried my best to fix it”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CS_VuctjIN1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
 
The photos indeed appear to show that the young princess attempted to give herself the same trendy haircut as her mother. The shots were taken by photographer Christian Sperka, the same photographer who captured Princess Charlene’s rhino conservation work in May.
The last time Prince Albert and their children were in South Africa was in early June, when the princess shared snaps of the family together on a safari.
Speaking to local media South Africa Radio 702 earlier this month, Princess Charlene revealed that she is not due to return to the Principality of Monaco until October when she is expected to be fully recovered from a severe ETN (ear, throat, nose) infection.
 
 
Photo: Instagram @hshprincesscharlene
 
 

Monaco to enter into NFT market

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/08/2021

AS Monaco has unveiled a two-season partnership with fantasy football platform Sorare, which will allow the club to enter the world of NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens) for the first time.
With partnerships already with Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Liverpool, Sorare has cards from more than 155 football clubs and over 450,000 registered users on the platform, of which 100,000 are active every month.
The deal with Monaco will allow fans, collectors and fantasy football players to trade and play freely with digital cards of Monaco players. Each of these cards will be verified by blockchain technology, allowing it to be certified and therefore non-fungible.
“It is an original and innovative way of connecting AS Monaco fans with the club and the players on an increasingly renowned platform, which fits perfectly with our digital development,” said Oleg Petrov, Vice-President and CEO of AS Monaco. “This arrival in the NFT world will also give the club exposure to a fast-growing market and an opening to a new audience. We are looking forward to the start of this collaboration.”
Sorare was founded in 2018, focussing on blockchain digital collectibles and its global fantasy football. The platform has had a card sales volume of over $80 million since January 2021 across 150 countries.
“NFTs are the future of global sports fandom because they allow fans to come together and to feel ownership of the sports they love,” said Nicolas Julia, CEO and co-founder of Sorare. “This partnership isn’t just a sign of Sorare’s growing leadership in the NFT sports space, it is a major signal of intent by the sporting world that it sees Sorare’s unique ability to connect fans with sports through NFTs a crucial part of their plans for the future. AS Monaco is one of the best club in the world, home to some of the most exciting clubs and footballers on earth. We are looking forward to working together in the years ahead.”
 
 
Image courtesy AS Monaco
 
 

Relive the Monaco Streaming Festival this week

by: Katie Lister
23/08/2021

In July, the Monaco Streaming Film Festival (MCSFF) took its first steps on the red carpet and successfully launched its inaugural year at the Grimaldi forum while livestreamed worldwide for a global audience to partake in the action on the ground.

Those who missed it are in luck as this Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th August the festival will livestream a free all-access reprise of the best keynote speeches and panel discussions from the conference half of the original four-day event, along with highlights from the awards night.

In collaboration with entertainment media partner Variety and other partners, the two-day event is chock-full of content worth tuning in to and intake all of the valuable industry insight. The hybrid summit-meets-film festival in July brought together film, media, technology leaders and talent to discuss everything surrounding the technology-driven streaming industry as it stands and where it is headed.

The Monaco Streaming Film Festival – in conjunction with Grundy Media Ltd. (The Reg Grundy Innovation Award), The Princess Grace Foundation, The White Feather Foundation and The GEMA Foundation, was born out of the fact that there was no international festival in existence that celebrated and centered the conversation around the dominating streaming sector. Nor was there a festival that leveraged the power of streaming technology to bring it to the masses of film and content lovers worldwide in real-time. The annual awards in Hollywood – the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards – have been churning out Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Studios nominations and wins.

The streaming sector deserved a festival of its own to reflect the sign of the times and to flow with the ever-evolving content landscape. The festival has also taken a new, more dynamic approach by including other channels of content storytelling including YouTube and social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

“For the first festival of its kind we are delighted that it turned out to be such a success with so many participating in-person and online,” says Christian Moore, the festival’s Co-Founder and Founder of GEMA Foundation.  “We aim to draw on the experience and make our next festivals even more beneficial and impactful.”

The Monaco Streaming Film Festival and Grundy Media, an iconic brand in global entertainment, have joined forces with a shared belief that bold vision and precise execution can forever enhance the media industry to move people on a global scale.

​​“From the start, we envisioned a media event that would be as modern and connective as the world of streaming and was totally in line with Reg Grundy’s personal visions,” said Jo Cullen-Cronshaw, CEO of RG Capital Group and Director of Grundy Media Ltd.  “We couldn’t be more pleased with the level of success the Festival and our Reg Grundy Innovation Award achieved. It’s exciting to connect with an even larger audience who we hope to see live at the Festival in 2022.”

Economically speaking, the Principality of Monaco has the potential to greatly benefit from the festival by not only drawing in local business and tourism surrounding the in-person festival every year, but also on a global scale through the festival’s streaming platform open to a worldwide audience.

“The film industry has undergone a significant shift as the streaming services sector continues to grow its market share. Streaming services have become a viewer’s preferred way to experience favourite films, shows and documentaries, to watch YouTube and to create or engage with social media content. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated streaming dominance due to the global community being hunkered down at home for the bulk of the past one and a half years.

The market for streaming services grew by 37% in 2020, with most of the growth coming from Disney+ which hit over 73 million subscribers in its first year. The global video streaming market was valued at USD 39.610 billion in the year 2018, USD 50.11 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach USD 102.0971 billion by 2023, growing at 20.8% CAGR.  Innovations, such as blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, to improve video quality are expected to boost the market growth.

‘No Time To Die’ premier in London and Monaco

Actor Daniel Craig has a lot to be happy about these days, partly thanks to his alter-ego James Bond, and partly because of his streaming platform-related projects and successes.
Firstly, the Bond part: the long-awaited world premiere of ‘No Time To Die’ – the 25th film from the Bond franchise – will at last take place in London on 28th September. We are most certain that Craig is breathing a sigh of relief along with Bond film lovers worldwide that his final act as 007 is finally coming to light after one and a half years of several premiere date delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The next day on 29th September, Monaco will play host to an exclusive screening of the film followed by a Casino Royale Dinatoire at the Casino de Monte-Carlo. The exclusive 007 Monaco evening – deemed ‘The World’s Most Immersive James Bond Experience’ – will celebrate the film’s Director and Princess Grace Award Winner Cary Joji Fukunaga as Guest of Honour, while also celebrating the life of former Bond and long-time Monaco resident Sir Roger Moore who passed away in 2017.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Princess Grace Foundation-USA. The event is sponsored by and partnered with the Société des Bains de Mer, Blackwell Rum and the Monaco Ambassadors Club, and proudly supported by Monaco Life as a media partner.

Daniel Craig capitalising on streaming

Daniel Craig is cashing in big-time as of late thanks to the streaming sector. It goes without saying that James Bond films, which release only in cinemas, are always massive box office successes revenue-wise. Craig’s streaming platform projects are raking in the dough even more so. According to Variety last week, he has reportedly made to-date a cool $100-million just from the yet-to-be-released sequels to Rian Johnson’s Netflix film Knives Out.

Netflix compensates movie stars for the projected back-end box office participation they would reap if their movies were released exclusively in theaters. This combined with all of his other year-to-date earnings have made him the world’s highest-paid actor this year.

The streaming sector is worth investing time into, learning about, and taking part in as it is clearly thriving and its future is so blindingly bright.

Most poignantly: streaming content has the constant attention of billions of people worldwide morning, noon and night, and attention is one of the most valuable currencies.
Register here and watch (for free) the best takeaways from the Monaco Streaming Film Festival’s inaugural year for free this Tuesday and Wednesday: https://live.streamingff.com/

Katie Lister is the Monaco Streaming Festival’s founding Head of Marketing and Partnerships.