EDITOR’S CHOICE OF MONTECARLO ANNIVERSARIES
by Ilio Masprone with Renata Masprone Rivella
MONACO. Dear followers,today I focus about some anniversaries that have contributed to the Principality entrepreneurial excellence in these last times. In fact, as a private Italian citizen working in Monaco, I am very proud to have started and practiced some successful initiatives here. In 1998, we published the first magazine for the Italians abroad, especially directed to those living or working in the Principality, entitled IL FOGLIO ITALIANO; then, the Foglio d’Oro Award for the Italian Excellence Worldwide, hosted in the Hotel de Paris, and staged by Daniele Piombi, was accompanied by the publishing of the Montecarlo Magazine – Les Nouvelles.
More than 50 people received the coveted Foglio d’Oro Award consisting in a papyrus scroll and a golden trophy by the Calabrian goldsmith Michele Affidato: Monica Bellucci, Fernanda Casiraghi, and the former SBM’s PR Andrè Rolfo Fontana, (2000);
Katia Ricciarelli, Emilio Fede, and the MotoGP’s Chairman Francesco Zerbi (2001); Princess Camilla di Borbone, Mike Bongiorno, and Ezio Greggio (2002); Maria Franca Ferrero, Paolo Limiti, and Roberto Bettega (2003); Ornella Muti, Max Biaggi, Sergio Pininfarina, and Franco Zeffirelli (2004); Evelina Christillin, Salvatore Adamo, Giulio Andreotti, and Roberto Bolle (2005); Lorena Bianchetti, Marcello Lippi, Pierfrancesco Vago (MSC) and Umberto Veronesi (2006); Caterina Murino, Nair, Alberto Hazan, (RMC) and Frecce Tricolori(2007); Patrizia Mirigliani, Amedeo Minghi, Claudio Marzocco, Enrico De Wan (2008).
Sabrina Brazzo (La Scala), Peppino di Capri, Valentina Vezzali, and Prince Emanuele Filiberto (2009); Lea Pericoli/Nicola Pietrangeli, Melissa e John Martinotti; Edmond De Rothschild (2010) Remo Girone, Niccolò Caissotti di Chiusano, Ugo Nespolo, Gian Piero Mazzetti/Rosa Ceccon (Farmen spa) (2011); chefs Luca Manfè, Gigi Ferraro, Simone Ruggiati, Frank Cerutti (2013).
On 2014 the Award the ceremony was held in Geneva, Switzerland, . The Foglio d’Oro was fortunate to have dedicated supporters, not only in the Italian Community, but in the Monaco’s Government as well. In 2005 HSH Albert II presented me with the Knight Order of Cultural Merit of the Principality of Monaco. The Order recognizes individuals who made a distinctive contribution to the arts, letters or science through their work in Monaco, extending intellectual influence in those areas.
Moreover, today the website Montecarlotimes.eu is a reality, together with the Il Foglio Italiano website. In the meantime, I witnessed the birth of many entrepreneural accomplishments in the Principality. Actually, it is impossible to number the many events and initiatives supported by HSH the Prince Albert II and the Governement of Monaco. Besides the SBM’ s events, the Grimaldi Forum was born, greeting the new millemium era and holding outstanding success thanks to an exciting calendar of events. Last year, right in its 15th anniversary, the Nice-Matin Eco Club trophies, founded 5 years ago, awarded the GF with the Prix Coup de Coeur 2015. Moreover, the Monaco Yacth Show from 25 September to 2 October 2016, the Route du Gout -First Bio Festival from 12-16 October 2016; as for the Salon Mariage-15/16 October 2016, it recently got a terrific success at the Grimaldi Forum-The Event Factory premises.
Regarding the foundation of the Monaco and Nice-Matin Eco Club Trophies, on 2013 the second award ceremony offered a good overview of Monaco’s economic dynamism, as well as the country’s potential for innovation. A hundred companies were preselected, then whittled down to five in each category. The winners included Es-Ko in the International category and Laboratoires Aspeta in the Monaco category. On 2014, four prizes went to Monegasque companies which are making their mark in various areas; Innovation: prize presented to Noaro Frères by Sylvie Biancheri, General Manager of Grimaldi Forum and Martin Peronnet, CEO of Monaco Telecom; Sustainable Development: prize presented to SMA by Robert Namias, Chairman of the Board at Nice Matin; International: prize presented to Dietsmann by Axel Hoppenot, Marketing Manager at Monte-Carlo SBM; and for Made in Monaco, prize presented to Banana Moon by Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and Economy, and Bernard d’Alessandri, Director of the Yacht Club de Monaco. In addition, H.E. Mr Michel Roger, the Minister of State, presented a special jury prize to Ornella Barra, of the company Alliance Boots. Finally, Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and Economy, presented the Manager of the Year trophy to Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio of Silversea. Last year, the 4th Monaco Eco Club trophy award ceremony took place on Tuesday 24 November 2015 at the Grimaldi Forum. The ceremony, organised by the Monaco Economic Board in partnership with the Nice-Matin group, recognised seven entrepreneurs for the quality of their work in the Principality and at an international level.
The Barbaranelli brothers, who founded the Eurimpex company, received the Manager of the year prize, while Pierre Bondon was awarded the Sustainable development prize for his company, Exsymol. Finally, M. Jean Castellini presented the Coup de Coeur Award to Mr Jean Pastorelli, Chairman, and Mrs Sylvie Biancheri, General Manager for their accomplishments and outstanding success of the Grimaldi Forum. The members of the jury said that the award “is due to their dedication that has made the spot one the most prestigious and coveted in the world.” Moreover, the jury’s members highlighted the importance of the Grimaldi Forum in the economic and cultural dynamism of the Principality.
