Inside The Spectacular 10th Anniversary Of The Ball In Monaco

Here's how the Ball in Monaco 2018, a biennial gala in support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, celebrated its 10th birthday

A much-anticipated event on Singapore’s social calendar, the biennial Ball in Monaco pulled out all the stops for their 10th anniversary held at the Marina Bay Sands ballroom, the venue host for the past four editions. The evening started out with a cocktail reception where guests enjoyed Perrier-Jouët champagne while visiting the booths of sponsors Air France and Anse Du Portier. Guests were also able to peruse the artworks up for auction, including pieces donated by Ode To Art, as well as a painting donated by the Rudolf family, founders of Art Stage.

Above Terence Lim, Elizabeth Lee, Corinne Ng, Kissa Castañeda

Above Prince Albert II, Jacky Deromedi, Sophie Deromedi, Andrea Casiraghi, H.E. MInister Bernard Fautrier, George Tanasijevich, Jean-Marc Deromedi

Guests of honour

Since the first ball in 2008, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco has always made it a point to grace the event. This year was no exception. He was also joined by his nephew Andrea Casiraghi, son of Princess Caroline, who came for the first time. Fashion royalty was also present—Giuseppina Cannizzaro, head of Alta Moda and niece of Domenico Dolce, flew in straight from Milan to join the festivities. The fundraising gala never fails to attract society’s best and Singapore Tatler, exclusive media partners of the event, hosted two tables filled with friends who support the Foundation's work.

Above Celeste Basapa, Julian Chang

Above Pauline Chan, Jean Nasr

Above Nana Au-Chua

Above Maria Elena Rudolf, Sandra Chang

Dynamic display

Once the doors opened, guests were impressed by the vibrant space, which was ingeniously transformed with screens cladding all four corners of the spacious ballroom. Complementing the design was an equally exciting programme that featured a variety of musical acts like Matthew and The Mandarins, a popular local band, and a touching performance by a Filipina singer.

Above HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco

A fervent call to action

“It is our responsibility to change our development model. To move away from short term thinking and stop acting in our short-term interests,” stressed Prince Albert II during his passionate opening speech. This message was reiterated by guest of honour Masagos Zulkifli, minister for the Environment and Water Resources. In their speeches, Jean-Marc Deromedi, honorary consul of Monaco to Singapore, and George Tanasijevich, president and CEO of Marina Bay Sands, both thanked the audience for their support.

Above Chef David Myers

Above Amuse bouche

Celebratory feast

The main goal of the gala is to raise funds for the foundation's causes, but it was clear that they intended the event to be a fun birthday celebration, too. Kicking it off was a sumptuous dinner created by chef David Myers of Adrift paired with specially selected wines. Fresh off a flight from Tokyo, where the chef just opened another restaurant, Myers talked everyone through the evening bespoke menu.

An epic auction

This year also saw a dynamic auction format, with two hosts pitting one side of the ballroom with the other. The novel approach worked—plenty of guests bid on lots such as luxurious stays at Aman Resorts as well as exquisite jewellery pieces. The highlight of the night, however, was the intense, competitive bidding for a bespoke F.P Journe timepiece created only for the event. In the end, the one-of-a-kind watch fetched $400,000.

Grand finale

The Ball in Monaco ended as impressively as it started with the unveiling of an illuminated dragon dance that delighted guests. And what’s a birthday without cake? Towards the end of the evening, the Marina Bay Sands team rolled out a gigantic three-tier cake to mark the momentous occasion. All in all, the special evening was a massive success, raising a record-breaking $1.5 million dollars to support the foundation’s work in marine conservation, climate change and sustainability.

Topics

Ball in Monaco Ball in Monaco 2018 Monaco Ball 10th Anniversary HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Tatler Asia