Race is around the corner — and so are the parties
Gearing up for the biggest bashes of Formula One Grand Prix weekend
It is the best of the times, it is the worst of times: welcome to Grand Prix weekend in Montreal. The worst because of closed streets, traffic and other First World inconveniences and un-Montreal-like ostentatious displays. But also the best, because this is the weekend when Montreal pays its dues to join the ranks of such metropolises as Monte Carlo, Barcelona and São Paulo, among the handful of cities to host a Formula One race.
For F1 enthusiasts, Grand Prix weekend is a time to rejoice in the humming of fat tires going around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and to glimpse the pilots who practise this sport of meticulous precision.
For others, this weekend is the Olympics of networking, where picking the right event to attend is almost a science. Almost, I said. Here is a glance at some of the highest-profile social events of the weekend, the people who are putting them together, and whether you can score an invitation.
Friday night at the Ritz: “We own the Friday night,” says Katia Piccolino, public relations and sponsorship director at the Ritz-Carlton. For the last few years, the Grand Prix event at the Ritz-Carlton has been a must. It’s everything you can imagine a Ritz-Carlton event to be: impeccable settings, grandiose scenery and patrons looking their best. It’s like going to prom, minus the teenage insecurities and the curfew, and with champagne and caviar.
To pull together this magical night — which will include a soundtrack by DJ Yo-C, the popup beach La Plage Moët & Chandon and a Pirelli pit stop — the passionate Piccolino is part of a seasoned team that includes the hotel’s general manager Andrew Torriani and Alicia Ernst, who puts on the hat of operational mastermind during the Grand Prix.
The privileged relationship the Ritz-Carlton has with the city’s
top publicists in various industries ensures a well-adorned guest list. Professional athletes, politicos, journos, entertainers, out-of-town A-listers — if they’re in Montreal that weekend, they’ll be at the RitzCarlton event. And so can you. For $425 (before 9 p.m.) and $325 (after 9 p.m.), you can enjoy all the fabulousness of the Pfaff McLaren Ritz-Carlton event on Friday. Ten dollars from each ticket sold will be donated to UNICEF Canada, for insecticide-treated bed nets. Email GrandPrix2016@ritzmontreal.com.
Did someone say Tom Brady?
Imagine a photo of soccer superstar Didier Drogba, New England Patriots MVP Tom Brady and Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo.
This promising Instagram moment will be brought to you by TAG Heuer on Saturday from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Swiss luxury watchmaker will host the #DontCrackUnderPressure Challenge with the unlikely power trio at an Astroturfed Victoria Square, across from the W Hotel.
There, and for free, you can engage in a series of sports challenges by Ricciardo, Brady and Drogba. These challenges will help raise funds for Ste-Justine Hospital.
“Gifting lounge” for top influencers: Earlier that day, and for those whose footwear doesn’t adhere to Astroturf, the W Hotel will host the Pit Stop Lounge — a private “gifting lounge” featuring a brochette of brands, many of which are Canadian. It’s pegged as the first of its kind during Grand Prix. Nathalie Marchand, marketing PR manager at the W Hotel, curated the guest list with the help of publicists and tools that measure a person’s online influence. Invitees include local celebrities and trendsetters, members of the media and hotel guests.
The experience will resemble that seen at the Toronto International Film Festival, says Marchand, where guests are spoiled and pampered. Later that night, the W Hotel will host the Pit Stop Party, open to all and featuring out-oftown DJs and local favourite vinyl masters Toddy and Jojo Flores. Visit wmontreal.eventbrite.ca.
Curated guest list at Auberge SaintGabriel: At the helm of the now legendary GP events at Auberge Saint- Gabriel is Nicolas Urli, event
producer and co-owner of local hot spots such as Flyjin, Jatoba and École Privée. He started working on Grand Prix events six months ago. The Auberge has a busy and varied program from Thursday to Sunday.
The events are open to all, with controlled ticket sales, and will be attended by a well-curated guest list years in the making. Out of all the events, I’ve pencilled the Auberge’s Brunch Bagatelle on Saturday in my agenda. It has a south-of-France flair, and the $60 price tag makes it less expensive than lunch in St-Tropez. For full details of Auberge Saint-Gabriel’s Grand Prix activities, visit abge.ca. Grand finale at Windsor Station:
Taking place at Windsor Station on Sunday, and with heavyweight Alexandre Brosseau as one of the creatives at its helm, THE CODE 20 event will be the grand finale of a weekend that will take me days and many Advils to recover from. Brosseau, creative director of Speakeasy Productions and coowner of restaurants Sousbois and Flyjin, relishes being part of the F1 festivities.
Past THE CODE 20 events have taken place in Shanghai, Monaco, Austin and Abu Dhabi. The event is by invitation only and with table reservations. Brosseau figures there will be 1,200 to 1,500 guests in attendance. The guest list is put together by some of the city’s top event promoters, concierges and publicists, and most of the F1 pilots are expected to be in attendance.
Boulevardiers, start your engines.