1010 & LUXE City Guides Mobile Launch Party February 2, 2010

Business traveller favourite (as well as my own personal favourite) LUXE City Guides launched a unique mobile download option in Hong Kong on Friday 29 January, 2010.  The slim city slicker guides are already chock full of self-confessed “hyper-opinionated” options, and while hotel and spa recommendations are of the 5-star price range – the activities, restaurants and bars I have always found to be spot on!

The only trouble with LUXE guides are their lack of maps and while they are updated yearly, even then I have found myself wandering the confusing streets of Seoul trying to find a restaurant that I later found out had just closed.

With their new mobile application however, maps and images are now available. Still catering for business travellers, now the guides can be saved on most smart phones, where you can bookmark favourites, plus click phone numbers in the guides to automatically be put through. Adding to this, once downloaded, you don’t need to access internet to look up items. Considering how travelling you would probably forgo taking a travel book, but would never give up the Crack-berry, it is such a smart idea I am surprised no other travel guide has thought of it previously!

To launch the event, LUXE and key Hong Kong mobile carrier 1010 launched a swish party at new upscale Hong Kong hotel The Upper House.

This media launch was very informative, without being dry. It showcased how this application is extremely beneficial and gave free downloads to the media present.

Vero chocolates, French Chardonnay, Hong Kong international film actor Terence Yin, free LUXE Guides (for those unable to download) and a wealth of luxury giveaways (I won a night at Jia Hotel in Hong Kong, my friend a night at The Upper House) rounded out a fabulous launch event for an early Friday evening.

Beijing Club 2nd Anniversary January 27, 2010

Open in the fall of 2007, Beijing Club is Hong Kong’s quintessential super-club. With a total area of 12,000 square feet spread over three floors, the club has the finest Austrian crystals draped elegantly above each of the four bars and an American-styled balcony on the 3rd floor which has the biggest outdoor projection in Central.

While this club located just around the corner from the heart of Lan Kwai Fong caters more to the local, rather than ex-pat crowd, it is still the club that houses the franchise juggernaut Ministry of Sound whenever it hits Hong Kong.

So to celebrate the clubs 2 and a bit anniversary, they went all out- providing a packed out venue on a Tuesday night. Packed on all floors! Moet and Patron flowed freely as all jostled for position to watch pole performances from Symone (Pole Paradise Studio) and a Showtime lingerie catwalk.

Goody bags kept up the free-drinking theme, with boxes of keep sake glassware given as additions for any novice bar.

W52 Opening January 24, 2010

New Wyndham St restaurant W52 had their official opening party on Friday 22 January, 2010, despite having been in business for almost 2 months.

The three floor venue was packed with after-workers taking in some knock-off Prosecco’s that were served alongside traditional Italian antipasto items, such as mozzarella and fresh off-the-bone prosciutto.

A transparent elevator, specially designed to show off W52’s wine collection, took patrons through the multi-floored eatery that gets increasingly exclusive with each floor.

The elegantly appointed Italian restaurant spans three floors, with each level employing  a different color scheme. The top floor is reserved for small parties (up to 8 people) that want to sample the chef’s specialties. There is no menu, you just tell the chef what you don’t eat and he will come up with a menu tailor-made for your party.

W52
52 Wyndham St., Central, 6768-5252

Opening of an envelope January 16, 2010

Named after a tree common to this region of Asia, Kapok is a little oasis in the middle of urban Hong Kong. Kapok on Sun Street in the back streets of Wan Chai (the hip part, not the sleazy stripper part) had its grand opening party on 14 January 2010, with their store and cafe opening jointly organised with Whitespace Design Studio for the launch of a new stationery line “Greyscale”. 

As I left for the party, a friend remarked I really do go to the ‘opening of an envelope’! I am obsessed with stationary and turns out there is a multitude of urban hipsters who do too, as the place was jumping! Sipping on Vitamin Water and vodkas and noshing on mini cupcakes, the little street was crammed with downtown-type hipsters (if Hong Kong had a downtown that is) browsing the carefully selected items in the store. Kapok’s French founder Arnault Castell wanted to have a place that showcases his treasures from frequent shopping trips abroad and his selection of home ware, candles, skin care, music, books and stationery show a very keen eye for all the pretty things in the world.

I am especially a fan of  anything Letterpress and love the “will you be my Bridesmaid” notecards (if only I had a wedding to plan…sigh). I also love the Maptote cotton environmental shopping bags from the US, which apparently Kapok is helping to design a new Hong Kong style.

Purr-fect Publicity – Take 2 January 4, 2010

South China Morning Post ran some post-publicity pics of the ‘Feline Fetish’ charity fundraiser party in their Thursday 31 December edition. Big shout out to Andrew Sun for once again covering main pointers of the night and for also cutting out and blowing up a picture of one of my friends Luke Pisano for the main pic. Luke (or ‘School-boy’ as we call him) HATES photos and got endless shtick for this from his fellow traders at Macquarie. I definitely ‘got him’ with this article!

Mad Men Casting Party December 18, 2009

On Thursday 17 December, 2009 local channel, FX hosted a Mad Men Casting Party at FINDS to find stars for their commercial to publicize the launch of the show on local tv.

After finding Season One tough going, I am now totally addicted to the US tv series Mad Men! The witty office banter, the brooding good looks of John Hamm and of course the fabulous 1960’s costumes and set designs (they even make smoking look cool again). 

Encouraging participants to dress up as their favourite character from the show, FX spotters picked the best from the crowd to go into two rounds, even if weren’t picked, anyone in vintage garb was allowed a free Chivas Regal cocktail, with a range named after the Mad Men characters. The ’Don Draper’ even came with nitrogen gases!

I channeled my best Betty Draper and made the final six, but unfortunately did not win anything

From Russia With Love @ M1NT December 16, 2009

Members only club M1NT threw a pseudo Christmas bash on December 16, 2009 with the theme From Russia With Love.

The theme was incorporated beautifully with white wonderland decorations, ice sculptures, vodka, caviar, Russian angels dressed in white lingerie and fur (both for the ladies and the men) and a big screen showing Sean Connery at his 007 finest in what-else From Russia With Love.

Unfortunately, unlike most other countries, Christmas and New Years is actually the quietest time of the year in Hong Kong, owing in part to the large population of ex-pats who fly home for the holidays – so despite all of the great attention to detail, the party never really got started. Not necessarily a bad thing on a school night – although some welcome White Russian cocktails still were enjoyed by many!

Purr-fect Publicity December 11, 2009

Some post-publicity obtained for the Feline Fetish fundraiser held at Solas on Tuesday 8 December, 2009:

Asia Ex-pat

http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/gallery/events/1738/jwa-bazaar-09-island-school-feline-fetish-by-a/

BC Magazine

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2009/feline-fetishsolas-8-december/10592080_79rPs#736219032_6YK5T

Posto Pubblico Opening December 9, 2009

Posto Pubblico aims to serve New York-Italian food with local ‘clean’ ingredients to reduce carbon footprint and while it is predominantly Italian fare, the design of the place is a direct copy of New York French bistro name-stays Balthazar and Pastis. Not that there is anything wrong with that! Hong Kong is in dire need for these types of eateries and the large expansive ceilings are a design concept not usually associated with Elgin Street, Soho.

Posto held their opening on Wednesday 9 December, 2009 with mini-servings of their hit and miss food, such as meatballs (miss), margherita pizza (hit) and lemon dessert (hit) alongside Italian wines and Prosecco. With the smell of pasta wafting through the streets, the spacious venue was quickly bustling as passer-bys wanted to get a glimpse at the new venue with its exposed brick walls, high ceilings, gothic chandeliers, chocolate leather banquettes and wooden bistro tables.

Feline Fetish @ Solas December 8, 2009

A purr-fect night was had by all on Tuesday 8 December, 2009, when Hong Kong Alley Cat Watch raised over $70K HD for our furry friends. Over 120 people packed into Solas on a dreary and drizzly night to bid on sexy Bachelors and Bachelorettes ($24K HD raised for dates with this eligible bunch alone).

There was an abundance of raffle prizes, too much in fact, that the proceedings slowed down the night a bit too much. Just in time to save the day was pole goddess Symone Corby, who performed in full Cat Woman attire to The Cure’s “Love Cats” – very appropriate for the night.

Rounding out the festivities was of course myself and my girlfriend Anna selling ’9 Lives’ shooters, with all proceeds going to animal welfare. The packed crowd were grateful to have drinks delivered to them and Solas couldn’t make the shots fast enough!