While the first night was attended mainly by German Club members and their invitees, the Oktoberfest evidently had a universal appeal, judging from the guests of different nationalities who danced the night away.
With the generous support of our very own Philippine STAR, PLDT, BMW, Swissair, GMA-7, Siemens, San Miguel Beer, NBC, Smart, Deutsche Bank, Frequentis, Commercial Freight Services and Waagner Biro Modular Bridges, two fun-filled nights had hundreds of partying personas from both the expatriate and local communities joining in the excitement of the world’s biggest folk festival.
Adding to the Bavarian ambiance, palanggas, were the service staff garbed in identical T-shirts and the ubiquitous gambarthut felt hats. Chocolate hearts and lederhosen-garbed teddy bears were quickly snapped up at the entrance.
The Bavarian band’s march through the main entrance set off the night’s electrifying mood. The excitement rose as nice German Ambassador Herbert Jess, Mandarin Oriental’s well-loved GM Helmut Gaisberger, and German Club president Albert Robert performed the ceremonial tapping of the barrel.
The crowd enjoyed unlimited refills of San Miguel Beer and sumptuous Bavarian specialties prepared by Mandarin Oriental’s mega executive chef Norbert Gandler and his culinary rah! rah! team.
Having a blast, dahlings, were Austrian Ambassador Christian Kepela; Australian Embassy’s Callan Payne; Rustan’s hostess with most-est Nedy Tantoco and her fiancé, businessman Patrick Jacinto; Diana Jean Lopez; Schwarzwalder’s Peter and Minnie Jentes; vivacious Vina Gaisberger; Endangered Species’ Tonette Salcedo; fashion designer Renee Salud; our palangga, Patti Chiong; moi pal, Johnny Litton; photo bug Pepper Teehankee; and Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Art Valdez.
Other hotshots seen were Smart’s CEO Napoleno Nazareno; Siemens’ president/CEO Hans Weckherlin and EVP/chief finance officer, Juergen Schwarzbauer; EVP Werner Geisert and Siemens’ power operations Ulrich Rehmund; BMW’s sales and marketing director Dr. Joerg Breuer; finance director Alexander Thoruirth and his wife Jacky T.; service director Gabor Csurgai; Trina Ludovice with Marcus and Conchita Woelki; PLDT’s SVP for corporation business group Al Panlilio; VP Nerissa Ramos and marketing communications head Chona Velasco.
Also having a blast, dahlings, were Deutsche Bank’s Michael Hellbeck and Axel Gross; Dr. Detlef Reis; Edith Gonzales; Arman Barlis and Yorky Gomez; NBC’s Marco Borlongan; and Rommel Bautista.
San Miguel’s Oktoberfest caravan team came in full force – JC Festin, Brian Medina and Tin Misa. Representing Waagner Biro was its president Helmut Wuzela who came with VP for finance and administration Ligaya Borcena and VP for marketing Enrique Buensuceso. Frequentis was represented by its president Christian Troemmer. Also visible were Commercial Freight Services’ Uve Hesse; Gunther and Joanne Matschuck; Ditas Chua, May Reyes, and Bernhard Netz of the German Development Corp.
From the Council for Economic Development came its chairman Tsutomu Bando and director Ichiro Urita; from the travel industry, Lauda Air’s Harry Inoferio and Amity Travel’s Mert Banatin. Chiqui Locsin came with Vir and Rita Peña, Don and Cherry Felbaum.
Mandarin Oriental’s assistant PR manager Elaine Ribaya led a series of games, including a beer-drinking competition for men (won by Art Rocha and Jann Jansen) and a yodeling contest for women (Belle Carlos, Leah Branley and Josie Santiago out-yodeled the competition).
On the first night, palanggas, judges Klaus Schroeder, Philip Morris’ Ronald Brashear and Bernhard Netz agreed that theirs did not turn out to be an easy job. Michelin Jess, the wife of the German Ambassador, drew the winning raffle stubs in a traditional Bavarian dress which amused all the lucky winners.
The excitement continued on the second night when Mandarin Oriental’s resident manager David Baldwin, director of sales and marketing Alu Suarez and director of communications Charisse Chuidian partied with tres charmant French Ambassador Gilles Chouraqui; socialite-philanthropist Rose Marie Arenas and her eye-catching daughter Rachel; the US Embassy’s George and Marjon Ruffner and Karoly and Aleta Okolicsanyi; Foreign Post’s Simon and Nina Halley; Manila Standard publisher and soon to be our ambassador to Hungary, Andy del Rosario; hotelier and now academician Yves and Techie Remondeulaz; champion bowler Bong Coo; Winfried Herbst; Raintree Partners’ Tom and Annabelle Wisniewski; and statuesque Naira, Romina and Anella Heytems.
Helmut Gaisberger said, "We could not have done it without our sponsors because staging an event of this magnitude entails enormous resources."
With the resounding success of this initial venture, potential sponsors have already indicated their interest for Oktoberfest 2002. Prost meinen lieblings (as in, cheers, my darlings)!
"Not many people share the one they love with anybody else," said Alan A. "I, however, get pleasure from sharing my love, Johnnie Walker Black Label, with many."
Share he did, palanggas, during the whisky’s appreciation and understanding cocktails held at key cities. These were made possible by Hemisphere-Leo Burnett’s Abel Dolatre and MS2’s witty Mike O’Connor.
The ball got rolling in Davao’s posh Marco Polo Hotel. Among those who were "enlightened" were Marco Polo GM Charles So; R.S.V.P. Prod. CEO Rolando Ramos; RCBC area head Diomedes Lim; Angelo Moreno Abarico; and Swiss Gourmet president Romano Venuti.
The Johnnie Walker groupie then moved on to Cebu for two cocktail sessions, the first of which was held at the Vudu Lounge. Seen enjoying their whiskies were PhilStar columnist Valeriano Avila; Benedict Ventures, Inc. SVP Enrison Benedicto; Cebu Jansales Corp. sales and marketing manager Brian Chua; Don Henrico’s director Dino Selma; mega businessmen Segundino Selma Jr., Enrico Solon, Felix Tan, Nelson Go, Amadeo Chiongbian, Dr. Danilo Ting; and broadcast journalist Choy Torralba.
The cocktail session continued at the exotic Plantation Bay, led by no less than Cebu Vice Gov. John Osmeña Jr. Also seen were M. Lhuillier, Inc.’s beautiful couple Amparito and Michel Jones Lhuillier; PAGCOR branch manager Alexander Betita; Seafood City resto president Earl Kokseng; Cebu Institute of Technology consultant Rodolfo Lizares III; Moneyline Credit Corp. president Edito Triol; TEC Int’l. Inc.’s Victor Yuvallos; businesswoman Anna de Zuzuaregi; Cebu Pacific’s Edwin Bautista; Majestic Group of Restaurants’ Winglip Chang; and Plantation Bay F&B director Enzo Ciliani who whipped up delectable dishes the Plantation Bay way, dahlings.
Next stop was moi fave Bacolod where Business Inn and Azul Bar played hosts. Hotshot Southerners included ACWS-UBN station manager Aris Hodreal; Negros Museum executive director Raymond Fuentes; BLL Farm’s John Lacson; Pepsi Cola’s Henry Mualla; Business Inn’s Benedict John Uy; Dr. P. Torre Memorial Hospital chair Dr. Hector Torre; Epifanio Torre; Sugar Farming’s Philipi Lacson; Melinda Diotay; Azul Bar owner Raul Tantinco; and IDP on-premise manager Gene Canta.
Then it was off to the five-star Tru Blue resto in Angeles City, Pampanga where the guest list included former Tourism Secretary Antonio Gonzales; Dante and Tess Timbol; Col. Ed Pooley; Charles Horne and daughter Jessica Horne; and Olive, Ulrich Hahn and Karl Heinz Wiegels.
Back in Cosmo Manille, whisky drinkers gathered at Makati’s popular Universal Leisure Club where Universal Rightfield Property Holdings, Inc. top honchos led by chairman Sid Consunji, vice chairman Joe Merin, president Hingy Tuason and GM Panch Gillego had a blast.
Shangri-La Makati’s popular Conways became the final venue for the journey of taste. Makati Shangri-La’s very own F&B director Krister Svensson gladly joined the cocktails with Thomas Albert Aguirre; San Miguel Corp.’s Edward Morales; AIA Capital Corp.’s Jose Cruz Jr.; EABIBI director Aurelio Bautista; EAB Insurance CEO Eddie Buendia; LBC’s Roque Gonzales; Robust Inc. president David Lim; Centennial Insurance’s Ricardo Silverio Jr.; interior designer Alexander Periquet; plus other whisky drinkers and hotshots like them.
During all the whisky appreciation sessions, Brand Ambassador Atkins explained the rudiments of the "proper way of drinking whisky" – inspecting the color, "nosing" (as in, savoring the aroma), inspecting the "legs," and finally sipping to complete the whisky experience.
Johnnie Walker Black Label is the finest blend among all Scotch whiskies and is the most popular Johnnie Walker label. It is also the oldest 12-year-old whisky in the market and was awarded the Littlemill Distillery Trophy for Best Blended whisky at the 1994 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
It also bagged the gold medal for Best Blended Scotch at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition. In the recent Super Brand 2001 poll conducted by Reader’s Digest, Johnnie Walker was voted as the best whisky brand in the Philippine market. Well, now you know, palanggas.
With a line up of whisky appreciation cocktail sessions on hand, one can truly say that the Johnnie Walker’s Journey of Taste has just begun, palanggas.
Against a replica of the Manhattan skyline, talented Filipino artists dazzled the 500 or so invitees with great live jazz music and excerpts from hits of the great white way.
The versatile Kookie Chua, lead singer of the alternative pop group, Color it Red, palanggas, was a revelation as she performed jazz songs. Equally gifted Filipino jazz musicians led by Butch Saulog provided the snappy accompaniment.
A stimulating Broadway musical revenue by the cast of Trumpets followed. Led by Audie Gemora, no less, it thrilled the audience with classics like New York, New York.
Sy Sternberg, the chairman, president and CEO of New York Life Insurance Company, said, "Our company was built on humanity, integrity and financial strength, and these values have never been more important as now. We are mindful of our obligations and will provide benefits to policy-holder victims and their families swiftly and compassionately."
Sy S. added that the company estimates that its financial exposure from the tragedy of New York is between $50 to $75 million. He noted that New York Life is one of the industry’s strongest insurers with over $40 billion in life insurance reserves and over $8 billion in surplus, and that "the exposure is minimal in light of our financial strength."
New York Life executives led by New York Life Int’l. chairman/CEO Gary Benanav and New York Life Insurance Phils. president/CEO George May honored their hot invitees, palanggas, like Commissioner Edijar Martinez; SEC Commissioner Eduardo Malinis; Finance Undersecretary Antonio Bernardo; lawyer Ramon Pedrosa, chairman, Philippine Chamber of Commerce; Robert Sears, executive director, American Chamber of Commerce; US Embassy officials; and power business executives.
The highlight of the show which was superbly hosted by Ralion Alonzo and Cristina Peczon, palanggas, was a dance interpretation that led to the unveiling of the New York Life logo.
Never a dull moment with Cosmo Manille’s busy, busy pace, palanggas.
See you.