Company News

22 - info - june / july 2011

NEWS

CompaniesThe following Company News section covers activities and events of Chamber members. It provides up-to-

date information and coverage, with the intention of promoting their know-how and achievements.

||| Eurostar has launched at the beginning of May a

guaranteed boarding service for its flagship Business

Premier class. The Eurostar Business Premier

‘Boarding Guarantee’, will exclusively offer Business

Premier passengers guaranteed access to the train

of their choice regardless of their reservation. This

means business customers can feel confident that if

they arrive late or even early for their train they will

be able to board another service, without having to

join a stand-by queue.

The ‘Boarding Guarantee’ is available at Eurostar

stations on the same day of travel as the original

booking. Wherever possible, customers will be

accommodated in Business Premier coaches and where

Eurostar launches guaranteed boarding for its Business Premier customers

this is not possible, travel will still be guaranteed in

either Standard Premier or Standard class. �

Eurotunnel Group revenues grow almost a quarter

||| The Eurotunnel Group recorded growth in its

revenues for the first quarter of 2011 driven by an

increase in its core activity, the transport of trucks and

passenger vehicles on board its Shuttles, which grew

by 14 percent to €81.7 million compared to the same

period in the previous year.

Total revenues for the Eurotunnel Group for the

first quarter of 2011 have increased to €179.2 million,

a growth of 24 percent compared to 2010. Revenues

arising from the use of the railway network by Eurostar

passenger trains and train operators’ rail freight services

rose to €59.9 million and also grew, by 5 percent during

the first quarter.

“Eurotunnel has made excellent progress in all its

strategic activities as a result of its long term strengths:

customer service and protection of the environment,

whilst the ferries which use bunker fuel have to apply

fuel surcharges. Our rail freight business is developing

as planned through the efforts of the dynamic teams at

Great Britain Rail Freight (GBRf) in the UK and Europorte

in France” commented Jacques Gounon, Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer of the Eurotunnel Group. �

info - june / july 2011 - 23

NEWS

Cofely, a GDF SUEZ company, delivers low carbon district energy across Leicester

||| Cofely has signed a 25 year contract with Leicester

City Council (LCC) to link and extend four existing

district heating schemes across the City of Leicester.

The work will be delivered through a new subsidiary

company – Leicester District Energy Company – with an

investment of £14m by Cofely and additional funding

from the Community Energy Saving Programme

(CESP)1. The project will realise a long-held ambition of

LCC to optimise the performance of its existing district

heating schemes and will also significantly broaden

the use of low carbon heating within Leicester.

The low carbon energy schemes are due to go live

during 2012, serving 3,000 dwellings across six housing

estates, as well as 15 civic buildings, through 7km of

insulated pipework. When all of the first phases are

delivered (including the City Council, the University

and the Penitentiary centre), the scheme will use a

combination of over 5 MW of low carbon gas-fired

combined heat & power (CHP) and biomass boilers to

achieve CO2 emissions savings of 12,000 tonnes per

annum. A second phase of the project will extend the

scheme to include HMP Leicester and the University of

Leicester. Cofely will assume operational responsibility

for the existing schemes in late spring 2011. �1 Community Energy Saving Programme targets households across the UK, in areas

of low income, to improve energy efficiency standards, and reduce fuel bills. The

programme is delivered through the development of community-based partnerships

between Local Authorities (LAs), community groups and energy companies.

||| For the fourth year in a row PSA Peugeot Citroën

has been recognised as France’s leading patent

applicant. The company released 1,152 patents in 2010.

Innovations included hill assist devices, grip control

traction for slippery surfaces, and windshield head-up

vision displays of speedometers. In addition PSA, the

second largest car maker based in Europe and sixth

Peugeot nabs patent accolade again

throughout the world, introduced the novel “stop and

start” system shutdown to reduce CO2 emissions. Plus

it patented new features to protect pedestrians and

improve emergency braking systems.

Sales of Peugeot cars rose by 8.8 percent in March

2011 compared to a year earlier, while Citroën sales

climbed 19.2 percent over the same period. �

•

Recommended offer by KSE for Arsenal Holdings

||| As part of the offer KSE, which is a company

owned by existing Arsenal Director Stan Kroenke, has

committed to continue to operate the Club in line

with our existing self-sustaining business model.

Mr Kroenke has a proven track record of successful

long-term investment in sport and has confirmed that

he has asked the existing Board to remain in place.

This includes Mr Peter Hill-Wood as Chairman. Mr

Kroenke is also fully supportive of Manager Arsène

Wenger whom he has stated is a wonderful manager.

KSE has also stated that the offer will not be funded

by debt finance secured against the Club.

The Independent Directors of Arsenal comprising of

Mr Hill-Wood, Ivan Gazidis, Ken Friar, Sir Chips Keswick

and Lord Harris of Peckham have considered these

confirmations as well as the offer price and, having

received advice from an independent adviser, Rothschild,

are recommending that shareholders accept the offer. �

The Emirates Stadium

© f

lic

kr/a

tom

icS

he

d


NEWS

EDF Energy signs 2 partnerships with London Landmarks:The London Eye and Tower Bridge

||| On the 25th of January, before sunrise, the iconic EDF

Energy London Eye cast a brilliant light across London

to symbolise a low carbon vision for the Capital and

beyond. It marked the launch of EDF Energy’s three-

year sponsorship with Merlin Entertainment’s iconic

attraction - the London Eye.

This symbolic sunrise aims to help Britons to take

action against climate change and sign up to Team

Green Britain (teamgreenbritain.org), a growing group

of people, schools and communities engaged in tackling

climate change. Joining the team is TV personality

Myleene Klass who has pledged to start living a more

sustainable lifestyle and support EDF Energy’s low

carbon vision for London.

As well as using its expertise as Britain’s largest

producer of low carbon electricity to help Merlin

reduce the London Eye’s overall carbon footprint, EDF

Energy will guarantee that every single unit of energy

used by the EDF Energy London Eye is matched with

energy generated from low carbon sources.

On the 21 April, the Mayor of London has also

announced a deal between City Hall, City of London

Corporation, EDF and GE to install a state-of-the-art

energy-efficient lighting system on Tower Bridge. As

well as helping to cut carbon and reduce energy costs,

the project will enhance this global icon’s architectural

features at night.

If given planning permission, this will deliver LEDs

and flexible lighting and a new cabling system to

complement the bridge’s features - such as its gothic

turrets, central aerial walkway and suspension chains - in

colours sensitive to its listed building status. The lighting

system will be flexible, allowing for both varying colours

and intensity of light, enabling Tower Bridge to respond

to special events in a unique and spectacular manner.

The project must now obtain the necessary planning

permissions but if successful, work could start by

September and be completed by spring 2012, in time for the

Olympic and Paralympic Games. Commercial agreements

have now been signed between all relevant parties and a

detailed planning application is being drawn-up.

Vincent de Rivaz, Chief Executive at EDF Energy

said “As Britain’s largest producer of low carbon

electricity, EDF Energy is leading the energy change.

We are working with Government, transport providers,

attractions, business and institutions to help create a

city, and country that’s more sustainable and enjoyable

for visitors and residents alike. �

TV Personality • Myleene Klass


NEWS

Saint-Gobain central to MediaCityUK

||| Overlooking The Lowry and Imperial War Museum on

the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, the landmark

MediaCityUK development is Europe’s biggest dedicated

media centre. It is set to become the new home for the

BBC in the North following a decision to relocate key

London-based departments, including BBC Sport, BBC

Children’s and Radio 5 Live to the site in 2011.

The new facility will house TV and radio studios, a

five storey office building and a mix of commercial and

residential areas. As part of the multi-million pound

project, a number of Saint-Gobain companies were able

to provide systems to meet acoustic high standards. Saint-

Gobain PAM supplied its Ensign above ground drainage

system. Used throughout the MediaCityUK complex, this

consists of lightweight cast-iron socket-less pipes and

fittings in 50 to 600mm diameters which are connected

by a unique, two-piece ductile-iron coupling.

The system was chosen for the project as it is the

quietest above ground drainage system available on

the market. �

||| French drinks giant Pernod Ricard has bold plans

for UK tipplers to sip more premium spirits. To that

end it has launched its “Premium Edge” initiative.

Aimed at both the on-and-off trade and operating on

both sides of the Channel, the campaign offers special

displays, limited edition packs and educational

material to retailers who seek higher margins during

parched times.

In the British context premium implies bottles

worth £13 or more. Currently premium consumption

makes up 31 percent of the spirits market in Britain

Pernod Ricard hopes the spirit is willing…

compared to 46 percent in the USA. To reach that

Stateside target the company will stress attributes of

heritage, quality, exclusivity and style.

Tastes differ, however, depending on whether

you are standing in a pub or shopping for a special

occasion in an off-licence. According to market

research, bartenders favour pushing premium scotch

whereas consumers prefer to spend more for pricier

vodkas. Pernod Ricard owns such legendary brands

as Chivas Regal cognac, Absolut vodka, The Glenlivet

whisky and Beefeater gin. �

The new MediaCityUK development is set to house key departments of the BBC


NEWS

Renault - rolling out new electric vehicle range

||| 100 years ago, electric vehicles (EVs) were a common

sight in the streets of Europe and the USA. In fact, their

reasonable cost and the absence of unpleasant smells,

noise, and most importantly the need to hand crank,

made them perfect city cars and delivery vans. This was

until mass production methods and the invention of the

electric starter brought about the internal combustion

engine-dominated (ICE) world that we know today.

After decades, which saw EVs confined to golf

buggies and milk floats, they came back onto the scene

when General Motors built and trialled its EV1 in the

mid 1990s. The 2006 documentary film ‘Who killed the

Electric Car’ narrates its short but busy life. It seemed

that EVs’ time was yet to come, but in the last few years,

we have seen a major increase in interest.

Main Breakthrough

So, why are EVs now returning to the market? The main

breakthrough is probably the development of Lithium-

Ion batteries, which are already widely used in laptops

and mobile phones. And the reason for this is what

is known as ‘energy density’ or the capacity to store

energy relative to the weight of the battery (measured

in kWh/kg) which is vastly superior to conventional

Nickel-Cadmium or Lead-Acid batteries, allowing range

over 100 miles (160km).

A range of 100 miles is not a limitation that we have

traditionally experienced, and it gives rise to the so-

called ‘range anxiety’. It is clear that EVs will not suit

every usage profile, but data proves their relevance:

32 percent of Clio-sized cars will never make journeys

longer than 150km1 and 90 percent of car journeys

in London are less than 10 miles2. Delivery vans and

commuters are obvious targets, and early field trials

show that drivers quickly overcome their anxiety, as

they become accustomed to specificities of an EV, and

start enjoying the inimitable driving experience. A firm

belief in the relevance and mass-market affordability

of EV’s is the foundation of Renault-Nissan Alliance’s

strategy to offer ‘pure’ electric vehicles rather than

hybrid vehicles, which while negating the range issue,

are inherently more expensive .

Many of the major car manufacturers now plan to

sell mass-market electric vehicles, all with similar quality

and performance as a conventional vehicle. Mitsubishi,

Citroen, Peugeot and Nissan are already offering cars in

the UK, with BMW, Ford and Volkswagen likely to launch

products in the next couple of years. Even established

hybrid manufacturers Toyota and Honda have developed

EV-versions of their products. All manufacturers are

forecasting significant growth in the EV sector, with

Renault amongst the most bullish, projecting that they

will take about 10 percent of the market by 2020. Even

if it seems a bold figure, this is still not enough to reach

the target of 1.7 million vehicles on the road by 2020 set

by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) in order to

meet the UK’s carbon-reduction targets.

Significant developments

EVs allow significant CO2 savings, even when taking

into account the emissions from electricity production:

typically 40 percent less than the equivalent diesel

model. The growing pressure to decarbonise electricity

means bigger future savings: the target of 300g/kWh

(again, set by the CCC) in 2020 translates into 42g/km,

well below what will be achievable by combustion

engines. However, there are more than just CO2

reductions to consider - EVs also offer significant

improvements in noise and air pollution, at a time

where cities and states struggle to meet European

targets on nitrogen oxide levels and risk heavy fines.Source charging stations will give a full charge in 6-8 hours


NEWS

DRIVE THE CHANGE

RENAULT’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE RANGE.REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN THE FUTURE

AT RENAULT-ZE.COM

DON’T BE THE LASTTO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES.

Zero emissions in use.The production of electricity in the UK generally produces CO2.

AVAILABLE IN 2012

AVAILABLE IN 2011

AVAILABLE IN 2012

AVAILABLE IN 2012


NEWSNEWS

Whereas most manufacturers are still offering one

EV model, Renault are diving in with both feet and

launching four vehicles in the space of 12 months.

First comes Kangoo Van Z.E. in November; followed by

Twizy, a striking two-seater city car, in the first Quarter

of 2012. Later in 2012 Renault will launch Fluence Z.E.,

a saloon family car, before what is expected to be the

best-selling model, a 5-door super-mini (B-segment

hatch) named ZOE. With its partner Nissan looking

to introduce further products following the launch of

Leaf, already European Car of the Year 2011, the Renault-

Nissan Alliance clearly aims at being the leader of the

fast-growing EV market.

Affordability is essential for EVs to move from niche

to mass market. The UK government has recognised

this issue with the introduction this January of the

Plugged-in Car Grant (PiCG), a consumer incentive of

25 percent of the purchase cost, up to £5,000. The PiCG

is available, subject to certain safety and performance

criteria, for cars, but vans and quadricycles such as

Twizy are excluded.

Even taking into account this welcome help, the

upfront cost of an EV can still be a barrier, with a typical

net price of £25,000. Renault has addressed this through

an innovative battery rental scheme, starting at around

£70 per month and consequently the car is priced in-

line with its conventional counterpart. Whether you

pay upfront or rent the battery the additional cost of an

Save on Congestion Charging by driving an EV

EV is balanced by savings on maintenance, congestion

charge and crucially by the very low running costs:

under 3p per mile, typically a quarter the cost of diesel,

and the gap is likely to widen further.

Charging may be a concern, but manufacturers’

agree that most charging is expected to take place

at home. The safest and most efficient solution is to

use a Wall-box, allowing a full standard charge in 6

to 8 hours, preferably overnight when electricity is

plentiful and often cheaper. Public infrastructure

retains a key role, especially as not everyone enjoys

off-street parking. Employers, retailers and local

authorities have already started to install charging

points, including ‘fast charge’ points allowing 80

percent of full charge in 20 minutes. The government

has committed £30m funding in 8 key regions to

support this infrastructure roll-out through their

Plugged-in-Places scheme, initially in London, the

North East and Milton Keynes, with a second wave

comprising the Midlands, Greater Manchester, East of

England, Scotland and Northern Ireland announced

in December 2010.

Electric vehicles now have a level of range and

performance suitable for a significant proportion

of road users. They make sense economically and

environmentally by reducing CO2 emissions and

improving air quality. Above all, they are now a reality

on the UK’s roads: this is why 2011 could well be the

beginning of a new chapter for the motor industry.

For more information on Renault’s forthcoming

range of Electric Vehicles and to register your interest,

please visit renault-ze.com

Renault is showcasing 22 vehicles at this year’s

Company Car in Action - Millbrook (28-29 June 2011),

including the first manufacturer built electric LCV,

New Kangoo Van Z.E. and Fluence Z.E., the electric 4-

door family saloon. To register for this exciting event,

please visit renaultbusiness.co.uk/fleet-events �

Andy Heiron, Head of Electric Vehicle Programme, Renault UK.

1Source: Renault research (Europe) / 2Source TfL

The new electric vehicle range from Renault.

(L to R) Twizy • ZOE • Fluence Z.E. & Kangoo Van Z.E.


NEWS

Thales wins Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

||| Thales UK is proud to

announce that Her Majesty

The Queen has conferred on

April 21, two of its business

units with the Queens Award

for Enterprise.

The awards are in the

International Trade category

and are being conferred

on Thales UK’s optronics

business and its missile

electronics business.

Thales UK’s optronics business designs and

manufactures electro-optic day and night-vision

equipment for use in land, sea and airborne applications.

Thales UK’s missile electronics business designs

and manufactures target detection devices, fuses and

safety arming units, which are installed in a range of

missiles. With origins tracing back to the First World

War, the business has risen to being a recognised

world leader in its areas of operations. Both parts

of the business have been selected for the award for

more than doubling their overseas revenues over the

last three years. �

Last year, Thales won the Jury’s special Award at the

Franco-British Business Awards (FBBA) ceremony that

was organised by the French Chamber of Commerce

in Great Britain in partnership with the Franco-British

Chamber of Commerce & Industry in France.

This year the FBBA will take place in Paris in November.

||| These moves will reinforce the Group’s positioning

on two particularly dynamic markets in France, and

will contribute significantly to its growth program.

Capgemini will acquire a 100% stake in Artesys and

Avantias. These acquisitions amount to a combined

total of €40 million and will be financed by the Group’s

net cash. Artesys is one of the leaders in France in the

conception of IT infrastructure solutions. Avantias

specialises in the implementation of ECM (Enterprise

Content Management).

Capgemini makes two acquisitions in France in high growth markets

Paul Hermelin, Chief Executive Officer of the Capgemini

Group commented “It is important that we invest in

the French market, which represents more than 22

percent of Group revenues, and which is gradually

seeing a return to growth. Our ambition is particularly

to become a global player in cloud computing on the

French market. We are also planning on recruiting

over 4,500 new hires in France this year, which will

contribute to the Group’s growth in what is one of its

more traditional markets”. �

||| Three contracts in early April gave the French energy

and transport group Alstom considerable cheer. First it

won a €650m contract to provide equipment for a coal

plant in Malaysia, as part of a consortium with China

Machinery Import and Export Corporation.

Alstom also received orders for trams from Systral, the

main transport syndicate for the Rhône and Lyon region.

The contract could be worth up to €58m once completed

in autumn 2012. Lastly the firm won a €27m contract with

the region “Pays de la Loire” for eight trams that will link

Nantes and Chateaubriand by 2014.

In the third quarter of 2010-11 Alstom saw orders in

its energy sector grow by 6.9 percent over the previous

quarter, and by 4.1 percent in its transportation division.

Triple hat-trick for Alstom

Total orders for Q3 thus

stood at $4.4bn, which

spelt encouraging news

after the firm lost out

to Siemens on a deal to

provide rolling stock for

Eurostar last October. �

The pink Citadis tram in

Reims, manufactured by

Alstom


NEWS

||| Nespresso achieved sales of more than £2 billion

and organic growth above 20 percent in 2010. The

booming portioned coffee segment continued to

grow, while still representing only 8 percent of the

total coffee market in terms of volume. In the face

of a burgeoning competitive landscape, Nespresso

maintained its double-digit growth trend.

Additionally, Nespresso continues to grow its leading

market share in coffee machines (including filter and

pad coffee machines) to about 20 percent. The number

of Nespresso Club Members grew by over 35 percent

to 10 million. To maintain its personalised services, the

number of Nespresso employees increased by nearly 30

percent to 5,500. More than 70 percent of the teams in

Nespresso’s markets are customer facing. In 2010, the

Nespresso: Continuing leadership through passion for quality

company opened 36 new boutiques – from Munich to

Miami and from Shanghai to Sydney – bringing the total

number of boutiques in its global retail network to 215. �

Nespresso lead the way in coffee machines

© f

lic

kr/J

oe

Sc

hla

bo

tnik

||| The 5th May 2011 saw Ligne Roset launch their new

collections of modern furniture at the National Theatre

on London’s South Bank. More than a hundred guests

attended the event which took place on “The Deck” at

the theatre, where the company has already furnished

and decorated the VIP Lounge with its distinctive and

forward thinking style.

Those present on the night made up a spectrum

from the architecture, hotel and design industries;

among them were Michel Roset, Creative Director

of Ligne Roset and Bruno Allard, Ligne Roset’s UK

Director, along with Matt Turner, editor of “Sleeper”

magazine.

Ligne Roset unveils its new collections at The National Theatre

Pernod Ricard kindly supplied the cocktails, and

these were all made using varieties of Absolut Vodka

(Absolut Expresso Martini, Absolut Long Cosmopolitan

and Absolut Pears & Elderflower Fizz).

Among the products on display at this year’s

event were Inga Sempé’s “Ruché” bed, and the highly

contemporary, organic form of the “Ploum” sofa by 2011’s

Red Dot award winning designers Ronan and Erwan

Bouroullec, an item of furniture that the brothers liken

to a “ripe, voluptuous piece of fruit”.

Both these products are part of the Ligne Roset’s

new 2011 collection, which was launched to acclaim at

Maison et Objet in Paris earlier this year. �

Ligne Roset’s new collection featuring the “Ploum“ sofa


NEWS

Worldwide and local removals,

relocations & storage.

Serving the French community in

London for over 30 years.

+44 20 8687 0400

[email protected]

Hermès launches its first ever furniture range in Milan

||| Hermès and Dedar, the Italian textile firm, are

pleased to announce the creation of a joint subsidiary,

Faubourg Italia, specialising in the production and

distribution of furnishing fabrics and wallpapers.

This partnership fuses the experience and know-how

of Dedar with the richness of the Hermès creative

universe, on a foundation of values cherished by both

houses: the constant quest for excellence and a strong

family spirit.

The collections designed under Hermès’ artistic

direction are now available from selected Hermès

stores.

Hermès has unveiled its new furniture line at the

Milan’s International Furniture Show (Salone dei

Mobili) which took place from 12 to 17 April.

The company has thrown open its doors and

invited the designers Enzo Mari, Antonio Citterio and

the RDAI studio (Rena Dumas Architecture Intérieure)

to chart a new page in its history in the domain of

furniture. “These collections are an opportunity to

demonstrate a contemporary expression of Hermès,

faithful to its craftsman spirit and imbued with values

of functionality and comfort” says Pierre-Alexis Dumas,

artistic director of Hermès.

Among these creations are collections of carpets,

furnishing fabrics and wallpapers. Today Hermès puts

its signature to a complete world for the home. �

Hermès launches its new furniture range


NEWS

The Dorchester celebrates its 80th anniversary

||| The term “legacy” acquired a double meaning this

April when The Dorchester celebrated its first 80 years

as a London landmark. Looking back to past glory, the

hotel revived an exclusive commemorative cocktail,

last tasted 60 years ago. Looking forward to a greener

tomorrow, The Dorchester will plant 80 trees – one for

each of its illustrious years.

The first 15 will soon form The Dorchester

Anniversary Walk in Mayfair and St. James’s; another

65 will appear across London in areas to be chosen by

the community-led charity Trees for Cities (TfC) and

Westminster Council. As the hotel’s general

manager Roland Fasel remarked: ‘We are

creating 80 living monuments to be enjoyed far

into the future.’

‘Trees deliver a range of benefits to improve

quality of life’, added Mayor of London Boris

Johnson, ‘[so] this fantastic commemoration

will leave a wonderfully leafy legacy for

generations’. It should also boost Johnson’s

plan to grace London’s streets with 10,000 new

trees by 2012.

A majestic Plane outside The Dorchester’s

entrance was named one of the Great Trees of

London in 1997. Over eight decades it has witnessed

the hotel’s 1931 launch event for “aristocrats

and industrialists, ambassadors and statesmen,

pleasure-seekers and the Beautiful People”, Prince

Philip’s stag party 16 years later, the Beatles’ Variety

Club award in 1964, and numerous stay-overs by

film-stars and world leaders.

The Dorchester’s green award-winning

Corporate Responsibility team came up with

the tree-planting idea. Commented Sharon

Johnson, CEO of TfC: ‘The gift of 80 long-living,

large canopy trees will provide clean air and

enhance the London cityscape for hundreds of

years to come.’

Besides reviving Harry Cradock’s inimitable

‘Dorchester of London’ cocktail, made with

a still-mysterious ‘Forbidden Fruit’ liquor,

the hotel will this year renovate its ballroom, and

sumptuous suites representing the acme of classical

English elegance.

Constant renewal seems key to the Dorchester

concept. In 2006 it refurbished its bar; in 2007 it opened

the three Michelin starred Alain Ducasse French

restaurant and added three modern roof suites; and

in 2009 it transformed its Art Deco spa. The Mayfair

flagship heads a Dorchester Collection of outstanding

international hotels. Now its reputation should

blossom yet further with its innovative ecological

contribution. �

The Dorchester celebrates its 80th anniversary

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester


NEWS

St Pancras Renaissance London celebrates its grand opening with a star-studded party

||| The eagerly anticipated St Pancras Renaissance

Hotel London’s grand opening took place on 5 May,

138 years to the day after the original Midland Grand

Hotel opened its doors in 1873.

Some of the celebrities who drank Laurent Perrier

Champagne on the Grand Staircase and nibbled from

macaroon trees in the hotel’s grand lobby included

Adrien Brody (pictured) and Sophie Ellis Bextor.

Nearly 1,500 guests enjoyed the hotel in all its glory,

drinking Victorian-inspired cocktails and enjoying

canapés including Haggis bonbons with Whisky sauce or

Colston Basset stilton doughnuts with smoked chilli jelly.

Having been lovingly and masterfully restored to

once again become one of London’s most iconic hotels,

the spectacular seven year, £150 million transformation

by the hotel’s owner, Manhattan Loft Corporation,

was officially revealed. The event showcased the very

best of Sir George Gilbert Scott’s historic masterpiece,

including areas of particular historical importance

that have been carefully renovated. These include the

‘Ladies Smoking Room’, the first place in Europe where

women could smoke publicly, the Booking Office,

now a glamorous bar and restaurant, and the famous

grand staircase, widely revered as the most majestic in

England and host to the Spice Girls ‘Wannabe’ video. �

Actor Adrien Brody was one of the many stars that graced

the grand opening of the St Pancras Renaissance

The facade of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

The Chamber, present at the event, wishes a bright

future to the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London

and congratulates their team, particularly, Kevin

Kelly, General Manager and Ed White, Director of

Sales and Marketing for organising such a fantastic

event.


NEWS

Ines de la Fressange and Sophie Gachet

Launch of Inès de la Fressange’s style guide « Parisian Chic » at the London Roger Vivier boutique on 5 April

||| Sophie Charbonneau, manager of the Roger Vivier

boutique in Knightsbridge and very active member

of the French Chamber, hosted the launch party of

supermodel and businesswoman Inès de la Fressange’s

style guide, Parisian Chic, co-authored with Sophie

Gachet, a fashion journalist for Paris Elle, on 5th April.

Inès de la Fressange started working in the fashion

world as a runway model in the late 1970s; she became

Karl Lagerfeld’s muse and the face of Chanel during

the 1980s, posed as the Marianne face of France and

launched a clothing line in the 1990s. Today she is a

wife, the mother of two daughters, and a creative

consultant with Roger Vivier shoes.

The guests at the launch showed a very positive

reaction to the book with over 110 copies sold and

signed during the evening. Among the guests at the

glamorous event were French actress Jeanne Marine

and the singer Bob Geldof, along with designer Allegra

Hicks and Priscilla Waters.

The interior of the shop was decorated to evoke a

French atmosphere with miniature Eiffel Towers and

the colouring of the Tricolore throughout. The chairs

were borrowed from Café Rouge which has embodied

French style since its opening in 1989.

Parisians are renowned for their sense of chic, not

only in fashion but in lifestyle, and who better to define

that approach than Inès de la Fressange? It would seem

that the French have style in their DNA! So here, in this

handy red, flexi-bound volume, are all the tips that any

woman, of any age, will need to keep a bit of that je ne sais quoi in her life.

Inès de la Fressange tells readers that ‘a smile’ is

the best accessory a woman can have and provides 16

points on what to wear for every occasion, along with a

superb guide of fashion faux pas aimed at the over-50s.

But not only does Inès de la Fressange reveal ‘how’

to do things, she also tells ‘where’, with her own ‘black

book’ of fashion and decorating finds; at the end

of each section there is a dream directory of shops

to visit and information on hotels, restaurants and

venues for family-based activities. She also provides an

outstanding array of shopping websites for the reader

to visit covering both the home and fashions.

Inès de la Fressange’s guide is vibrant and essential

and exudes that quintessential Parisian chic that all

readers will undoubtedly find irresistible. �

(L to R) Jeanne Marine • Ines de la Fressange • Bob Geldolf


NEWS

Ariel Eckstein, new Managing Director of LinkedIn EMEA

||| The main contact of the Chamber, Guillame Larronde-Larretche

has now returned to Paris where LinkedIn has opened a new office

offering local support to the growing number of French companies

using the company’s recruitment and marketing solutions. Ariel

Eckstein is the newly appointed London based Managing Director

of LinkedIn EMEA. �

hello, goodbye...

The French Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome the new representatives of existing member

companies. We would also like to express our gratitude to members who have made outstanding

contributions to the Chamber, but who are now moving on to different destinations. We wish them all the best

in their new posts.

Ici Londres appoints new Manager

||| Rachel Benessiano is taking up the role of Manager of Ici Londres

Magazine, replacing Emilie Coulette who is leaving the UK for new

opportunities.

Rachel has been with Ici Londres for 2 years and before becoming

Manager she was Sales and Marketing Executive. �

Rachel BenessianoEmilie Coulette

Guillame Larronde-Larretche

Ariel Eckstein

Company News

Documents

Transcript of Company News