ASW has co-hosted many fabulous high-end events with its brand partners over the years. Browse the photo gallery here to see past parties. And for more information on ASW event sponsorship, please contact rates@asmallworld.net.
It takes more than a little snow to stop Europe’s social mountaineers from reaching the rarefied heights of Gstaad. With most of the continent stranded this past weekend, more than 200 ASMALLWORLD members braved the elements at the three-day ASW Winter Weekend Party at the legendary Palace Hotel. “Members have flown in from the far reaches of the world—even Tokyo and Vancouver,” said ASW Chairman Patrick Liotard-Vogt at the opening party in the lobby on Friday night as Tara Reid, Xenia Tchoumitcheva, Patricia Knoerr, and Alexandra Friedli warmed themselves in front of the fire. “This better be amazing.”
Chlosterli
It certainly was. After cocktails—think meeting and greeting, catching up, and plenty of “wow, it really is a small world” jokes—guests headed to Chlosterli, a restaurant nestled in a 300-year-old chalet built by the monks of Rougemont Abbey. To the surprise of the crowd, UK-born, chart-topper Kirsty Bertarelli—wife of America’s Cup sportsman Ernesto Bertarelli—took the stage and sang a few tunes in support of the Swiss Red Cross. “Kirsty is just so talented and wonderful!” said Nazy Sheikhan.
Kirsty Bertarelli
With a fresh coat of snow blanketing the resort Saturday morning, the only question was what to do with it: horse-driven carriage rides, Christmas shopping in the village, or skiing in the powder? A group of ten members, including Andreas Schwabe, Hannes Stettler, Francis Anner, Brian Hashemi even decided to go heli-skiing. “The skiing was fun but it’s very cold and I’m glad to warm up,” said Olivier Liotard-Vogt. The afternoon offered the chance to do just that with a delicious fondue at the Wasserngrat Mountaintop restaurant. “Fondue is the ultimate social meal. It’s the best way to meet new friends,” said Sabine Heller. Post-lunch, a small but die hard group of car enthusiasts attended a Julius Bär-hosted lecture by Dr. Christian J. Jenny, the world’s leading Jaguar collector. “Just because you have acquired many of something doesn’t make it a collection,” explained Dr. Jenny. Words to live by.
But everything was just a primer for Saturday night’s ASMALLWORLD gala benefiting the Swiss Red Cross, which kicked off with a Grey Goose cocktail or three in the lobby with the likes of Liliana Matthäus, Marcus Sayn-Wittgenstein, and David Degen and moved to a five-course dinner of filet de boeuf simmental and risotto carnarolli au champagne. Also on the menu? A spicy burlesque show by Swiss performer Zoe Scarlett and music by the Little Dreams Band, a group created by Phil Collins as part of his Little Dreams Foundation to provide opportunities for talented children. The show stealer, for those keeping score at home, was the half-Gambian, half-Italian 17-year-old Beatrice Verzier. “I can tell you, she is very, very good,” said Claude Nobs, CEO and founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, who was heading to LA to stay with his old friend Quincy Jones. “And the last time I was sitting in this room, twenty years ago, I was watching Ella Fitzgerald,” he reminisced.
A view of the village
Rounding out the festivities was the charity raffle, which included a Davidoff humidor, a stay at the Dorchester & Coworthy Park Hotel and Spa, a diamond Tag Heuer watch, and the ultimate prize: 1,000,000 “Miles and More” miles from Diners Club, snagged by European poker champion Daniel Studer. (One lucky female guest from Berlin didn’t even enter the raffle to win big, but her smitten dinner table-mate gave her not one but two diamond rings.)
Alina Bilyk, Adrian Brotschi, Daniel Studer
Next stop: Poker! The stakes were high as 16 guests, including Felix Schauerte, Andreas Schwabe, Stephane Doutriaux, Adrian Bührer, Michael Friedrich, and Leandro Sanchez played for several grueling hours against European poker champ Daniel Studer, whose poker face is rivaled only by Lady Gaga. Just past 2:30 am, the winner was declared – Patrick Liotard-Vogt! “I still can’t believe I beat a champion,” he exclaimed. “Neither can I!” teased his old friend Derek Tanner. “The one time I played with Patrick, he went all in with terrible cards.” The real winner, of course, was the Swiss Red Cross. The party raised more than 40,000 CHE.
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The night ended, as they tend to in Gstaad, at the GreenGo, where DJ Donna D’Cruz spun a rump-shaking set into the wee hours. “Donna is the best DJ!” said Tara Reid. “She is off the hook!” And let's be honest, Tara would know.
Wasserngrat mountaintop restaurant p>
Carriage rides
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