The festivities began quite early for the company’s top management, starting with a courtesy call to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The rest of the day’s activities was capped by an exquisite dinner at Makati’s Shangri-La Hotel.
The exclusive reception at the Rizal Ballroom featured the country’s Who’s Who in business and government. Seen among the power crowd were former President Fidel Ramos who was seated with Ambassador Herbert Jess of the Federal Republic of Germany, Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin and his wife Louie, and Rep. Harry Angping.
The grand affair gathered the country’s crème de la crème like FBDC’s Charlie Rufino, Sun Life of Canada’s Esther Tan, and Antonio Go of Equitable-PCI Bank. Even First Daughter Luli Macapagal Arroyo took time out for a quick appearance.
The cause for celebration was the successful entry of the BMW Group in the country through its latest subsidiary – a 70/30 joint venture between the BMW Group and Jose Alvarez.
The presence of one of the world’s most prestigious companies and the resulting availability here of its wide range of products was reason enough to celebrate. After all, BMW has already introduced some 11 models and variants to the local market since April. And the fact that the company managed to increase its local sales by an astounding 82 percent during an economic crisis is a testament to the Philippine market’s acceptance and appreciation of BMW’s entry.
Guests were immediately given an idea of the quality and craftsmanship that goes into every BMW vehicle. Selected models from the 3, 5 and 7 series were prominently displayed in the Shangri-La’s main driveway and even in the lobby itself. Crowd favorites were the sporty and sexy Z8, the only one of its kind in the country.
Guests were also treated to a sneak preview of the new 7 series. The preview was made even more special by the fact that the car was to be unveiled in the Philippines ahead of so many other countries.
Word soon got around that the new vehicle was flown in from Europe just for the affair, and that it was scheduled to be flown back soon after. This led one socialite to crack that the car probably had a bad case of jetlag. Another joked that even though the 7 series was brand new, it had already racked up miles – frequent flyer miles, that is.
The ballroom guests watched an unforgettable audio-visual display of the BMW lifestyle via high-tech video screens. All were then regaled by the glamorous Vernie Varga who sang ballads including the classic Follow Your Road which everyone agreed was most appropriate for the evening’s theme.
Finally, amidst a spectacular display of lights and sounds, BMW Phils. sales and marketing director Dr. Jeorg Breuer made the most dramatic entrance of all. He drove the sparkling 735iA into the center of the ballroom to the delight of the guests. "Oohs" and "aahs" were heard all around and a combination of delight and envy seemed to fill every corner of the room.
Eager onlookers wasted no time in surrounding the 7 series for a closer look at the ultimate driving machine. Ambassador Wang Changui of the People’s Republic of China seemed impressed with the car’s state-of-the-art "i-drive" system, while Deutsche Bank’s Michael Hellbeck enjoyed the luxurious backseats which featured the multi-function center armrest. The ladies were not far behind, with socialite Becky Garcia coming up for a close-up, side by side with businesswoman Fe Rodriguez.
It was evident that night that the same attention to detail that BMW showers on its products had also been poured into planning and executing the grand evening. The tiniest details were attended to – from the parking slots reserved exclusively for the gala’s guests, to the new uniforms that the hotel staff wore proudly, courtesy of BMW of course. Even the hotel’s carpets were changed to match the night’s color scheme. Chauffeurs were treated to free meals at the basement parking lot.
In the end, everyone in the room marveled at the flawless way BMW conducted the affair.
BMW is truly ultimate, in every sense of the word.
Advanced birthday greetings to Belinda Litton and top businessman Antonio Cojuangco, Nov. 26; golf enthusiast Alex Prieto, Nov. 28; Rep. Gilberto Duavit, Nov. 29; and Andre Navato and former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez, Nov. 30.
So, how was your week?