[Kabar-indonesia] Interview/Nicola Bvlgari: Bali has better name, image than Caribbean

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

also: JP: Mitra opens Jakarta's first Massimo Dutti 

The Jakarta Post 
Monday, October 2, 2006

Bali has a better name and image than the Caribbean: Bvlgari 

Alvin D. Soedarjo, The Jakarta Post, Uluwatu, Bali

The Bvlgari brand has come a long way since its inception in 1884. Founded 
by Greek emigrant Sotirio Bvlgari as a jewelry business, the company, which 
is based in Rome, Italy, has expanded into the design and hospitality 
business.

The company launched its second resort in Uluwatu, Bali, on Sept. 23, 
following the success of its boutique hotel in Milan, Italy. 

Below are the excerpts of an interview with Nicola Bvlgari, vice chairman of 
Bvlgari. 

Why did you take Bvlgari into hotels and resorts? The mission is to have 
something that represents and emphasizes the importance of our brand throughout 
the world. The brand is a very big brand. 

We already have a place in Milan, which is what everybody is talking about. 
The hotel is a personal hotel. It's runs alone from the pack. The resort in 
Bali is our second statement. 

This is a kind of resort that stands alone. The message is 'sure we are great 
jeweler, we have a great luxury brand but we also want people to know that we 
can venture into this business.' 

Now, other luxury brands are trying to copy us. We are number one still. 
Other are copying us but they are just copying. 

Why Bali? We all know about Bali. It's one of the great resorts in the world. 
Bali has a name and image, more than the Caribbean. 

It's a mythical place. We don't want to do ordinary things like anybody else. 
The cliff here in Uluwatu is perfect for our location. 

Our company respects fully the meaning of the (cultural) background in Bali. 
There is so much history in Bali so we built our project incorporating 
indigenous elements from the area. 

The design a good blend between western and Balinese styles. We use lava 
stone from the area for our bungalows and coral stone for the walls. The trees are 
also local. 

How was the transition going from jewelry to the resort business? Jewelry 
sells by itself. We also made improvements by consolidating the business. 

Our business is all over the world. We are developing a Bvlgari building in 
Ginza, Tokyo, which will stand out. The building will give us prestige. 

JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton (hotels) are going to assist us in this 
business. Both have been existed for quite a long time and have a good reputation in 
the industry. 

Plus, we are marketing the resort throughout our stores worldwide, such as in 
Malaysia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. Bvlgari has a 
potential huge market in Japan. We have 33 stores in Japan. 

What has been the hardest challenge for Bvlgari in the hotels and resorts 
business? Location is important. In Milan we have a key location that nobody else 
has. The hotel is located near a garden in the heart of Milan. It's in the 
middle of the city. 

We are looking for other places in the world like this, Paris, London, New 
York, Rome, Tokyo. But it's not going to be easy. It could take years before we 
find the right location. We are not in a hurry. 

We prefer to select, think and rethink many times before we make such an 
important decision. It should be a star location that would attract people 
automatically. 

The rest we do it carefully to make it unique. It's either perfect or 
nothing. 

Where is your next hotel going to be located? 

We project that it might be in Paris, France or Tuscany, Italy. But it's a 
premature estimate -- we don't know yet. 

How do you maintain the family business, which has been passed down from 
generation to generation? 

The company has been through two world wars. The CEO of Bvlgari is my nephew, 
a fourth generation member. He has done many great things for the company. 

The third generation are just me and my brother Paolo, the president of the 
company. 

Family businesses are common in Italy. But probably there are more in 
Indonesia. 

Every country has generations of family businesses. There are certainly pros 
and cons for running these kind of operations. For me, I can't complain. One 
thing I can say is that we love what we do. We put a lot of energy there, a lot 
of passion and enthusiasm. 

As for the designers of our jewelry, we have a team that consists of 12 
people. It's a beautiful team. 

Can you tell a little bit of your background? 

I live in Rome, Italy. I have three grown-up daughters who live in New York. 

I have two sons-in-law and a grandson there so I have an excuse to visit the 
city often, not only for business but for family. I feel at home in New York, 
better than Rome in many ways. It's my favorite city in the world. 

I also have a new wife and nine year-old daughter who live in Rome. As a 
family we travel a great deal. 

I'm passionate about music, which the company appreciates. I love listening 
to classical and jazz. I like Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Mozart and Wagner. 

I also organize concert and try to help young artists in Italy. Mostly 
pianists, cellists, violinists. 

This gives us prestige while also developing my passion. Things that nobody 
else does, we do. 

What do you think of Indonesia? When I come back next time, I want to visit 
more of Indonesia. I was in Jakarta many times. 

Many years ago somebody took me with a chopper to a resort on an island near 
Jakarta, I can't remember its name, but it was an incredible place. 

I am a curious animal, I want to know a lot of things. The world is a big 
place and I don't like to travel like a suitcase and see nothing. 

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The Jakarta Post 
Monday, October 2, 2006

Mitra opens Jakarta's first Massimo Dutti 

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Publicly listed PT Mitra Adiperkasa (MAPI) has expanded its high-end retail 
business by opening Jakarta's first branch of an upmarket Spanish fashion and 
lifestyle clothing store.

MAPI group head of investor relations Ratih D. Gianda said during the weekend 
the 438 square meter Massimo Dutti shop would open in Senayan City on Oct. 6. 

Massimo, which is 100 percent owned by the Spanish company Inditex Group, has 
about 400 outlets in 29 countries, she said. 

"Despite the fact that Indonesia's middle class amounts to only 20 percent 
(of the population, MAPI) has managed to earn sufficient profits," she said. 

In the first half of this year, the company's total sales reached Rp 1.5 
trillion (about US$165 million) with net profit of Rp 35.46 billion. 

Last year, MAPI's sales reached Rp 2.8 trillion with a net profit of Rp 
131.94 billion. 

The company owned by business magnate Boyke Gozali, operates more than 500 
shops in 22 large cities here. Brands include exclusive department stores such 
as Sogo, Zara, Marks & Spencer, Topman, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Planet Sports, 
The Athletes Foot, Reebok, Wilson, Nine West, Starbucks and Debenhams. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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