The founder of Millionaire Fair talk "Aquatoria of Luxury Life" about himself, his preferences in the world of luxury and prospects of the Russian premium goods market.
– Our first question has perhaps become common for you: how did you come up with the idea of organizing Millionaire Fair in Russia?
– In 2000 I started publishing the Millionaire magazine back home in Holland. At the same time I got the idea to hold a small and elegant event. At that time no one could even imagine the scope that it would reach. The event was so successful that many foreign media wrote about us. Some time later a man called from Moscow and suggested organizing something of a kind there.
– That man – could it have been Dirk Sauer by any chance?
– Exactly. So I replied, "Why not", and invited him and his team to come to Amsterdam and see how the event is organized here. Then I decided to go to Moscow and evaluate the prospects from my point of view. We both got a favourable impression and decided to have a try. So you see that the decision to bring Millionaire Fair to Russia was more intuitive that based on marketing research or something like that.
– Today Millionaire Fair has become a global event and is held in several cities all across the world. How do you choose the location for the Fair?
– First of all, it’s not our aim to be omnipresent. We’re interested in the most important strategic locations, and Russia is such a location as far as Eastern Europe is concerned. Moreover, we direct our efforts towards markets where luxury segment is development most dynamically. It’s no secret that Russia today is one of the most promising markets as far as investments into luxury industry are concerned. I predict that in 2015 the biggest share of luxury cars will be sold in Russia. If you ask some leading watchmakers they’ll surely mention Russia, the USA and China as the most interesting markets.
– A great number of various events is being held across the world to attract wealthy people. Even in Russia before Millionaire Fair there was Extravaganza, not to mention some local events. What do you think differs Millionaire Fair from other events of the kind?
– I’m not concerned with other events: it’s an open market and everyone does what they can. In the end there are so many watchmakers, manufacturers of luxury cars and Italian suits…
Lately events keep appearing in different luxury-related spheres, but they are mostly one-time and do not have a strictly developed strategy. What we’re trying to do requires not only huge financial investments but also a great responsibility, because the fair’s reputation influences the reputation of its participants.
To organize a truly luxurious event one needs a professional team, well-planned entertainment programme, beautiful interiors. It’s the same with football: to create a good team having classy players is not enough, you need a professional coach, selection specialist, a fine training base. The same is true for Millionaire Fair. We didn’t just say, "Why don’t we come to Russia". The decision was thought-through and well-prepared.
Besides, we’re constantly growing. Every year Millionaire Fair becomes more and more large-scale, and the 10th anniversary will be the greatest events of all, I promise you that.
Apart from that, there’s another important aspect of Millionaire Fair: we wish to bring to the Russian luxury world a thing called network – the environment in which people with similar interests could communicate.
– In other words, to create a kind of a club?
– Exactly. Millionaire Fair welcomes many people who otherwise would’ve had no chance of meeting. But here they have an opportunity to communicate in an informal atmosphere, meet new people and possibly establish new business contacts. We’re planning to actively promote this element of Millionaire Fair.
– Are you going to hold other events to expand your network?
– We do it already. We participate in polo tournaments, yachting events, charity events…
– Do you take part in all these events under the brand of Millionaire Fair?
– No yet, but gradually we’re going to come to that, I’m sure. In Holland we hold golf tournaments, charity events, club parties under our brand. The same will happen in Russia.
– Do you personally buy something at your fairs?
– Of course! Surely not planes, but depending on my mood I can buy a suitcase, a trip to some exotic spot, watch or jewellery.
– Which of the luxury goods do you like the most?
– Italian suits. And watches, too – I have a whole collection of those. Apart from the pleasure it’s a good investment – limited edition watches significantly grow in price. I also like travelling and discovering new locations – it also can be considered part of the luxury lifestyle for which I have a soft spot.
– What other hobbies apart from collecting watches and travelling do you have?
– It’s football! I like sports, golfing, Alpine skiing, but my biggest passion is football. I envy Chelsea’s financial power: they can afford buying the best players in the world.
– Do you ever wish to have you own football club?
– Unfortunately I’m not that rich, but if only I had an opportunity I would buy one for sure (laughs).
– Do you think that quantity has finally been replaced by quality in the Russian luxury market?
– Not yet. Most wealthy Russians haven’t realised yet that there isn’t always a direct link between price and quality. At the restaurant they order the most expensive wine all the time, but it’s not necessarily the best. Too little time has passed. But Russians learn fast and gradually they’re going to understand what quality means.
In my opinion, Russian luxury market has great prospects. I think that Russians will soon make their claim in fashion, design, architecture, may be even in jewellery making – in those spheres where creative talent is required, which is Russians’ strong point.
Ilya Kalinov
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