BY Fast Company SA 3 MINUTE READ

Cape Town, 16 January 2017. VDELUXE, the organisers of the prestigious Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Cape Town and many other internationally renowned polo events, is proud to announce the addition of a brand new annual luxury polo event to their stable – the ISPS Handa ‘Art of Polo’ Cup. The inaugural event – a first of its kind for Africa – will take place on Saturday 22 April 2017 at South Africa’s first polo and wine estate – Val de Vie Estate – nestled in the picturesque Paarl-Franschhoek valley.

The ISPS Handa ‘Art of Polo’ Cup is the first South African polo event to bring a Japanese [headline] sponsor to the South African polo scene. ISPS Handa, who is an International Sports Promotions Agency, supports numerous golfing and polo events around the world. They also support the Laureus Foundation and Prince Harry’s annual Sentebale Polo Cup.

Founder of ISPS Handa, the enigmatic Dr Haruhisa Handa, is a well-known global patron of the sports and arts, a successful businessman, philanthropist, as well as an accomplished tenor and artist. He developed a love for polo and the South African continent when he first visited a few years ago, and so the collaboration with South Africa’s most dynamic polo duo, VDELUXE, was a natural progression.

Combining for the first time: the aristocratic sport of polo with the arts, classical music and fine dining; this innovative polo event will be a late afternoon Black Tie affair, and will bring together leaders in business, sports and the arts to network as well as celebrate this unusual combination. Inspired by Dr Handa’s three loves – Art, Music and Polo, the event will offer various artistic performances, displays and exhibitions, followed by a high-goal polo tournament, which is certain to fuel the interests of many discerning, sophisticated South Africans. The polo tournament will also be quite unique in the sense that it will pit the ‘best of Africa’ against the ‘rest of the world’, while the event’s visual backdrop, décor and culinary offering will be inspired by a mash-up of Afro-Asian influences.

VDELUXE, the organisers of the event, is a 7-year polo Joint Venture and partnership between VIVIDLUXURY and VAL DE VIE EVENTS, spearheaded by Anina Malherbe-Lan and Simone de Wet. Together, the dynamic duo and their team of experts conceptualized and executed more than 18 world renowned polo events over the last 7 years, including the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Cape Town, the Cintron Pink Polo (both in their 7th year), the Sentebale Polo Cup for HRH Prince Harry, and many more. With more than 35 combined years of experience in international luxury and polo event ventures, the ISPS Handa ‘Art of Polo’ Cup will no doubt be another resounding success for VDELUXE.

Guests of the ISPS Handa ‘Art of Polo’ Cup will be able to purchase tickets in the form of Tables of 10, and can expect a riveting late afternoon tea making ceremony, followed by a high-goal polo tournament on the Val de Vie terraces as the sun sets behind the Simonsberg Mountains. All this whilst enjoying various opera and symphonic orchestra performances, culinary delights and art exhibitions. After the polo tournament, guests will step inside the Val de Vie Ballroom to enjoy a Afro-Asian 4-course culinary dining experience paired with Val de Vie’s spectactular Rhone-style wines.

To find out more about the ISPS HANDA ‘Art of Polo’ Cup, visit www.artofpolocup.co.za. For ticket information, email [email protected] .

Events listing:

ISPS Handa – Art of Polo Cup

Africa meets the world with the ingurual ISPS Handa Art of Polo Cup event on 22 April 2016. The event, a new concept in the world of polo and a first of its kind on the continent will combine the aristocratic sport of polo with the arts, classical music and fine dining. Picture a late afternoon occasion bringing together leaders in business, sports and the arts to celebrate Art, Music, and Sport. Culminating in a four-course Afro-Asian fusion formal dinner.

The high-goal polo tournament will see teams comprising of Africa’s best polo talent compete against an international team of players from Europe and Asia.

Venue: Val De Vie Estate, R301 Jan Van Riebeeck Dr, Paarl, Western Cape

Dress code: Black tie grandeur

Time: 4pm – midnight

TICKET PRICES

VIP TABLE

10 GUESTS PER TABLE R2500 PER PERSON

Premium late lunch canapé and dining experience on the Polo Pavilion Terrace | Vip Parking | Elevated views of the polo pitch | First class Orchestra and Opera entertainment

VVIP TABLE

10 GUESTS PER TABLE R3000 PER PERSON

Premium late lunch canapé and dining experience in Polo Pavilion Ballroom | Vip Parking | Luxurious reserved viewing lounge overlooking the Polo Pitch | First class Orchestra and Opera entertainment

ART OF POLO CUP GOLF DAY – 21 April 2017

9 holes with top SA personalities and business moguls including representatives from ISPS Handa, a global leader in the support of arts/culture/sport. The golf experience includes the opportunity to network with CEO, Mr. Handa. Taking place at Pearl Valley Golf at Val de Vie Estate this 9 hole tournament will conclude with a gourmet ‘dude food and beer’ experience featuring SA culinary delights and beers as competitors watch the sun go down in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley.

To secure your ticket for this inaugural event please contact: [email protected]