5 Minutes with Olivier Stocker the New President The Club de Monte-Carlo

Olivier Stocker, CEO of Spink and PTS Member was appointed the President of the most elite philatelic club, The Club de Monte-Carlo.  Here we find out more about the club and  MonacoPhil the biannual stamp show:

• Tell us what is the The Club de Monte-Carlo?

The Club de Monte Carlo was founded by sovereign decree of Prince Rainier III in 1998 on the encouragement of noted philatelist Alexander D. Kroo. Under the patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, the club has flourished into the leading club of advanced philately.

• What does it mean to be made the president of this prestigious club?

It is of course a great honour. To be honest I never expected to even be considered for the role. It came as a beautiful surprise, and I immediately accepted (only after checking with my wife!). I have always supported the philatelic hobby as much as I could, and this was a great opportunity to do even more for the promotion of our favourite activity.

• What should we expect from the Club de Monte-Carlo whilst you are president?

I am succeeding Patrick Maselis, who has done a lot for the Club. Obviously my tenure will be different, as Patrick and I are different in style. One of my initial ideas is to promote further the social activities of the Club, with exclusive offerings to the members, and to elevate even further the quality of our flagship exhibition in Monte Carlo every two years. To achieve that, that I am looking at a prestigious venue, close to the hotels, to make Monacophil the unassailable Mecca of Philately.

• As the CEO of Spink how important is the Club de Monte-Carlo to the trade?

I am now the President of the Club, and will focus on that. Of course, the Club is the home of the top 100 collectors in the world, and therefore all major auction houses and dealers are in touch with its members regularly, and they are essential contacts for them. Monacophil itself is, of course, the number one event in the philatelic calendar, and a terrific showcase of the trade and the hobby at-large.

• How do you think the Club de Monte-Carlo can benefit the trade?

When we stage Monacophil, we aim to provide an event which is not only stylish, prestigious and fun for our members, but also a showcase to all of the importance of our hobby. Our unrivalled exhibition material, publications, and of course the backing of HSH Prince Albert II, makes us a major asset for the trade. We also provide a wonderful social environment for members, enthusiasts and members of the trade to meet and share material in a friendly, non-competitive setting.
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• How easy is it to become a member?

We have a numerus clausus, and hence a waiting list. To become a member you have to be proposed by current members, be vetted by a committee and most importantly be the owner of major rarities, or iconic stamps or covers. As part of your membership, you will be expected to exhibit a great rarity in the Monte Carlo Museum of Stamps and Coins once every two years.

• The Club de Monte-Carlo and MonacoPhil are closely connected. When is the next show?

The next show will be the last week end of Nov 2024 or first week end of December 2024, subject to the availability of HSH Prince Albert II. It will be again an amazing event and the theme for the non-competitive exhibition will be “The Far East”, one of the most exciting areas of philately.

• What should we expect from the next show?

A great exhibition as always: the Top 100 rarities in the Museum and the Far East exhibition in the new venue, a showcase of new philatelic publications, conferences in a world class amphitheatre, lots of philatelic exchanges and, most importantly, a lot of fun with our partners, so they can see that there can be glamour in philately.

• If we have dealers reading this, who haven’t attended the show before why should they think about taking a stand?

I for one want to have more dealers present, as they all say it is the best show in the world. I am looking at the possibility of having tables at a more attractive price for dealers, for more dealers to bring their exciting stock to Monaco. We hope to have a few super premium lounges, the usual 2x3m, or 2x2m booths and hopefully many tables. The hotels are amazing, and we get good discount prices from our local partners. The place is safe, and usually sunny at that time of the year, everybody is in a good mood, so it is the place to be in late November, early December. Since becoming a member 20 years or so ago, I have never missed the event. It has been my favourite event every year, and for sure, it shall be during my tenure as President and long into the future.