Carlos Gomez, Matt Passmore, Michelle Hurd, stars of The Glades

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

It’s not every day we get to party in a former orthodox synagogue, much less rub elbows with celebs, ogle luxury watches, enjoy premium cocktails and fabulous hors d ’oeuvres, erstwhile entertainers on stilts vie for our attention in said temple. A little on the “unorthodox” side, you might say. Add to that, the fact that we were almost run over by a sports car, being driven by the hunky Burn Notice star, Jeffrey Donovan INSIDE the former temple!!! Well such was the case last Thursday, as TAG Heuer, the stylish Swiss watch brand celebrated its 150^th anniversary and paid tribute to its pioneering spirit at an exclusive “Odyssey of Pioneers” private cocktail party and timepiece exhibition at the Temple House on Miami Beach (formerly the 1, 000 member Kneseth Israel Congregation). Two hundred of Miami’s crème de la crème received the VIP treatment, as they were greeted at the valet stop a few blocks from the Temple House and transported via luxury limo bus to the party. Once inside, the energy inside the room, emanating from the stellar crowd was almost intoxicating (or maybe it was the booze). But one thing’s for sure, the event organizers, The Patton Group and the Vibe Agency, left no stone unturned to ensure the perfect atmosphere for this celebration.  Celebs and VIPs being “TAGGED” for our photo gallery, having the “time of their lives” (silly puns intended) included: Jean-Christophe Babin; president and CEO of TAG Heuer; Philippe Alluard, president of LVMH Watch & Jewelry Division, Latin America and the Caribbean; Matt Passmore, Carlos Gomez, Michelle Hurd, stars of The Glades; and much to our delight, Olivia Newton John and Jon Secada, who performed earlier this year at the Pink and Blue for Two gala at the Raleigh. (watch the video: https://miamisocialholic.com/05/ooh-ooh-ooh-honey/#more-3311) 

 In recognition of TAG Heuer’s 150^th anniversary, the brand joined forces with electric sports car company, Tesla Motors Inc., to create the one-of-a-kind TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster. This fully electric, emissions-free car is “outfitted with a Heuer limited-edition one-fifth second stopwatch and a TAG Heuer Meridiist communications device. Additionally, a special console houses the ground-breaking TAG Heuer Pendulum Concept, a timepiece operated by the world’s first magnetic oscillator without a hairspring.” We’re not exactly sure what that means, but we know we love this car, which goes from 0-60 in 3 seconds without emitting a single fume- mean and green. All that, for $100, 000 bucks- we’ll take two!

Jeffrey Donovan debuted Roadster at the celebration by driving it across the venue where he was greeted by Jean-Christophe Babin, and Philippe Alluard. Talk about a grand entrance. The TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster has made 12 major stops worldwide, including the Miami stop.  In March 2010, TAG Heuer brand ambassador and Academy Award-nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio kicked off the car’s round-the-world, six-month “Odyssey” in Basel, Switzerland. Since then, the TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster has zipped through Monaco, Milan, Budapest, Warsaw, Moscow, Delhi, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Los Angeles. Notable drivers of this dream car include: Prince Albert, actor Chen Dao Ming, the Maharaja of Jaipur and Maria Sharapova.  Following Miami, the TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster will stop in New York, London and end in Paris. At the Odyssey’s completion, the car will have crossed three continents.  For more information, visit: www.odyssey.tagheuer.com.

Shareef Malnik, Chris Bosh, and Jason Binn

Ocean Drive Magazine Welcomes Chris Bosh

Just before the TAG Heuer event on Thursday night, Ocean Drive Magazine hosted a “Welcome to Miami” reception for  Miami Heat power forward Chris Bosh at The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar.   Bosh along with girlfriend Adrienne Williams enjoyed the event requesting Chef Dewey LoSasso’s signature peanut butter and jelly lobster sandwich.  The crowd included celebs Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar, Niche Media publisher, Jason Binn, and Forge owner, Shareef Malnik, along with a host of local socialites. For those wondering how this fabulous party came about, a few weekends ago, Bosh and Williams stayed with Alan Lieberman, owner of South Beach Group Hotels, and his wife, Diane at the Liebermans’ summer home in The Hamptons.  While in The Hamptons, Bosh was introduced to Jason Binn, who happens to be the Liebermans’ son in-law.  Bosh hosted the opening of Bridgehampton Polo match and attended Russell Simmons’ Art for Life East Hampton charity event alongside Binn. A few weeks later we have an Ocean Drive reception welcoming Bosh to Miami, and yada, yada, yada, next thing you know, Bosh is writing a column for the magazine… coincidence? You decide.