Frenchmen CLIMAX: THE BIG 3-0
Now in its 30th year, Frenchmen Climax on January 1 delivered on its core value of elevating the party experience, in which each guest is a VIP and each detail for the guest experience is carefully curated. Frenchmen Climax, which started in 1993 with a group of six friends — Ian “Juicy” Wong, Dr Michael “Doc” Banbury, Tony “TC” Campbell, Michael “Benji” Benjamin, Anthony “T Rob” Robinson, and Nigel “Wattie” Watt — deciding to throw a party and invite 100 people each to the home of Nigel and Joanne Watt in Russell Heights, which could accomodate 750 guests. It was the first time Appleton V/X was served at an event of this nature.
The second year, the event evolved into a paid party which started the Heroes’ Weekend at Frenchman’s Cove, a luxury destination in Port Antonio, with the founders coining the name “Frenchmen” as the marker for the brand.
Fast-forward to 2023 and Frenchmen Climax was even bigger. This year’s staging saw an increased food court with 27 food stations including Caribbean, Thai, Indian, Chinese and Japanese fare, and Häagen-Dazs and Island Blue Coffee from food sponsors. The premium bar focused on top-shelf liquor with roaming hostesses pouring Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot Champagne. The main bar was sponsored by Appleton and featured a wall of aged oak rum barrels.
Entertainment, an integral part of the Frenchmen Climax experience, this year saw a roster of deejays who included DJ Courtney, DJ Smoke, Bloodline Franco, DJ Brush1 Chromatic, DJ Marc Chin, DJ Lank of Code Red Sound, and DJ Cyclone from Coppershot, focusing on a journey through retro to soca and pop to dancehall. The almost 15-minute-long firework display, too, was impressive, segueing into a surprise set by recording artiste Rodney “Bounty Killer” Pryce and Grammy Award-winning artiste Orville “Shaggy” Burrell.
From the original founders there are three remaining — Wong, Banbury and Campbell — who these days are supported by a management team led by Brett Wong; Sean Gonzales and Celeste Gordon, who oversee food and beverage; Ojay Bewley, who is in charge of production; and Maxine Spence and her Novelty team who handle rental and décor.
Kudos to the Frenchmen on the staging of yet another memorable event.
