More
than 500 Davos dandies, not all of them ardent
fans of football, attended the McKinsey Superbowl
Party at the landmark Four Seasons Restaurant to
experience an all-American party. The evening was
unusual, not only for the guests but also for the
restaurant.
The
usual setting of rippling curtains, bubbling pool and
palm trees was accompanied by stands of sizzling hot
dogs, crackling popcorn and flaming hamburgers prepared
by chef Christian Albin, who has satiated the power
palates for 27 years.
"I just wanted them to get the mood
right," said Albin as he shared a cigar
at the bar with Julian Niccolini, one of
the two owners of the restaurant.
But for those with more subtle taste, olympia
oysters and littleneck clams with pink champagne
were also present in abundance.
It was an unusual Superbowl party because
the majority of the guests had never watched
American football before. But the guru of
strategy, Rajat Gupta, Managing Director
of McKinsey and host of the party had a plan.
"I had a very complex plan in mind
for this party on helping our non-US guests
understand the game strategy," he said.
He seemed to be the only one taking that
job seriously. Gupta was caught sitting on
the stairs of the Pool Room, explaining football
to a couple of amused socialites from Delhi
who seemed to have no clue about the game
but were more than willing to learn.
Bankers, consultants, real estate barons,
media moguls and artists mingled, occasionally
glancing at the screens blaring out Superbowl
hoopla. Some seemed more intrigued by the
Picasso painting on the wall--reportedly
the largest one in the world.
At the World Economic Forum meetings in
Davos, almost everyone except the most ardent
American fans had gone to bed by the time
the Superbowl was being broadcast--so the
evening was unique for most guests.
"The Swiss don't have football, and
that's good," said Kathleen M. Eisenhardt,
Professor of Strategy and Organization at
Stanford University. "There are too
many football fans here, I'd rather talk," she
said.
There were some, however, who were quite
serious about the game.
"I am cheering for the New England
Patriots because they are the underdogs," said
Jerrold T. Lundquist, a Director at Mckinsey. "I
like the ads better than the game," said
Mohanbir Sawhney, Head of the Technology
Marketing at Kellogg Business School. The
largest number of recruits from any business
school in the country at Mckinsey, said Sawhney,
are from Kellogg.
"Consulting is a relationship business," added
Sawhney. "And tonight is about building
relationships in a fun, casual atmosphere."
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