Discovery Inc. held a media launch for its new HGTV (DStv 177) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service in South Africa in the form of a 3-day press tour in Cape Town that kicked off with a beautiful cocktail party at sunset at the infinity pool of a multi-storey Upper Clifton mansion in Cape Town.
The Cape Town based events solution company Show Works conceptualised and executed Discovery Inc.'s incredibly beautiful, unique and extremely impressive HGTV cocktail party on the Day 1 evening of the HGTV media launch week.
The cocktail party took place at Villa Beyond, the stunning home of the South African architect, Stefan Antoni. The 6-level luxury mansion is suspended over the highest point in Clifton - South Africa's most expensive suburb - and its panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean are some of the very best in Cape Town.
Discovery Inc. executives who jetted to Cape Town from the United States, Dubai and Amsterdam, mingled with the South African and Middle East media, as well as advertisers and ad execs, alongside MultiChoice executives, sipping champagne and nibbling on the light supper on offer as everyone watched a magnificent winter sunset.
High-ranking Discovery Inc. executives included Amanda Turnbull (vice president and general manager at Discovery Inc. for the Africa and Middle East region), Kathleen Finch (Discovery's chief lifestyle brands officer), Lee Hobbs (senior vice president for pay-TV and global brands for the EMEA region), Tatiana Lagewaard (vice president of lifestyle and pay-TV production for the EMEA region), and Henry Windridge (head of brand at Discovery Inc. for the Africa and Middle East region).
High-ranking MultiChoice executives who attended the cocktail party included Yolisa Phahle (MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment), Mark Rayner (MultiChoice South Africa CEO), Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee (CEO of DStv Media Sales), and Aletta Alberts (MultiChoice head of content strategy).
Also in attendance were Stefan Antoni himself, as well as the American TV talent Tarek El Moussa of HGTV's Flip or Flop who flew to Cape Town for the media launch.
The beautifully executed HGTV cocktail evening set the perfect tone for the channel's launch.
"We're incredibly proud and excited to launch HGTV in this market," said Amanda Turbull.
"I must say Stefan, thank you so much. I don't think we could have chosen a more perfect venue to start the HGTV channel launch than this wonderful, wonderful house. It's a wonderful way to start the channel here."
"This has really been a great journey for us to bring HGTV to the South African market. It's one of the first international channel launches since the acquisition of Scripps. We're very proud that our South African partner, MultiChoice, can be part of that journey with us," said Amanda Turnbull.
