GSM Blue Flair Idol 2010

Showdown during introduction number of 15 finalists from top HRM colleges around the country.
GSM Blue endorser dressed up in blue Anne Curtis surprised the crowd. She gave away 2011 calendar and sang few lines of her favorite song as requested by the crowd.

Confetti poured over the stage as they announced the Grand Winner of GSM Blue Flair Idol 2010.

Flair Idol 2010 winner Donn Mark Celestino

Congratulations to GSM Blue Flair Idol 2010 Don Mark Celestino and G.S.M. Blue for a very successful event!

Spirits high in GSM Blue’s Flair Idol finale

The country’s most exciting bartenders strut their stuff in epic showdown

An innovative form of bartending has captured the imagination of bar hoppers around the world, and has made its way to the country’s glitziest night spots. Known as flairtending, this performance art features flamboyant bartenders who flip and throw liquor bottles in the air like seasoned jugglers, and oftentimes even dance to pulsating beats and perform close-up magic tricks.

On a mission to find the most exciting flairtenders in the country, leading liquor brand GSM Blue launched the annual Flair Idol competition in 2007. This year’s grand finals at the San Miguel by the Bay in SM Mall of Asia saw a very exciting conclusion, as Donn Mark Celestino of DLSU, Dasmariñas Cavite emerged as the winner, besting 14 other hopefuls to bag the grand prize of P30,000 plus an all-expense paid trip to an Asian destination.

The Flair Idol competition, once limited to the Greater Manila Area, became a nationwide event this year. The tilt is part of GSM Blueniversity roadshow campaign, which brought a team of professional bartenders to hundreds of colleges and universities across the archipelago in the past year. In each road show, the GSM Blueniversity mentors gave training sessions to third year and fourth year HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) students and budding flairtenders on the various aspects of bartending.

“This year’s GSM Blue Flair Idol was our biggest one yet,” remarked Nelson S. Elises, Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. VP for Marketing. “We really went the extra mile to ensure that we find the most promising flairtenders in the country, who can best represent their schools in this competition. And we definitely found what we were looking for in Donn Mark Celestino, as well as the rest of the finalists.”

The most promising young flairtenders of the campaign were selected as contestants of the Flair Idol regional legs, where their drink mixing skills, originality, and style for performance were put to the test.

Leading up to the big showdown, the finalists underwent a special six-day training to further hone their skills and expertise in flairtending and the bartending business, and develop their individual performances for the finals. They then showcased their skills in a special demo performance at the GSM Blueniversity Bar in San Sebastian College-Recoletos prior to the finals.

“The training that the finalists went through goes beyond the technical aspects of their performances,” said Mr. Elises. “An important X-factor in being chosen as Flair Idol was stage presence, and that requires confidence and the ability to excite and connect with the audience. After an exciting night filled with excellent performances, the judges picked the one who has it all—skills, bravado, and charisma.”

Aside the awards given to Flair Idol 2010 winner Donn Mark Celestino, a cash prize of P20,000 was given to 1st runner up Leonard Ian Dee of St. Joseph Tech Academy, Davao, while P10,000 was awarded to 2nd runner up Robert Jorge Dela Cruz of St. Joseph Tech Academy, Davao. The school of this year’s Flair Idol, DLSU, Dasma also received a special prize from GSM Blue: a fully furnished HRM laboratory cum mock bar.