CHRISTIE’S ANNOUNCES THE 2011 GREEN AUCTION

“A BID TO SAVE THE EARTH”

AND INAUGURAL PARTNERSHIP WITH RUNWAY TO GREEN

PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, OCEANA, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC),AND CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY.

New York/London/Hong Kong – January 19, 2011 – Christie’s International, the world’s leading art business, and Runway to Green announce the second annual “Bid to Save the Earth” Green Auction. The online auction, powered by charitybuzz.com, is open from March 17th to April 7th and the Live Event, hosted by Christie’s at Rockefeller Center, will take place on March 29, 2011.

The Green Auction environmental partners include the core 2010 partners: Oceana, Conservation International, NRDC and Central Park Conservancy, which harness their collective efforts to design local, national, and international solutions for the most urgent environmental threats confronting humanity.

Christie’s is very pleased to be partnering with Runway to Green – a pioneer in greening the fashion industry – and four of the most acclaimed NGO’s in the world,” said Edward Dolman, Chairman of Christie’s. By hosting the Green Auction, Christie’s is taking the lead with innovative ways to raise crucial funds and awareness for the preservation of our planet, and we are happy to be a global catalyst in such a noble endeavor.”

The 2011 Green Auction marks the inaugural partnership with Runway to Green (RTG). The unprecedented collaboration between these two organizations brings together top art collectors, philanthropists, financiers, and environmentalists with the fashion community, utilizing their combined influence to raise funds and awareness for the preservation and sustainability of our planet.

“This collaboration constitutes one of the most important commitments made on behalf of the fashion industry to learn and address its impact on the environment,” said Runway to Green Chairman Lorenzo Roccia. “It uses the power and reach of the industry to deliver a global message about the relevance and necessity to be educated on our individual role and responsibility in protecting the environment.”

Runway to Green will host a fashion show on the night of the live auction and make designer collection selections available online through – -Net-a-Porter– who will be the exclusive online retailer of the collection for the launch. Proceeds from the sale of the collection will also be divided among the beneficiary organizations.

Runway to Green’s involvement in this initiative links the fashion industry to the NRDC’s Clean by Design program recently launched to promote improvement in the environmental impact of the apparel sector. The NRDC will work closely with each of the designers in the program to provide an education on the negative effects of mainstream production and on ways to be more green and efficient.

In order to make ‘BID’ as green-inclusive as possible, the online auction will carry the majority of celebrity and once-in-a lifetime experiences, so that anyone — anywhere — in the world has a chance to BID by logging on and pitching in. The Bid to Save the Earth ACTIONEER Award contest invites the general public to join this movement by submitting their stories and personal initiatives, which demonstrate how they are engaging their communities, and making a positive impact on the environment. The emphasis will be on grassroots actions of conservation, which are already set in place, have achieved measurable results, and are ongoing projects. Entries will be submitted via www.abidtosavetheearth.org and will be accepted between February 1, 2011 and March 1, 2011.

The March 29 event will be hosted by: François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, David and Susan Rockefeller and Graydon and Anna Carter, in association with Vogue magazine. The evening will also debut the Runway to Green collection with a fashion show co-styled by Vogue’s Fashion Director, Tonne Goodman and Vogue’s Contributing Editor, Tabitha Simmons.

Susan and I are delighted to be co-chairs again this year for “Bid To Save The Earth’” said David Rockefeller, Jr. “We all must do our part to protect the natural world for our children’s children.  Everyone can support the Green Auction through the Internet – a truly democratic way to stand up for Mother Earth.”

We are pleased to announce that Bid to Save the Earth will be a carbon neutral event and we are working with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to provide the carbon offset for the event. Please visit www.BidtoSavetheEarth.org for more information on the online and live auctions.

In addition to bidding in the online auction, the public is invited to make a symbolic bid for the environment by texting “gogreen” to 20222 to donate $10. Funds from text “gogreen” will go towards Bid to Save the Earth beneficiaries.

Those interested in sponsoring or contributing to this charitable cause may contact:                           Toby Usnik at tusnik@christies.com.

Christie’s will waive all fees and commissions for the auction.

FOLLOW THE GREEN AUCTION ON:

TWITTER at twitter.com/Bid2SaveEarth

FACEBOOK at Facebook.com/A-Bid-To-Save-The-Earth

PRESS CONTACTS:

Toby Usnik, New York +212.636.2680 tusnik@christies.com

Alexandra Buxton, London+44.20.7389.2117 abuxton@christies.com

Yvonne So, Hong Kong +852.29.78.99.19 yso@christies.com

Megan Salt, Vogue +1.212.286.6884 megan_salt@condenast.com

Jenny Powers, NRDC +1.212.727.4566 jpowers@nrdc.org

Kevin Connor, Oceana +1.202.467.1910 kconnor@oceana.org

Scott Johnson, CPC +1.212.310.6641 sjohnson@centralparknyc.org

Kim McCabe, CI +1.703.341.2546 k.mccabe@conservation.org

Glenda Luft +1.646.315.2664 gluft@charitybuzz.com

Caroline Bassett +1.212-744-0218 bassettmediarelations@gmail.com

About Christie’s

Christie’s, the world’s leading art business had global auction and private sales in 2009 that totaled £2.1 billion/$3.3 billion. For the first half of 2010, art sales totaled £1.7 billion/$2.57 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s has 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai. (www.christies.com)

About Runway to Green

Runway to Green is a fundraising model that brings together today’s most important and relevant fashion designers to raise funds, educate and create awareness for the environment. Selected leading designers and brands are dedicating or creating an item of their choosing as part of their Fall 2011 collection for Runway to Green. The pieces will be sold worldwide through the designer’s stores, online, select department and retail stores making this truly a global initiative. A percentage of proceeds from sales will go to Runway to Green, which in turn funds leading environmental organizations. (www.runwaytogreen.com)

About the Natural Resources Defense Council

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, the NRDC’s lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have been working to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Livingston; Montana; and Beijing. (www.nrdc.org)

About the Central Park Conservancy

The Central Park Conservancy’s mission is to restore, manage, and enhance Central Park, in partnership with the public, for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The CPC is a private, not-for-profit organization, founded in 1980, that manages Central Park under a contract with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.  Thanks to the generosity of many individuals, corporations, and foundations, and the City of New York, the Conservancy has invested more than $550 million to date in the park, making it a model for urban parks worldwide.  The Conservancy raises more than 85 percent of Central Park’s annual $37.4 million annual park-wide expense budget and is responsible for all basic care of the park. (www.centralparknyc.org)

About Conservation International

Built upon a strong foundation of science, partnership, and field demonstration, Conservation International (CI) is committed to helping societies adopt a more sustainable approach to development – one that considers and values nature at every turn. Founded in 1987, CI has some 900 employees working in more than 30 global offices and 1,000+ partners around the world. (www.conservation.org)

About Oceana

Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans. Its teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers, and advocates win specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals, and other sea life. Global in scope and dedicated to conservation, Oceana has campaigners based in North America, Europe, and South and Central America. More than 500,000 members and activists in over 150 countries have already joined Oceana. (www.oceana.org)

About charitybuzz

A leader in cause marketing, charitybuzz (www.charitybuzz.com) aligns nonprofits with international brands and celebrity icons to raise funds through innovative online auctions. Featuring pop culture experiences, VIP events, luxury travel, fine art, couture fashion and sports memorabilia, charitybuzz brings its online community of upscale, socially conscious bidders exclusive opportunities to make a difference. The company enables its bidders to truly doGOOD and liveWELL, generating millions of dollars for charities around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.charitybuzz.com, email info@charitybuzz.com, fan us on facebook at www.facebook.com/charitybuzz or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/charitybuzz.