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BaselWorld 2018 Press Release: What will the show look like this year?

4K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  gangrel 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
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Here are some key figures of what to expect

+ Baselworld will only have 600-700 exhibitors in 2018 (2017: 1300)
+ The exhibition area will be reduced by about one-third
+ The duration of the Mass will be shortened from 8 to 6 days
+ Booth rental will be reduced by 10%

The fact that the fat years are over in the watch industry has become apparent since long. Sales losses, digitization and new distribution channels forced the people responsible at Baselworld to rethink. Already in summer 2015, for the first time, concrete ideas were made about how Baselworld should be led into the future, says trade fair spokesman Christian Jecker.

Only half as many exhibitors

The fair was surprised, however, that the drop would come so fast and so radical. Just 600 to 700 exhibitors will come to Basel in 2018. That's half as much as in the 2017 edition, which in turn had to make a huge dent in comparison to previous years.

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Reduced exhibition space

Less exhibitors = less space.
Accordingly, the exhibition space is reduced by a third. Among other things, the top floor of the new exhibition hall is not occupied.

Duration cut

In addition, the duration of Baselworld will be reduced from eight to six days. And for the stand rental, exhibitors have to pay 10 percent less.

DIOR and HERMES already canceled their appearance. However, the big players/4top-brands did not. Nevertheless the question arises why Switzerland, as a comparatively small country on our planet, still manages to hold two trade fairs on watches within just a few weeks. The one in the south - the SIHH in Geneva - and a little later the bleeding Baselworld, only 250 km further north. A new concept is due.
 
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#5 ·
Thanks for the heads-up. I attended last year and I do wonder why they have one every year. Every two years would probably suffice given that although some watch manufacturers do pump out model after model (think CASIO), others like Rolex have a fairly static range of products.

Trotting up annually to see a handful of new models is probably not a cost-effective activity for most of us - unless you live at Basel or course.
 
#6 ·
The cost is why smaller brands don't do it, for sure. But it's not to see just a few new models, it's about brand visibility and positioning. I'm actually surprised Hermes pulled out.

How many new Rolex models do you think were released last year at BW?

8.

Eight new Rolex watches just hit Baselworld 2017 | Style Magazine | South China Morning Post

Big retailers will most definitely go to see 8.

Lessee...Nomos announced the entire Aqua and Campus lines. Seiko announced a massive reorganization of their lines, and made Grand Seiko its own brand. Longines announced the VHP line...completely new HAQs...and the Record...all chronometer grade across multiple sizes. Plus some more Heritage models, and I don't even recall what else. :) Omega's 60th anniversary Railmaster models were big, both the anniversary LEs and the regular. New AT dial.

And so on. And so on.

Look how many sites will be there. 5 from here, IIRC. Hodinkee will probably have most of their people. T+T, Monochrome, ABTW, HauteTime, ...... Topper and Timeless did a bunch of video presentations. TheWatches will do a few dozen, probably.

I don't see it going to every other year, because that kind of schedule is, I think, very much harder to support.
 
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