EXPEDIENT MEASURES
Baselworld embraces change, fine-tunes modus operandi and pulls off 2018 edition
MADE UP OF just a handful of brands, Baselworld came into being as nothing more than a section of Basel’s first Swiss Sample Fair in 1917, along with a host of companies from different sectors of the country’s national economy such as banking and finance, chemical and pharmaceutical. Among the early watch exhibitors were Tissot, Longines and Zenith.
Since then, it has grown by leaps and bounds, becoming the world’s definitive annual watch and jewellery trade show that we know today. Together with the Swiss watch industry, it has survived a great number of setbacks including two World Wars, the Great Depression, the quartz crisis and the Great Recession, coming out stronger each time. The 2011 edition was Baselworld at its strongest, following an all-time record of nearly 2,000 exhibitors, over 103,000 visitors and more than 3,000 journalists from around the world.
2018 marks the beginning of a new century in the history of Baselworld as the Swiss watch industry experiences first signs of a steady and gradual recovery after a period of challenging times. In response to the profound change and the onset of digital technology, Baselworld worked hand-in-hand with longtime exhibitors and reworked its concept for the 2018 edition.
The result - a denser and more concentrated format, presented over six days (shortened by two days), with the number of exhibiting watch brands reduced to just between 600 and 700. In a statement released ahead of Baselworld 2018, the management said that it “decided to maintain its outstanding quality for the next edition. The show does not rely on quantity, but will remain the leading event for premier global brands. And this in all segments.”
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, emphasised, “Baselworld 2018 will be more coherent and more concentrated. I look forward to participating in 2018, and I think Baselworld’s management has made the right decision to initiate change.” The comment was supported by Eric Bertrand, president of the Baselworld Exhibitors’ Committee, who added, “I believe that these are the first steps in a very forward-looking direction.” François Thiébaud, president of the Swiss Exhibitors’ Committee noted, “All these measures are positive for Swiss exhibitors. We now focus on the essence of what constitutes our industry.”
In addition, Baselworld 2018 has inaugurated a digital approach to communication in the form of an intelligent Chatbot - Baselworld Live News, where news about the most important brands and the show, as well as key highlights of the novelties are henceforth relayed via mobile messaging services such as Facebook Messenger, WeChat and Telegram.
“Baselworld Live News now allows us to offer more interactive, instantaneous, direct and personalised communication,” said Sylvie Ritter, managing director of Baselworld. “Thanks to this new and highly efficient channel, exhibitors will now have a direct link with existing and prospective customers. In this way, we are moving from global communication to
direct and personalised communication in real time, which allows us to bring exhibitors and visitors closer together more quickly,” she explained.
Seeing that the future is digital, and the vast majority of the population is already being informed via smartphones and social media, the new digital offering by Baselworld is designed to intelligently network with existing electronic media such as the Baselworld website, the e-catalogue and the Baselworld app, making all the show information accessible in real time wherever the location.
Following the exhibition, Ritter summarised that the new, streamlined format was positively received, with an overwhelming majority of the exhibitors reporting very satisfactory business results. Despite the shorter duration, the overall number of visitors remained unchanged.
Rene Kamm, CEO of Baselworld’s parent company MCH Group, gave a favourable outlook, “I believe that Baselworld’s current dimensions with 650 brands are optimal. We now have a tailwind for 2019.”
As the exhibition committee prepares for the next edition, leading brands such as Rolex, Swatch Group, Patek Philippe, LVMH, Chopard, Breitling, Chanel, etc, have already expressed their definitive commitments. Rolex’s CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour said, “We are very happy with this year’s edition. Our new products were extremely well received by our clients and the press. This annual event remains a ‘must’ for the Swiss watch industry, its evolution and its dynamism, which was proven by the strong participation and the avid enthusiasm. We are looking forward to Baselworld 2019!”
PASSING THE TORCH
Having led and guided Baselworld with passion and expertise as managing director for the past 15 years, Sylvie Ritter recently stepped down from her position at the MCH Group. She is succeeded by Michel Loris-Melikoff, formerly director of MCH Beaulieu Lausanne SA.
“After 26 years with the MCH Group ‒ 15 of which as managing director of Baselworld ‒ it’s time for me to start something new and take on new challenges”, revealed Ritter.
Expressing regret at her departure, members of the “Comité Consultatif” thanked her for her strategic positioning of the show in a manner commensurate with the market and for the always excellent organisation of Baselworld. “Sylvie Ritter has made her mark on Baselworld for decades and has been the most important personal contact for the exhibitors at Baselworld,” said Thiébaud. Bertrand also stressed that “we have always appreciated her exceptional commitment and her excellent knowledge of the industry.”
Loris-Melikoff, a lawyer who joined the MCH Group three years ago as director of MCH Beaulieu Lausanne SA, comes with over 20 years of experience in the event industry, including six years as president of the Zurich Street Parade. Within the MCH Group, he has been able to achieve significant progress in Lausanne. “We are pleased to have found a very competent successor in Michel Loris-Melikoff,” said René Kamm.
BASELWORLD 2019
“We will be expanding the Baselworld team and further developing the event to continue along the path of quality enhancement and to meet the challenges of the future”, explained Michel Loris-Melikoff. “We will also be setting new accents so as to position Baselworld as the leading marketing and communication platform for the industry. We are tackling this task with a large number of new ideas and with valuable inputs from exhibitors, visitors and the media.”
Loris-Melikoff has also announced an initiative especially for the jewellery segment, while new concepts are being worked out for the watch and precious stone sectors. Further innovations will be introduced in the fields of catering, hospitality and events so as to meet the requirements of exhibitors and visitors to an even better extent.
The exhibition newspaper, Baselworld Daily News, is slated to make a comeback in printed form and with a new concept. In parallel, the digital information and communication offerings launched in 2018 will be intensified and supplemented by new services for exhibitors, visitors and the media.