The world will no longer be as before because of the coronavirus: for example, Baselworld may no longer be there. An exaggeratedly pessimistic perspective? Maybe. But the cancellation of the large fair dedicated to jewelry and watchmaking, which was scheduled for the end of April this year, risks causing the curtain to drop for ever.
The problem is related to the costs and reimbursements of the exhibitors who had booked the spaces. All paid in advance and, according to some jewelers consulted by gioiellis.com, also booked for the many pressures from the Baselworld organizers. The problem, however, is that the organizing company, Mch Group, has now offered companies a partial refund, as we have written here. In practice, Baselworld has proposed two alternatives: to use 85% of the amount paid as an advance for the next edition in January 2021, while 15% should serve to cover the expenses incurred for the organization of the canceled fair. Or, a 30% refund, with 40% as an advance of the 2021 edition and 30% lost, to cover the costs of the Mch Group.
Copyright: gioiellis.com
A proposal that many exhibitors do not want to accept. The Geneva newspaper Le Temps, for example, has published the opinion of the president of the Swiss exhibitors committee, Hubert du Plessix, who is also responsible for Rolex investments, in short, a piece of ninety. The manager, without words, asked for a full refund of what was spent. And without an agreement he predicted the end of Baselworld. Also because, he added, the end of January (date scheduled for Baselworld 2021), it does not suit either the jewelry sector or the watchmaking sector, which has also already experienced heavy defections, such as Bulgari and Swatch.
