Baselworld 2018, number of visitors unchanged. Here’s who is happy and who is puzzled among jewelers ♦ ︎
It depends. The final judgment on Baselworld 2018 can be summarized as follows: it depends. Because the Basel Watch and Jewelery Fair (22-26 March 2018) had two faces. One is the one summarized by two numbers: 1300 and 650. The first is the number of exhibitors, already declining, in 2017 (there were 1500 in 2016). The second is the number of exhibitors in 2018, less than half. A massacre. «A selection», he prefers to call it the managing director of Mch, the company that organizes Baselworld. But, in fact, it depends on the points of view. Faced with such a drastic reduction could have been much worse. The final balance of Baselworld 2018, in the words of the organizers is, if not exciting, at least sufficient. The number of visitors, for example, “has remained stable”. Since the fair lasted two days less, this is considered a success. At the moment we do not know the number of buyers present. 4,400 journalists came to Baselworld, 15% less from Europe, but 5% more from Asia. And if many big brands, such as Festina or Dior, this year have defected the Basel fair, Breitling, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Swatch, Chanel and Gucci have already announced that they will also be present next year, from 21 to 26 March 2019 .
And exhibitors? The opinions are different. Again, it depends. Among the opinions collected by gioiellis.com among jewelers, prevails a lack of enthusiasm for the new formula “concentrated”, which for some is “sad” when compared to the atmosphere that was breathed until a couple of years ago. But at the same time, many have confirmed that commercial activity has not been lacking and, therefore, the presence in Basel still has a reason for being. From the comments collected during the fair, we can summarize the mood:
We are equally satisfied: Fope, Pasquale Bruni, Nanis, Alessio Boschi, Tamara Comolli, Picchiotti, Messika, Mattioli, Rivière
Everything is OK, but some perplexities: Casato, Annamaria Cammilli, Leo Pizzo, Yoko London, Giovanni Ferraris, Djoula, Facet, Crivelli
No comment: Coronet, Sutra, Butani
