It was easy to predict. But now there is official confirmation: Baselworld is officially a defunct fair. Even if the organizers simply communicate that it is a pause for reflection. A very long pause, though. A press release from the Mch Group, the company that organizes (or rather organized) the great watch and jewelery fair, explains that «the organizers of Baselworld have decided to dedicate more time to the launch of the new concept. Baselworld, scheduled for spring 2022, will therefore not take place ». The decision also marks the failure of the project of the managing director Michel Loris-Melikoff, who therefore decided to leave the company.
The decision, which must not have been easy, “is based on the one hand on the experience gained from the Pop Up Event at the Geneva Watch Days and on intense discussions with manufacturers and retailers. On the other hand, it takes into account the fact that it is particularly difficult to launch a new concept for a new target segment due to the renewed worsening of the covid situation and the related uncertainty among customers “. The truth, however, is more painful: Watches and Wonders will be held regularly in Geneva from March 30 to April 5, with the big brands in the sector, as well as a selection of jewelry brands that have organized themselves for a parallel event that takes place calls Haute Jewels Geneva.
Over the past few months we have studied our ecosystem of watches, jewelry and gems in detail and gained important insights from discussions with key industry representatives. The bottom line is that the market exists for a B: B: C platform, bringing together mid-sized and specialty manufacturers with independent resellers. But their needs need to be analyzed in more detail. This means that we need to have much more time to reach it.
Beat Zwahlen, CEO of the MCH Group
The Swiss company therefore anticipates that «in the coming months an interdisciplinary team of the Mch Group will analyze the target segments and, in close exchange with manufacturers and retailers, will deepen their marketing and transaction needs. In this context, particular attention will be paid to the latest trends in marketing and distribution in view of the post-pandemic period, in particular internationalization and digitization. The goal remains to create added value for the community’s business in its reference markets with the internationally anchored Baselworld brand and innovative platforms ».
