Baselworld, the watch and jewelry show held in Basel Switzerland, will open to consumers and... [+] collectors. Attendance dropped by 22% at last week's Baselworld watch fair, which has been held in Basel, Switzerland, every spring since 1917. The number of exhibitors at the 2019 show also dropped – down to 520, compared to 650 last year and 1,300 in 2017 – but exhibitors and fair organizers, including a new management team, say this is a transitional year and expect new dates and other changes in the works for next year to resurrect the show. Rolex is a key exhibitor at Baselworld. Baselworld took a hit last year when the Swatch Group announced it would drop out of the 2019 show in favor of staging its own trade event in Zurich, earlier this year. The group’s 16 brands include luxury marques Breguet, Harry Winston, Omega, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz and Glashütte. Several smaller brands have also exited Baselworld in the past two years, including Corum, Dior, Maurice Lacroix and Raymond Weil. And Girard-Perregaux, Ulysse Nardin and Hermès recently decamped for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, a rival show held in Geneva in January. Michel Loris-Melikoff, managing director of Baselworld. The fair’s new management and remaining exhibitors consider this a year for the dust to settle, and the show retains the support and loyalty of key exhibitors, including Rolex, Patek Philippe and the LVMH Group, including Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Zenith and Hublot. New managing director Michel Loris-Melikoff replaced Sylvie Ritter immediately following Swatch’s departure last year, and Rene Kamm, longtime CEO of Baselworld’s parent company, MCH Group, has been replaced by Bernd Stadlwieser, a watch executive most recently with Mondaine. The first thing new management did was negotiate an agreement with the SIHH to hold the two shows sequentially next year: SIHH will be April 26-29, followed by Baselworld April 30-May 5. The two shows’ calendars have been synchronized until 2024. The Patek Philippe stand in Baselworld. There is also a plan to transition Baselworld into more of a consumer show for watch lovers and collectors, something that would distinguish it from the invitation-only SIHH. “Baselworld will become an experience platform in 2020,” says Loris-Melikoff. “It will open its doors with a special offer specifically for end customers and collectors. The target is to offer all participants in the industry – representatives of the watch, jewelry, precious stones and technology sectors as well as journalists, bloggers and influencers, but also dealers and collectors – a digital platform with numerous information, service and networking tools throughout the year.” It will also include a retailer summit, CEO talks and a virtual reality zone, as well as an area reserved for smartwatches and wearables. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5212A Weekly Calendar, one of the introductions at the 2019 Baselworld. Several factors contributed to the sudden decline of Baselworld. A record 25-month slump in Swiss watch exports in 2015/2016 hit the industry hard. It was triggered by a major slowdown of watch sales in Asia as well as the Swiss National Bank’s decision in January 2015 to eliminate the Swiss franc's peg to the euro, which sent the franc soaring. It not only bumped up the price of Swiss watches, but made the cost of participating in Basel untenable for some buyers and exhibitors. The Movado Group, which pulled out of Baselworld in 2018, reportedly saved $10-million by not exhibiting, and the Swatch Group ducked a $50-million expenditure (costs include not just exhibiting fees and booth construction but also flights, accommodation and dinners for staff and some clients). The Swissair edition of the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43, introduced at Baselworld 2019. The value of Swiss watch exports (wholesale values) declined in 2015 by 3.3% after several boom years, and then tanked by10% in 2016, including a 26% drop in the U.S. market. Exports were up slightly in 2017, but not in the American market, which only began to creep upwards again in February of 2018. Since then, all six of the world’s top markets for Swiss watch exports have slowly continued to climb. The year 2018 ended with a 6.3% increase in exports worldwide, including an 8.2% increase to the U.S. market. Baselworld suffered the repercussions of the market downturn, but still has not recovered. It is not alone in its struggle to remain relevant in a changing market: many trade shows around the world have had to reinvent themselves in the age of digital sales and communication. The strategy for Baselworld is to become more than a trade sales and press event, building brand image among consumers and collectors. “We will tackle change with vigor and passion,” says Loris-Melikoff.
Baselworld watch fair visitor numbers this year were down 22 % , while exhibitor numbers also dropped to 520 , against 650 in 2018 and 1,300 the year before . Several brands , including the Swatch Group , have dropped out of the show in recent years . However , top brands , such as Samsung , Patek Philippe and the LVMH Group continue as key exhibitors . Baselworld 's new management has negotiated for the show to run sequentially with the Salon International de la Haute Chance ( SIHH ) watch show from next year until 2024 . Baselworld will also shift towards a consumer focus , differentiating itself from the invitation - only SIHH .