Editor’s Note
This article confirms the cancellation of Baselworld 2022, a decision made by the MCH Group following industry consultations and the experience of a recent pop-up event. It marks the definitive end of the trade fair’s attempted revival.
The “inevitable” news has arrived.
The major announcement was that Baselworld 2022, which had declared a zombie-like “revival” on June 23, 2021, would be cancelled, according to a statement from the organizer, MCH Group. The press release stated that this decision was made after numerous meetings with watch brands and retailers, based on the experience of a pop-up event held at the end of August during the “Geneva Watch Days 2021” to appeal to the watch industry about the fair’s revival. Simultaneously, it was announced that Managing Director Michel Loris-Melikoff, who had been working tirelessly to rebuild Baselworld since the end of May 2018, would be stepping down.
A 23-minute, 30-second video titled “Espresso Talk with Jean Christophe Babin and Michel Loris-Melikoff at Baselworld 2021” was streamed on YouTube on September 1st. On the left is Michel Loris-Melikoff, on the right is Jean-Christophe Babin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa6FPF2Bd90
This content was one of a series of talks named “Espresso Talk,” featuring a conversation between Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bulgari Group, and Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld. Throughout this talk, Mr. Melikoff was clearly “making eyes” at Mr. Babin.
However, Mr. Babin deftly and smilingly dodged such “advances.”
It’s been two years, so it’s unclear how many people remember, but the Bulgari Group, led by Mr. Babin, has maintained a unique stance towards Baselworld within the LVMH group.
The watchmaking division of the LVMH group, specifically overseeing TAG Heuer, Zenith, and Hublot, is managed by Stefano Bianchi, who succeeded Jean-Claude Biver and is also considered the mentor to Frédéric Arnault, the third son of group Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, who became CEO of TAG Heuer at the young age of 25. In the very near future, Frédéric Arnault is expected to assume Mr. Bianchi’s role, overseeing the entire watchmaking division of the LVMH group.
Following the departure of five brands (Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard, Rolex, Tudor) from Baselworld on April 14, 2020, these three brands announced their “withdrawal from Baselworld” via a statement from Mr. Bianchi on April 17, 2020. Subsequently, they decided to exhibit at “Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022,” scheduled from March 30 to April 5, 2022.
However, Bulgari took a different stance from these three brands regarding this withdrawal. They issued their own statement, saying “We will suspend our participation in 2020,” hinting at possible future participation. Then, in the summer of 2020, they held the “Geneva Watch Days,” initially planned as a one-off temporary event. However, they also held this event in 2021 and are not currently listed among the exhibiting brands for “Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022.”
In other words, they have taken a different position towards Baselworld compared to other brands in the group—a distinctly “kinder attitude.” Why is this? The author does not have enough information to speculate on the reason. However, Bulgari’s business extends beyond watches to include jewelry, bags, perfumes, and even hotel operations. This likely means it is a business entity within the LVMH group not under the purview of Stefano Bianchi.
Given this history, it’s not unreasonable if Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld, held even a faint hope that “Bulgari might still exhibit at Baselworld.”
Before being acquired by the LVMH group, Bulgari once held its own exhibition in Geneva. In response, Baselworld prepared a special venue for Bulgari and welcomed them to Basel—a historical fact. It can be said that the Baselworld office and Bulgari indeed had a special relationship at that time.