Editor’s Note
After a pandemic-induced hiatus and years of criticism, the historic Baselworld fair is poised for a comeback with a new B2B-focused strategy. This article examines its planned reinvention.
Critics have consistently denounced the annual watch and jewellery fair Baselworld in recent years for its poor facilities and astronomical prices. Complaints fell on deaf ears until its 2019 show was so thoroughly criticised that the trade show failed to host its annual event the following year, a situation exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the centenarian show in the Swiss town of Basel has spent the last two years rethinking its strategy and is ready to stage a revival.
Baselworld will return at the end of the first quarter of 2022 primarily as a B2B platform, eschewing luxury watchmaking brands in favour of the mid-range luxury segment. The new concept is said to combine trends in experience marketing with the needs of stakeholders such as mid-range luxury watch, jewellery, and gemstone clients.
Where it was once the most anticipated and largest trade show for luxury brands in the watch, jewellery, and gemstone industries, the new approach will see smaller watch and jewellery manufacturers as well as gemstone traders present their products to retailers.
The under-one-roof strategy remains, making this a convenient and comprehensive stop for clients. They will also have access to a digital platform scheduled for launch in autumn, which will serve as a year-round forum for exchange and education.
Luxury watch retailers need not fear a missed opportunity, as Watches & Wonders, which has replaced the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, will continue to host the world’s most prestigious timepiece brands. Together, both fairs will complement each other and continue to champion Switzerland’s standing as the home of fine watchmaking.
