I’m not obliged to stay in Basel. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. He says he was spending $50m every year that he can now put to better use. Nobody in the media complained. If I manage 500 beds in a hotel, I have a totally different to power to negotiate the price. MLM: If you are really passionate about watches and jewellery, for six days you have the best brands in the world in Basel. Does a trade show therefore have long-term relevance in this climate? I think there will be a few big watch brands coming back. They are as important as we both are. Switzerland is the most relevant country in this industry. MLM: Well, we have a building to maintain, but I’m talking in terms of productivity. It is the low point. When I was organising music events, the basic question was: “Do we organise an event just to make ourselves happy, or do we organise it for the audience, for the visitors?” And it was exactly the same when I started at Baselworld. Mo 02/15/2021. Fr 01/01/2021. Calendar Basel-Landschaft 2021/2022. The question was: “Can I create this magic gathering for this industry by transforming Baselworld?” My answer was yes. MLM [shrugging]: It would make sense that we all talk to each other much more. Media people are part of this business. Shrove Monday. You have entered an incorrect email address! It’s not a one-way communication between the brands and the consumers or journalists. Probably the main reason is this lack of communication. It also has to do with passion, with touch. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The first was the need of big brands, then small to mid brands, then small brands. RS: Let’s say you do create a consumer-friendly experience and that they come for the side events and the fancy restaurants – will they be able to get onto the Rolex stand? MLM: That made the situation just a little bit more spicy… [laughs] Before I worked for Baselworld I moved down to Lausanne and had a wonderful house, with a nice view of Lake Geneva. Ideas for 2022 and beyond are likely to be more far-reaching. Isn’t it a ball and chain for the event? This lack of listening and understanding. The 2022 edition of the Geneva fair has already reserved space in the Palexpo halls, where its predecessor, SIHH, used to be held at the start of the year. And now I told my people, nowadays you have to be in the market, to be outside, to visit clients, to understand them, to propose different solutions. Chopard has also confirmed its attendance since I met with Mr Loris-Melikoff. When they started building Baselworld, I was there everyday. But since then everything has changed. He is as he is. Art Basel in America at Miami Beach ranks as the premier art show of the Americas offering a premier platform for renowned artists and galleries. Messe München has set the dates for 2022 and is organizing another online TrendFactory event for later this year. Maybe the way of your presence changes, because time changes. RS: Are we talking about Louis Vuitton? You went to a shop because you want to know how it looks, how it feels on your arm. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. RS: Talking of coordination – when you look at a show like Watches and Wonders working with brands across the spectrum, the same barriers don’t seem to exist. Let’s say, when you start planning your journey to Baselworld, you can tell me you’re coming from Tuesday to Friday. MLM: Maybe in the future the shows will radically change and we we’ll have more screens, less space and more brands. They are impressive, but not really exciting. MLM: Yes. I left his office after two and half hours. Switzerland doesn’t belong to any political union and maybe for that reason it’s important that we have a strong common presence in this small little country surrounded by the European Union. Comment. During my first interview on local TV last July, I announced war on the hotels. Why should they make a profit thanks to Baselworld? MLM: Maybe the Millennials. In the past, the Baselworld team never did sales. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Maybe it’s more intense and time-consuming. I prefer to invest money in decoration, or side events, or festivals, or any pop-pop-up activity in the city. They come for Baselworld". Esquire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. You want to stay in a 3* hotel not too far away and you have a budget. Honestly. Corum? Watches & Wonders announced a new watch show to take place in Shanghai this September, while Baselworld to rebrands as HourUniverse in 2021. MLM: Logistically, and for security reasons, it’s not possible. It’s a nice approach, and I want to do that at Baselworld, too. RS: Did you take on the job entertaining the idea you might fail? Following March’s watermark Baselworld watch fair, I interviewed the show’s doughty managing director Michel Loris-Melikoff over lunch. In this full-length version of the interview, Loris-Melikoff lets rip about the previous regime, losing money at Baselworld 2019, Breitling, going to war (his words) with the city of Basel, taking the show out of Basel if local businesses don’t play ball, and his grand rescue plan for the ailing event. But the retailers all know this – they publish the name of their retailers on their website! What can SIHH, Grand Prix d’Horlogerie, other shows in Switzerland and ourselves do to make these shows coordinated so that it makes more sense for other participants in this industry to come to Switzerland? RS: Some view the shows as a vital part of the ecosystem – they create oxygen for the industry and encourage brand and creative diversity. I want to enjoy what I do. MLM: We don’t talk about numbers, but I can tell you we closed this exercise with a deficit. So we have to think how we can reduce the booth costs to allow them still to have a nice visibility, to look cool, to respond to their new needs, and that is is more than a B2B experience. Right now, we need a strong marketplace in Switzerland for our industry. RS: Aren’t Baselworld’s problems bigger than that? During most of the meetings I’ve had since I started, this word ‘arrogance’ was always mentioned. But if you want to be in this market, you have to be present. I want to know who’s at Baselworld. MLM: But I want them to come to Basel. Dates & programme of the Carnival in Basel. We invested quite a lot of money, so the result is negative. Discover the innovative features and iconic aesthetics of the 2020 Rolex watches. Battle continues... Robin Swithinbank: On paper, the big problem is that Baselworld has lost more than 1,500 exhibitors, or around 75 per cent of the total 10 years ago. RS: How many brands do you expect to have in 2020? It’s the same as Masterpiece in London. Baselworld’s managing director Michel Loris-Melikoff says he is open to discussions on coordinating with SIHH and EPHJ on finding a date and location that the entire watch industry can rally around. MLM: It’s not up to me which consumer will be received at the Rolex booth or not. RS: Is that where your optimism comes from? It’s all very well surprising visitors and creating a consumer-friendly experience, but consumers don’t come to Basel. There is a fundamental change to the past. New Year. Maybe you want to reserve a table in a restaurant. All dates are subject to changes. He is one of the very biggest players. Nick Hayek took this decision and made his show in Zurich. When the board of directors proposed the job to me, I knew the change process had to be done. In 1983 it adopted the style Basel 83, a nd in 2003 it became Baselworld. If I have all this information, I can book your trip, and I can get better conditions than you can get on the market. Valentine's Day. However, BVLGARI, the Italian mason owned by the LVMH Group has announced its withdrawal from Baselworld for the edition in 2020. MLM: In the past, we just focussed on the needs of the big watch brands. By brands, by journalists, by suppliers, even stand builders. I did it for the watch industry, then for the jewellery brands and then for the gems, and then the last row was for journalists. These are the overall costs. "I don't consider digitalisation a threat to our business". MLM: I’ll tell you where and when later in the year. With the previous years models getting released 6 months late, it will make predicting when the new Rolex models will be released for 2021 difficult. RS: Next year will be different then, surprising? Carnival. There are a lot of brands who left since 2017. “It takes 18 months to create a new exhibition, but 2 years to change an existing exhibition,” he tells WatchPro. But I have a personal ambition, which is to have over 600. MLM: They [the previous management] were just arrogant. RS: Visitors to Baselworld were certainly surprised this year – Messeplatz was empty when we arrived. ... criticizing the organization for announcing new dates without consulting exhibitors and demanding a fairer ... holding some sort of fair in 2021 or 2022. Hoping for a return to a physical event in 2022, it will make Watches and Wonders an impressively dense event where most established brands, representing a large fraction of the Swiss and German watch industry, will be present. We knew that the date was late, but not too late, and so when Georges Kern called me [to withdraw from the 2020 event], I told him: “You knew this date, it’s not a surprise.” But I keep hoping that in 2021 he will come back. He also stated that though Baselworld 2021 will take place in January, while Watches & Wonders (formerly known as SIHH) will be in April – a source of tension between the organisers of both events according to industry sources – it will be ideal if both fairs can coordinate their dates in 2022 and beyond. MLM: Well, that $50m Mr Hayek mentions, that was the overall cost. Before, we’ve got nothing from this. MLM: Well, that’s another question… It was built because the major brands wanted something very representative [of their brand values]. I heard about it, but I also saw it in my balance sheet. From what amounts to a massive “clean room”, Swatch Group’s entire presence has to be removed, an eye-wateringly expensive and complicated project, Mr Loris-Melikoff describes. Rolex tends to stick with tradition and proven methods so we can most likely expect releases coming around the same time as Baselworld in 2021, even though Baselworld has been cancelled. But even if you’re independent, that doesn’t mean I don’t have to take care of your needs and your working conditions, and the working conditions in the past, they were not good. But I think now, I can say that I understand the market a little bit more, and that allows me to redesign the show. We also have to think about the needs of their clients. Brands will be presented with a vision for the show in 2020, and then 2022. Mr Loris-Melikoff would not give specific details on the plans for those two years, but with only 15 months before a March 2020 fair, it is unlikely that wholesale changes will take place for that year. « We deeply regret Bvlgari's decision to withdraw from the next edition of Baselworld,… MLM: Maybe he wants to test his format, his own retailer summits, three times a year, on every continent. The younger generation buy, or rent, or stream, everything digitally. The world is changing so fast today. No One Knows, These Tough Watches Will Survive the End Days, Seiko's New Watch Is Inspired by Birch Trees, ESQUIRE, PART OF THE HEARST UK FASHION & BEAUTY NETWORK. Other shows in the world, they don’t sleep. Brands have diversified their marketing expenses. We have an impressive database of collectors and art collectors. Maybe they don’t need this experience. He was appointed on July 1 last year, and given the unenviable task of stemming the tidal wave of brands flooding out of Switzerland’s principle watch show. The opening of Baselworld 2019. RS: So will that be in Miami, or Hong Kong? Inhorgenta Munich will now next take place 11-14 February 2022. Why? Mo 02/22/2021. Michel Loris-Melikoff: We should have started to change Baselworld in 2015. MLM: I’m 200 per cent convinced it does. MLM: I’m not going to tell you. The plan had been to publish this piece earlier in the summer to time with an announcement about a new Baselworld concierge service that would offer visitors access to much cheaper accommodation, addressing one of the primary grievances from exhibitors, visitors and press alike (more of which below). He also stated that though Baselworld 2021 will take place in January, while Watches & Wonders (formerly known as SIHH) will be in April – a source of tension between the organisers of both events according to industry sources – it will be ideal if both fairs can coordinate their dates in 2022 and beyond. Art Basel's three shows in Basel, Hong Kong, and Miami Beach are the premier art shows of their kind, presenting modern and contemporary art with a strong curatorial perspective. And as the needs of the big watch brands are just Rolex, Patek Philippe, Swatch Group and LVMH, there needs to be change. That’s why we put the jewellery on the second floor, with the catwalk fashion show. We hear how it works and what the brand CEOs are doing and observing. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Basle (Switzerland) Basel Fairground Please note ! “There are strong opinions, so we will need to see what is possible. The modification of the Explorer and the Submariner. Can you control those costs? They’re not going to buy watches at Baselworld. I defined a new vision for 2020 to 2022, but I’m confident that after 2020, I will have to check this vision. Where else do you see the need for change? This 2022 edition is expected to be the biggest watch event ever held in Geneva. That would be less stress. Baselworld – one of the world’s biggest watch and jewellery exhibitions – postponed its event this year due to the coronavirus, scheduling it for 2021. The Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 is presented in a white Rolesor version (combining Oystersteel and 18 ct white gold) and features dials in a variety of colours, with either index hour markers or Roman numerals made of 18 ct white gold. RS: Maybe, but doesn’t the current direction of travel suggest the show concept, regardless of country or industry, is in permanent, perhaps terminal decline? And isn’t Baselworld getting dangerously close to the point where there will be no show anyway? That’s been delayed twice now, and there’s no sign of local hostelries bowing just yet. What did the show turn over this year? And then the fairs were cancelled as Covid-19 shut the world down. Basel Carnival 2022 7 – 9 March 2022 Basel Carnival is part of the city’s identity – culturally speaking, it is at the heart of its creative energies and represents three days when the city goes wild. Did the new layout work for exhibitors at the back of the hall? He is creating an experience. The market happens here on the street. It was like brand A has his retailers, brand B had maybe a few of the A retailers and his own B retailers… And they didn’t want us to talk to any of them, because maybe there were afraid we could say to brand C who was the retailer of brand B. As these booths are so expensive, you are building it for 10 years or five years. TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world’s premier fair for fine art, antiques and design. RS: So Breitling’s announcement came as a surprise to you? That’s the old way of doing things. For me it was essential to understand what went wrong in the last years. PRODEXSwiss Exhibition for Machine Tools, Tools and Production Measurement: every 2 years: May 2021 (?) Click here to post a comment. The heart of Baselworld, Hall 1.0, which houses multi-million pound exhibition stands from the likes of Rolex, Patek Philippe, Breitling, TAG Heuer and Hublot along with all the Swatch Group brands, was sealed after the 2018 event. People come to Basel because Baselworld is in Basel. All shows have to consider this new element. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. But we didn’t. It should become a platform where you have your profile, where information comes in from many different sides: the brands, what we publish, journalists… It should be a hub dedicated to the watch and jewellery industries. But people don’t come because Basel hotels are so wonderful and cool and the city is the best place to be in Europe. The negotiations are ongoing. Today if I want to surprise our visitors every year, I have to rethink the construction, the layout, we have to be much more efficient. Jewellery and watch show Inhorgenta Munich has announced the cancellation of its planned 2021 show. MLM: Baselworld should become a platform like LinkedIn. Cancel reply. Sziget, de tény, hogy a Swatch Group, és még néhány márka kivonulása érzékenyen érinthette az MCH-t. Loris-Melikoff kilátásba helyezte, hogy ugyan 2021-ben tényleg több hónap különbség lesz a Baselworld és a Watches & Wonders között, de igyekeznek 2022-re ismét félátfedéssel szervezni. Rolex is proud to announce its latest collection of timeless watches. MLM: We have a brand committee that includes Rolex, Patek, LVMH and Breitling. RS: And you’re planning to offer those retailers additional services the brands can’t offer themselves? But he is a fascinating guy. If you’re arrogant, you can’t do it. The main question I asked myself is, do I have enough passion and enough fascination to work every day for nine months, including the weekend? I have 520. That means they have less money for a show presence in Basel. But the problem we have is that most of the booths are not laid out to receive collectors and consumers. It was incoming. RS: So you’re going into battle with the city…. MLM: No! A retailer or a collector summit is exactly what people want to see. I am not obliged. I did it consciously, and it was really to let people see something is changing. RS: Do you think that will help lure back [Swatch Group Chairman] Nicholas Hayek? MLM: I won’t be taking the whole margin. RS: Back to Baselworld. Because between today and next summer, the world will change. Again – I could organise Baselworld in any place in this world. So we decided to put just a few trees and two street food booths. But I didn’t know the situation and the frustration. RS: The press were certainly better looked after this year and speaking to many of my colleagues, it was appreciated. ART BASELInternational Art Fair (20th century art).Art Basel holds over 300 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, … We know the market and the two places. De Grisogono? I could do a side event for the most important collectors or retailers or journalists. Holidays, non-public holidays and events 2021/2022 for Basel-Landschaft Switzerland. So I have to create these revenues, and this is what we’re doing. Maurice Lacroix? MLM: That’s the way I sold the service. The number of buyers in attendance at Baselworld was 117,000 this year, a 4 percent decrease compared with the 122,000 that attended last year, according to show organizers. Mr Loris-Melikoff is meeting with key stakeholders including Rolex, Patek Philippe and LVMH next week to discuss a two-phase plan that he believes will breathe new life into Baselworld following the decision of Swatch Group to leave the event in 2019. When we coordinated [dates for 2020] with SIHH, everybody was involved in this negotiation. I need passion, I need fun. We talk to each other every two months. In the event business, people go to a place with either noise or food. When you come to Baselworld and to Messeplatz, you want to be surprised – to have an impression. RS: As you say, though, it’s not just about the exhibitors. And for jewellery, the same. MCH Group [the owner of Baselworld] is listening,” he states. I think that digitalisation is a good additional service, but it doesn’t replace [a real-life experience]. RS: But surely that depends on the consumer? I defined a new vision for 2020 to 2022, but I’m confident that after 2020, I will have to check this vision. Reporting by Victoria Gomelsky MLM: Oh, it’s fun. In the event business, we have to surprise our visitors every year. Hasn’t that already proved to be an outmoded view? The press centre was on the old Swatch Group plot, and then there was this long avenue, which seemed quite dead. This is not sane. MLM: A lot of journalists ask me what the critical size for Baselworld is. "Even in 2018 the show was profitable. MLM: I’ll do it with an external partner. Because of the expense of the booths, MCH Group has to pay for round the clock security in the hall; plus it has its humidity, temperature and any dust or contaminates closely controlled. It should be a multi-lateral communication between all participants. They are a priority, because they are directly or indirectly doing promotion for the brands. Well, there is another show with 40 exhibitors and they are doing well. I’m sure. In the past, you could go to Baselworld as a journalist. Would you buy a necklace for half a million for your wife, without giving her the opportunity to wear it and find out how it feels? But I can bring collectors to Basel. Because between today and next summer, the world will change. But, why do we have to change? When we announced it, everybody confirmed and said it was a good idea and they’d been expecting this for years. Events like the Cortège, the Kids’ Carnival and the Guggenkonzert will not take place in 2021. RS: And what about you – are you enjoying it? [Between July 2018 and Baselworld 2019] I had something like 830 meetings with brands, retailers, journalists, visitors, stakeholders, ateliers, many different people. Who are Baselworld’s clients? Swissminiature . A few of them are starting to have a B2C approach; others like Patek and Rolex are still in a B2B approach. But it doesn’t make sense to only focus on our clients. In the past, it didn’t happen. They are part of Baselworld, these guys who work 15 hours a day. MLM: I have no pressure from MCH Group. Breitling's 2021 Is off to a Flying Start, Inside Hublot's Premier League Smartwatch, Where Did Longines’ BigEye Come From? RS: But since Baselworld this year, Breitling have confirmed they won’t attend in 2020. With Baselworld having been put to rest, the MCH teams have put all their expertise and the feedback from customers, buyers, visitors into giving birth to a new platform concept: HOURUNIVERSE.An innovative platform to meet today's needs, this new concept is gearing up to unite and support a whole community that wants to regroup, make a new start and is receptive to change. We have six months more time [to organise Baselworld 2020] than this year, which means we have more time for new acquisitions. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Mr Loris-Melikoff flew into Heathrow airport and straight back out again, stopping only to talk over a bowl of Carluccio’s pasta. But did you buy your watch via the internet? Contact organizers for more information before making arrangements. In the past, I organised events for FIFA and UEFA, and when I arrived at Baselworld I remembered the investment FIFA made for the journalists, just to make them feel happy, to make the conditions comfortable for them to work. I have already the budget for next year for a pop-up event abroad. The Château-d’Oex Balloon Festival 2022 . In a wide-ranging interview with WatchPro yesterday, Mr Loris-Melikoff, who took the reigns of Baselworld this summer, says that he recognises that the needs of watch brands must be accommodated in the fair’s future strategy. Digital possibilities make life easier. What does the new Baselworld look like, digitally? They are part of the communication for the brands, but also for us. We Asked The Man Who Plays Him. So if it can happen in Miami, why can’t it happen in Switzerland? MLM: I don’t think so. RS: Yes, but they don’t have a building to maintain. I would be happy if he pays me $50m every year… No, no. RS: So Baselworld becomes a travel agent? Now, we need more restaurants and we need more experiences. I decided to do it as it was [without any entertainment or decoration], just to let people see and feel that something is changing. You have collectors, you know them, you invite them, they go the event. Lugano Switzerland. These cookies do not store any personal information. RS: That would be a real incentive for consumers, though. And that was it. People have to realise that it has to change. He is creating exactly what we expect. MLM: The big booths show how strong a company is or wants to appear. 12 Trade Shows in Basel Fairground (Basle) Exhibition Name Cycle Date; BASELWORLDWorld Watch, Clock and Jewelry Show: once a year: April 2021 (?) This vision we presented this year is the synthesis of many conversations. RS: That’s a lot of people to keep happy. The world’s best-known brands will be represented exclusively at Baselworld. My job now is to create good experiences for everyone and to bring people in a good mood to the brands. MLM: An average price of a booth is between CHF 10 and 30 million. If they say there should be one show, we must listen to that,” he suggests. That’s what we’re thinking about. Latest News. Many of these names were mainstays of the century-old Baselworld fair, but defected last year in a dispute over fees, leading to the show’s demise. RS: So is Baselworld going to become cheaper for visitors? Sitting on the 17th floor of Baselworld, it’s not enough. Lausanne Switzerland. “It takes 18 months to create a new exhibition, but 2 years to change an existing exhibition,” he tells WatchPro. Is it a content provider, a storyteller? The building was commissioned at a time when everything was going great, and everybody was doing high margins, and the world was in a conservative mood. Either we work together, or I can leave Basel and go to Zurich, or Geneva or elsewhere.” There is absolutely no reason for me to stay in Basel. But the board of directors validated the negative budget because we had to invest, and we will invest next year, too. For 2020, it had also agreed to run in April, backing into Baselworld’s dates. Festival de la Cité, Lausanne (City Festival) 2021 . In 2021, the Carnival in Basel (Fasnacht) will be a little different from the major event that we know and love. You have to be outside, in the market to understand it. The interview was for a piece I was writing on the rapidly declining health of Switzerland’s oldest and biggest watch fair for the New York Times. The setup we had in the past was an expense of CHF 5.8m. Château-d'Oex Switzerland. So I suggested that we handle retailer invitations, because we can then also provide our exhibitors with general information. We knew you were a journalist. So for us, it’s possible.
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