Will Baselworld, the world's largest watch and jewelry fair, survive?

"It's so empty... this is even worse than I thought..." That was the first thing that came to my mind when I visited the press day at this year's Baselworld on March 20th.

　For those involved with watches visiting the brand booths, the thing they were most interested in was the floor plan of the venue. The floor plan was finally released much later than usual, and it must have left those involved with the watch industry perplexed. The center of Hall 1.0 (the first floor of the main hall), where the Swatch Group brands had their booths, was occupied by a press center and restaurant.

　The area occupying the first half of the hall, with Bulgari, Tag Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, Patek Philippe, Rolex & Tudor, and Chopard, was bustling as usual, but the area behind it was largely empty.

"This is a desperate message to the Swatch Group to come back."
Anyone who has been to Basel before would agree.

　As of the time of writing this article on March 26th, the morning of the final day of the fair, the number of exhibitors had not been officially announced, but it is estimated to be just over 500 companies, down from just under 700 companies last year.

　Even in the fashion world, it is becoming more difficult to hold such fairs.
　Some say that the role of these big fairs has "already come to an end" from a marketing perspective. In particular, if big brands are only concerned with their own success, they will likely conclude that it would be better for them to hold their own fairs.

　However, this year I walked around the venue again, visiting around about 40 booths, which is fewer than usual, and what struck me as I saw the new products was the importance of the Baselworld venue.

　The true value and appeal of a watch cannot be understood through virtual reality unless you actually hold the real thing in your hands. That's why a "place to encounter" is absolutely necessary. A place where you can encounter a variety of watches.

　This was brought to mind once again when I saw the AHCI (Academy of Independent Watchmakers) booth at the back of the second floor of Hall 1, which was filled with the excitement of visitors flocking to the event this year.

　But to achieve this, the fair needs to be fundamentally "reborn." Take admission fees, for example. A day ticket, available online, costs 45 Swiss francs, or about 5000 yen. A group ticket costs 40 Swiss francs, or about 4400 yen. But is this really worth it at Baselworld today? Is the booth in its current form acceptable? And is this location even appropriate?

　Like anything, rebirth takes time.

"2019 is a transitional year, and we will be able to unveil the new Baselworld in 2020," Hans Christian Heusgaard, interim CEO of the Swiss MCH Group, which organizes Baselworld, and Michel Loris-Melikoff, managing director of Baselworld, said in a press release from last year. They are scheduled to announce "Baselworld 2020+" today, March 26th, at noon.

　Will the Swatch Group really be back next year? Will it truly be reborn? The truth is, there isn't much time.