In Vol.1, I explained how Baselworld ended up in crisis, drawing on my own experiences. Now, let's return to the topic of "Baselworld 2000+," the plan for revitalizing and reviving the fair, announced by Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld, at the closing press conference.
"If you have something to say, please speak up. We will listen to your opinions and reflect them in future fairs. 2020 will be the first year of the new Baselworld, which aims to become a platform for new experiences for visitors and a useful business meeting point for those involved with watches. However, we will continue to reform and evolve every year as we look toward the future, including further improvements to our hospitality. We will reduce fair exhibition fees by 10 to 30% depending on the location. We will strengthen communication and promotion using digital technology, while also renovating the entirety of Hall 2, which was unused this year, to create an area for Chinese brands and a corner for smartwatches, which are of great interest to the younger generation...Come to think of it, it was a big mistake on our part not to notice the problem with the toilets..."
Anyone who has visited Switzerland's two major watch fairs has probably had trouble finding a restroom. Whether it's Basel Messe, the venue for Baselworld, or Palexpo in Geneva, the venue for SIHH, it can be difficult to find a restroom if you're visiting for the first time. What's more, the distance to the restroom can be frustrating. At Basel Messe, restrooms are generally only located on the outside of the large hall on either side. And at Palexpo, they're only located on the second basement floor, outside the booths. The fact that they're willing to do something about this issue, which is unavoidable due to the structure of the building, shows a sense of crisis about the fair's survival and a sincere attitude toward reform.
By the way, there are many reform proposals, but what is the highlight of the reforms?
The biggest innovation will be to turn it into an "experiential platform" where all visitors, from business buyers and journalists to collectors and consumers interested in new watches, can have an experience that makes them feel that it was worth their visit, both in the real world and the digital virtual world.
I think Melikoff wants to make this a big event that will involve the entire city of Basel, and that will be popular with people other than those involved in watches, just like the Zurich Street Parade, which he produced himself for 20 years and grew into the largest techno and dance event in Europe.
Incidentally, during the Q&A session, one question was raised: "How do you bring the Swatch Group back?" Melikov frankly explained that he planned to visit them with this plan shortly after the fair ended. The questions from journalists and exhibitors at the event were not aimed at accusing the fair's secretariat of "crimes of omission" for resting on its laurels and doing nothing. Rather, most were questions of concern for the fair's future and comments of support for Melikov. And that's understandable. Melikov, who had been working in Lausanne until then, is not to blame. He simply had to shoulder the brunt of his predecessor's mismanagement. And it was a huge mismanagement, at that.
In any case, the plans outlined at the closing conference were incredibly comprehensive and groundbreaking, or rather, unbelievably numerous, and all of them revolutionary.
So, can Baselworld really be revived and revived? To be honest, I don't know. The sheer size of the promise that has been made is anything but. The hurdles to achieving it are so steep, and so doubtful, that it's a massive undertaking.
More than the content of the revival and regeneration plan presented by Melikoff, the key to the revival and regeneration of Baselworld, and the ones who will have the greatest influence on its life or death, are the big watch brands that are still exhibiting. As we can see from the fashion world, they have the power to hold their own events. But they still need to remain at the fair. That is a necessary condition for the revival and regeneration of Baselworld.
However, the meaning and value of Baselworld is very different from that of SIHH, a glamorous stage where all the top brands gather. Baselworld is not only a stage for the unveiling of new products, but also a meeting point, or incubator, for nurturing the future of the watch industry, born from a historical background spanning more than 100 years. If this role were abandoned, the fair's significance and appeal would be halved. If the fair's sole focus was on value as a stage, there would be no need to hold the event in Basel, the northernmost city in Switzerland, about an hour away from the most convenient city, Zurich.
How do big brands view these two roles of Baselworld, what do they want from the secretariat, and how will they interact with the fair? The future of Baselworld will depend largely on their intentions and thinking.
If they believe there is a more suitable stage for them to present their new creations to the world, and that the function of a meeting point or incubator is irrelevant to them, they could easily withdraw from Baselworld, thus eliminating the century-old event that has its roots in the Swiss Industry Fair of 1917.
Will they give up on Baselworld first, or will Baselworld be reborn as something attractive for them before they give up on it?
The race for the fair's survival is already underway. Patek Philippe and Rolex have reportedly renewed their exhibiting contracts at the fair, but unfortunately, this does not seem to be a sufficient guarantee for the fair's survival.
As of April 27, 2019, when I am writing this article, various companies have already begun to move forward with various plans. First, Breitling announced in mid-April that it would not exhibit at Baselworld 2020, but would instead hold its own meetings in various countries around the world. However, it appears that it is considering exhibiting at events from 2021 onwards.
Meanwhile, Stephane Bianchi, President of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer, who succeeded Jean-Claude Biver, announced in a press release from the Baselworld Secretariat that Bulgari, Hublot, Zenith, and TAG Heuer, all subsidiaries of the LVMH Group, will continue to exhibit in 2020. However, he did not specify what will happen in 2021 and beyond, leaving it open to speculation.
Until now, the Baselworld Secretariat has been on an equal footing with the big brands, or even more so at times, acting as a sort of "lord," but now it has taken a complete turn. To turn the fair into a spectacular tourist event taking place across the entire city of Basel, it must now run around and coordinate with all the other stakeholders, not just the watch brands. But is this really possible?
However, I believe that it might be possible. I have never met Melikov, the fair's managing director, and have never interviewed him before. However, two hours after the closing press conference, I spotted him walking around the venue alone as dismantling began, as if searching for any other areas that could be improved.
With his passion and hard work, perhaps Melikoff could bring some of those plans to fruition and revive Baselworld—if, of course, there's cooperation from the big brands, the watch industry as a whole, and a Swiss government that cares about the future of Switzerland's second-largest industry after pharmaceuticals.
The closing press conference is currently available on YouTube at baselworld.com. It's 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 16 seconds long, so if you're interested, why not take a look?
