Bulgari, a member of the LVMH Group, decided on February 11, 2020, to withdraw from Baselworld 2020.
Comment from Bvlgari Group CEO
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bvlgari Group, said in a press release:
"This decision was by no means easy, but we are convinced it is the best decision for Bvlgari with the market opening in March. This does not mean that we will withdraw from Baselworld. We will consider whether or not to exhibit at Baselworld 2021 by the end of June. As we have stated before, the criteria for exhibiting at watch fairs are timing and cost. It can be said that the balance between the investment in our business and the return on that investment is not right."
In response to an inquiry from the Japanese edition of Chronos, Pascal Blanc, who is in charge of public relations for the watch division at Bulgari, explained the reason for the company's non-participation as follows:
"Clients are reluctant to travel at this time of year, and Bvlgari received a large order in Dubai in January. In addition, as Baban stated, Baselworld 2020 came too late (a view shared by many brands). In the first week of February, Bvlgari decided to withdraw."
As Blanc alluded to, the spread of the so-called "coronavirus" likely contributed to the company's decision not to participate. In fact, as of February 13, all direct flights from China to Switzerland had been suspended. Instead of participating in Baselworld 2020, Bvlgari will instead launch new products in the local market.
Bulgari has announced that it will not be participating, but its group members Hublot, Zenith, Tag Heuer and others will be attending Baselworld (as of February 13th).
