In light of Switzerland’s recent decision to ban, for the foreseeable future, exhibitions and events expecting more than 1,000 visitors due to coronavirus concerns, it is no surprise to find the news that Baselworld 2020 has been postponed to January 2021. The fair joins Watches & Wonders (ex-SIHH), whose organizers canceled this year’s event yesterday.
Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld.
Michel Loris-Melikoff, Managing Director of Baselworld, said: “We deeply regret having had to postpone the event as planned due to the coronavirus, in full consideration of the needs of the watch and jewellery industry to be able to benefit from the platform to develop their business. This decision has been all the more difficult in view of all the positives that have been achieved through listening and dialogue over the last few months, which resulted in new concepts and new solutions, that have attracted exhibitors to return and new ones to sign on. We registered encouraging growth in all sectors; watchmaking, jewellery, the gemstone and pearl trade, as well as in the technical branch.
By postponing the show to January 2021, we have found a solution that enables the industry and all our customers to avoid losing a full year and at the same time reset their calendars for the beginning of the year, a period that is conductive to the presentation of their new products, new trends and order taking. This postponing will also allow Baselworld to continue developing and bringing new formats and solutions as well as improvements to the new concept we propose.”
The concept of a warm-weather Baselworld (and Watches & Wonders) is now out the window, but we are all very much looking forward to visiting the fair in 2021. Until then, we’ll be traveling a lot more to the individual manufactures and having even more watch novelties shipped in for us to see — aBlogtoWatch remains committed to bringing you the newest and most exciting timepieces of 2020. For more on how canceled shows affect the industry, read Ariel’s take here. Further official communication available at Baselworld.com.