Breitling will forego Baselworld from 2020 onwards
According to the SonntagsZeitung, the Breitling watch brand does not intend to participate in the Baselworld watch fair in 2020. This said Breitling CEO Georges Kern in an interview.
The reason for the abandonment was not this year's edition of the fair, as Kern says: "Baselworld 2019 was a success for us." Rather, he says, the date of the fair was responsible for the exit, among other things. A trade fair at the end of April or the beginning of May cannot be reconciled with the business year and the associated planning, the Breitling boss says. If it were up to Kern, the trade show would have to take place in February.
In addition, the business model of the trade show with its sales booths is no longer up to date. The company wants to stick with the Breitling Summit and the roadshows. "A communication format that allows us to be not only more flexible, but also closer to customers, media professionals, retailers and collectors," says Kern, who is co-owner of Breitling and has been calling the shots at the watch brand as CEO since 2017. "Today, through digital channels and smaller but more personal events without fixed dates, you can reach consumers better and respond more directly to their needs. The world has changed - but the trade fairs have not made this change enough."
According to Kern, the decisive factor is the combination of online and offline measures. Breitling is therefore continuing to invest heavily in bricks-and-mortar retail and its own boutiques, creating offline worlds of experience. "In mid-May, we will open a Breitling boutique at Jelmoli in a new modern-retro ambience with a restaurant and a cool bar. It's a new concept that we're rolling out first in Zurich, then in Los Angeles, and later around the world."
Even if Breitling withdraws from Baselworld: Kern does not rule out a return. Participation in the 2021 edition will be reconsidered at a later date. One thing is for sure: a possible appearance would be different from the previous ones, the CEO reveals: "We won't need a large stand like we have in the past.
Since 2017, the number of Baselworld exhibitors has dropped from 1300 to just 500 this year. With Breitling's withdrawal, the existence of the fair could now be completely threatened. Breitling had one of the largest and most expensive stands at Baselworld this year. Following the departure of the Swatch Group, the organizer MCH is losing a second internationally important watch brand.
