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Events & AwardsMay 22, 2020
Baselworld’s Future, If Any, Remains Unclear
MCH Group shot down rumors it was moving to Lausanne but did confirm one thing—the show, wherever it is, won’t be called Baselworld.
It is unknown where, when or even if the show currently known as Baselworld will happen in 2021 but one thing is clear—show organizer MCH Group is dropping the Baselworld name.
New York—The rumor mill is churning concerning the tenuous future of the watch and jewelry trade show formerly known as Baselworld.
An article published Monday on WatchPro.com stated that show organizer MCH Group has registered the alias “Swiss Watch Week” and blocked off dates in early April 2021 at a convention center in Lausanne, coinciding with Watches & Wonders Geneva and the yet-to-be-named show organized by Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard.
An article published Monday on WatchPro.com stated that show organizer MCH Group has registered the alias “Swiss Watch Week” and blocked off dates in early April 2021 at a convention center in Lausanne, coinciding with Watches & Wonders Geneva and the yet-to-be-named show organized by Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard.
But MCH Group shot down those rumors, stating that it is working right now on future plans for the show with a group that includes “new and young” experts.
“The MCH Group resolutely denies the unscrupulously circulated rumours that it is planning to stage a ‘Watch Week’ in Lausanne,” the company said in a statement. “Although the concept, date and location of a potential new platform still remain to be determined, the location of Lausanne can be ruled out from the current perspective.”
MCH Group said it expects to decide on the new format of the show, as well as scheduling and location, in the summer.
The company also confirmed that the show will not be called Baselworld going forward.
Baselworld 2020 was scheduled to take place in late April/early May, immediately following Watches & Wonders Geneva, the new name for SIHH.
By late February, however, it became clear that holding a mass gathering in Switzerland in the spring would not be possible due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19.
But, rather than canceling its show altogether, like Watches & Wonders, Baselworld organizers immediately said they were “postponing” the event to January 2021.
The January move, considered inconvenient by many, coupled with the show organizer’s controversial refund policy, contributed to the collapse of a Baselworld show already on shaky ground and the rise of the new event in Geneva helmed by Rolex and the other big watch brands.
Earlier this month, MCH Group cancelled the Baselworld show scheduled for January 2021 and altered its refund policy for the 2020 event, but left the show’s future uncertain.
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