EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
Events & AwardsMar 27, 2019
Coming Off a 22% Slide, Baselworld Outlines Turnaround Plan
The three-year plan starts in 2020, with a 10 to 30 percent price cut for exhibitors and an area dedicated to smartwatches and other wearables.
The 2019 edition of the Baselworld watch and jewelry trade show closed Tuesday in Switzerland with management outlining the details of a three-year turnaround plan for the show, which has seen the number of exhibitors and attendees decline for the past six years.
Basel, Switzerland—The statistics from Baselworld 2019 should not come as a surprise to anyone.
The number of exhibitors was down 20 percent from 2018, to 520 brands.
The watch and jewelry trade show counted 81,200 visitors, a 22 percent year-over-year drop, while media attendance suffered the least, dropping 12 percent to 3,300.
It is the sixth year in a row that Baselworld has seen both the number of exhibitors and attendees shrink.
The message new Managing Director Michel Loris-Melikoff relayed after presenting these figures: Yes, show organizers know both the number of exhibitors and attendees is down.
They are working on turning around the watch and jewelry trade show, but they cannot—and do not have the money to—fix everything at once. 
At the show’s closing press conference held Tuesday afternoon in Basel, Loris-Melikoff shared some details of the three-year turnaround management has crafted for the watch and jewelry trade show, a plan that will begin with the 2020 edition.
To start, Baselworld has changed its tagline from “The Watch and Jewellery Show” to “The Watch and Jewellery Community,” reflecting organizers’ aim to expand the scope of Baselworld from a week-long business-to-business show to a 365-day-a-year resource for the watch and jewelry industries, servicing both the trade and consumers.
Prices for exhibitors will come down 10 to 30 percent next year, depending on the exhibitor’s hall and position, and Baselworld is simplifying its pricing structure, charging a flat fee calculated using hall and booth square footage.
Organizers plan to reopen Hall 2.0 and move both the gemstone and pearl dealers and the national pavilions there.
Also planned for Hall 2.0 in 2020 is an “Innovation and Digital Transformation Zone” that will include space for smart watches and wearables and will be “urban, dynamic and young,” Loris-Melikoff said, designed to appeal to younger people.
RELATED CONTENT: What Is the Future of Jewelry Trade Shows?Future plans floated at Wednesday’s press conference included a retailer summit, an event for CEOs to meet up and discuss current challenges, and education events for consumers that could involve pulling in watch and jewelry schools in Switzerland and France.
Show organizers also will keep the expanded press lounge for 2020, though Loris-Melikoff
noted that it might not be right off the show floor in Hall 1.0, depending on which exhibitors return to the show.
And that seems to be the ultimate question hanging over the once-mighty watch and jewelry trade show as the 2019 edition drew to a close: Which major brands will come back?
Loris-Melikoff said in response to a reporter’s question that while show organizers are in constant conversation with exhibitors, they do not yet know the major brands’ plans for 2020, which mirrors what many exhibitors told National Jeweler during the course of the show—they have not yet made up their minds about 2020.
One exhibitor who attended Tuesday’s closing press conference, Julien Rotstein of Amsterdam-based Tirisi Jewelry, spoke up in defense of the show, saying that exhibitors must be proactive when attending trade shows, reaching out to their clients to encourage them to attend, and arranging on-the-ground hospitality, like airport pickups and dinners.
“We as exhibitors have a role to play,” he said, before issuing a tough truth about business today.
“I don’t know that we’ll ever get back to the number of exhibitors in the past, simply because there are fewer jewelers. Retail has changed and will continue to change.”
Baselworld 2020 is scheduled for April 30-May 5, back-to-back with SIHH in Geneva, which moved its show from January to April 26-29.
The agreement for the two shows to take place consecutively extends through 2024.
And that seems to be the ultimate question hanging over the once-mighty watch and jewelry trade show as the 2019 edition drew to a close: Which major brands will come back?
Loris-Melikoff said in response to a reporter’s question that while show organizers are in constant conversation with exhibitors, they do not yet know the major brands’ plans for 2020, which mirrors what many exhibitors told National Jeweler during the course of the show—they have not yet made up their minds about 2020.
One exhibitor who attended Tuesday’s closing press conference, Julien Rotstein of Amsterdam-based Tirisi Jewelry, spoke up in defense of the show, saying that exhibitors must be proactive when attending trade shows, reaching out to their clients to encourage them to attend, and arranging on-the-ground hospitality, like airport pickups and dinners.
“We as exhibitors have a role to play,” he said, before issuing a tough truth about business today.
“I don’t know that we’ll ever get back to the number of exhibitors in the past, simply because there are fewer jewelers. Retail has changed and will continue to change.”
Baselworld 2020 is scheduled for April 30-May 5, back-to-back with SIHH in Geneva, which moved its show from January to April 26-29.
The agreement for the two shows to take place consecutively extends through 2024.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
