Baselworld 2014: The success story continues

Basel, Switzerland (ots) - Baselworld 2014 came to a close today
having once again succeeded in bringing together around 150,000
attendees (including representatives from exhibiting companies,
buyers, journalists and other visitors) from every continent,
underlining its position as the most important marketplace and
trend-setting event for the world's watch and jewellery industry. The
eight outstanding show days were comprehensively covered by extensive
global media presence. With enthusiastic feedback from all players,
Baselworld 2014 ended on a high note, having met and exceeded
expectations in terms of business, quality, media presence and
exposure.

Baselworld is the ultimate meeting place for the entire industry
with all sectors represented: watchmaking, jewellery, diamonds,
gemstones and pearls, machines, and supply industries. It is the
annual event, where around 1,500 exhibitors, including all the
leading brands, from over 40 countries first showcase their
innovations and novelties. On top of that, the economic impact is
enormous. The Swiss watch industry, 95% of which is represented at
Baselworld, had exports of around 21.8 billion Swiss francs in 2013.
And it is not only the watch and jewellery industry that benefits;
the whole of Switzerland profits, as Baselworld directly and
indirectly generates an income of around 2.4 billion Swiss francs a
year and thereby approximately 13,000 jobs.

A Blockbuster for Global Brands

Overall, the exhibitors enthusiastically expressed their general
satisfaction both with the show and with the business outcome.

Jacques J. Duchêne, President of the Exhibitors' Committee,
confirmed this: "We are extremely satisfied with this year's
Baselworld. The exhibitors made a very good turnover and were
positive about the media exposure that has aroused interest in the
Baselworld 2014 event. Baselworld is and remains the unmissable show
for the watch and jewellery industry."

According to François Thiébaud, President of the Swiss Exhibitors'
Committee, "2014 has confirmed the excellence and global prestige of
Baselword." He went on to say that the, "Extensive media coverage and
articles published this year in the run-up to the show undoubtedly
inspired journalists and retailers to come and discover this universe
that is one of a kind: the combination of luxury, innovation and
outstanding expertise are the major strengths of the watch and
jewellery industry and related sectors."

"Historical! It's been a great Baselworld for Bulgari and it will
be remembered for a long time," said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of
Bulgari. For him, "Baselworld is that moment in time that determines
the future. In the course of one week, we unveil our novelties to
business partners and to the press of the whole world; possibly one
of the most intimate exercises of a brand, the creation. In return,
we feel the emotions that our creations evoke. A capital experience
for the future to continue to improve ourselves."

Thierry Stern, CEO of Patek Philippe, found the whole show to be a
"very smooth process, pleasant ambiance and excellent attendance of
the press." He went on to say, "We have been present in Basel since
1931, as it is the most important platform for meeting all of our
retailers and an excellent platform for our media partners. This
year, we received more than 1,000 journalists in a few days."

"Baselworld 2014 has been a good edition, similar to 2013," said
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard, adding that,
"Baselworld reaffirms its dominant position as "The Rendezvous" of
the industry."

Luc Perramond of Hermès agreed that, "(Baselworld) is a unique
platform to meet press and customers from the trade with the
opportunity to show our novelties to the world."

Stressing the importance of the show, Zenith CEO, Jean-Frédéric
Dufour said, "Baselworld is an indispensable annual event that allows
us to meet our clients, partners and journalists in one unique
location."

Tag Heuer CEO, Stephane Linder, was really positive about the
business done, saying, "Another excellent year! Sales are in line
with our objectives, which were very ambitious. In terms of volume we
have already exceeded our 2013 sales at Baselworld by +50%!" When
asked about what the show means for his company he said, "This is the
trade show of the year where we see all our retailers and our agents
in the space of a few days, the only venue where we feel the pulse of
the market in the 'blink of an eye'. In addition, it is also a
wonderful platform for communication."

Walter von Känel, President of Longines, says: "We are very
satisfied with Baselworld this year; it has again been a great
success."

According to Sowind CEO Michele Sofisti, "Baselworld has been very
strong for us both in terms of image and product presentation as well
as sales. We had double the appointments of last year and a clear
increase in all our numbers for both the Girard-Perregaux and
Jeanrichard brands."

Sparkling Results for the Jewellery Trade

The jewellery sector has also benefitted from a good business
environment. Pasquale Bruni, CEO of Pasquale Bruni said, "We
experienced very good traffic during the show. In particular, the
American and Arabian markets are experiencing strong growth and are
of great importance to us." His daughter Eugenia Bruni added:
"Baselworld is the most important show of the year for us. We have
felt great energy and have a very positive vision for the future."

Furrer Jacot CEO, Walter Häusermann, found that Baselworld 2014
"was good and maintained the high level set in 2013." In terms of
business, "the setting was ideal for acquiring new customers and to
present the expansion of our range to existing customers." In his
opinion, "Baselworld is highly significant particularly for brand
positioning and also as a launch pad for new models and product
segments."

Susan Lam, Director Germany and Central Europe of the Hong Kong
Trade Development Council (HKTDC) said, "Baselworld is an excellent
platform for Hong Kong jewellery and watch companies to show their
new collections and demonstrate their design and manufacturing
capabilities to the international buyers. During the show a
significant part of their annual business is initiated and it is a
good chance for the companies at the Hong Kong pavilion to meet
important buyers and learn more about the demands of their
international customers. They can also compare their performance with
global industry players."

Paramount for the Diamonds, Gemstones & Pearls Business

For exhibitor Groh + Ripp, "Baselworld provides the platform for
fostering and forging international contacts" said Managing Director
Bernd-Willi Ripp, who was more than satisfied with the show, adding
that, "For us Baselworld has been very positive with very good
transactions."

Raj Mehta, CEO of international diamond merchant Rosy Blue,
stressed the importance of the show for his company, saying, "It is
vital for us to be at Baselworld because it is the most important
trade show on the calendar that brings together clients, prospects
and colleagues from around the globe," and also because, "Baselworld
is the perfect platform to represent our new products, and also to
understand new trends of the industry. Due to its immense audience,
its way of allocating exhibitors, it attracts the best players in the
industry. It complements what Rosy Blue manufactures."

An unrivalled media magnet

Baselworld continues to draw major media interest from all around
the globe and remains one of the best-covered events in the world.
The world's financial press, the major national dailies, the
lifestyle publications, all the trade press, the world's biggest TV
channels, and the key players in the field of social media regularly
disseminated news from Baselworld 2014 to every corner of the earth,
underlining the show's claim as the most important event for the
watch and jewellery industry. Baselworld 2014 attracted around 4,000
accredited journalists from over 70 countries.

Baselworld - Brilliance Meets

During eight days, Baselworld was once again the focal point where
all the leading players representing all sectors of the global watch
and jewellery industry were able to shine. Sylvie Ritter, Managing
Director of Baselworld, reflects on the end of the show with a great
deal of pride in a brilliant Baselworld 2014: "This year's edition
was a true and highly focused reflection of the changes, trends and
innovations within the entire industry," said Ms Ritter, noting that,
"Baselworld is the ideal platform for the watch and jewellery
industry to showcase innovations, attract international interest and
enhance business." She was particularly pleased also with the
extensive media presence and comprehensive coverage, which was
undoubtedly another contributing factor to the show's success.

All of the above reaffirm Baselworld's premier position in the
watch and jewellery industry and with that comes an obligation to
reset the bar for next year. Not afraid to meet the challenge, Ms
Ritter says, "And as we put the closing touches to Baselworld 2014,
we are already applying ourselves to our mission of maintaining a
perfect harmony between tradition and present day requirements so
that Baselworld will continue to fully reflect the reality of the
industry and its players next year and beyond."

The next Baselworld will be held from 19 - 26 March 2015.

Baselworld 2015 - World Watch and Jewellery Show

Date Thursday, 19 March to Thursday, 26 March 2015

Venue Messe Basel

Organisers MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd.

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Contact:
Media Service
press@baselworld.com
+41 58 206 22 64