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Baselworld exhibitors set to halve

Baselworld
Baselworld is struggling to maintain the number of exhibitors and visitors Keystone

Baselworld, the biggest watch and jewellery fair in the world, is slowing down. No more than 600-700 exhibitors will be showing off their wares in 2018, down from 1,300 this year. 

Although the fair’s exhibition space would be a third smaller, the most important exhibitors would still be there, assured spokesman Christian Jecker on Wednesday. In addition, the price of a stall would be reduced by 10%, he told Swiss public radioExternal link, SRF. 

BaselworldExternal link already felt the pinch this year, its centenary, with 200 fewer exhibitors than 2016. The organisers put this down to general economic challenges facing the watch industry and competition from SIHH GenevaExternal link, a similar event held in January.

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This year, Baselworld attracted 106,000 visitors, down 4% on 2016. Some people regretted opening the fair to tech giants such as Samsung, which this year exhibited for the first time. 

Baselworld 2018 opens its doors on March 22 for six days – two fewer than this year. 

“We need to come up with a new concept,” Jecker admitted.

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