AA: You’ve told us that, over the last several months, Baselworld spent a lot of time speaking with its exhibitors, both large and small. You were trying to determine what Baselworld needed to do better, or do more of, in order to make Baselworld 2019 (and beyond) an ever more productive and effective show. Share some insight with us; what were some things Baselworld was wise to reform, and what are some other areas that exhibitors can look forward to getting more of?
MLM: Indeed, I have sought and held many candid discussions, not only with exhibitors, but also with associations, media representatives, and dealers, and I continue to do so quite intensively today. We quickly identified certain areas that needed action and we boldly tackled those issues, which primarily involved the “three C’s”: concept, costs, and communication.
About the concept: I had often heard that, “Baselworld has not adapted enough to the market” or “We need a different Baselworld.” It is hard to disagree with those statements, but it must also be said that, especially because of new digital distribution channels and consolidations, the market has changed faster than anyone could have foreseen in 2013, when a completely revised Baselworld was launched. We are aware of that need, so we will more strongly emphasize the event and marketing character with new formats and offers such as the Central Plaza, the Show Plaza, and The Loop.” I am convinced that an event — and I regard a trade show as an event — must surprise and inspire anew each year. If it does not, then sooner or later visitors will simply stop coming. Very few people watch the same movie twice or go the same theater performance several times in a row.
Secondly, costs have repeatedly been a subject of discussion. This includes the expenses for the stands at Baselworld, per se, as well as for the entire “accompanying program,” especially board and lodging. We have achieved two things here: First, we’ve already lowered our area costs in 2018, and we waived the communication contributions that had formerly been mandatory. Furthermore, exhibitors in Hall 1.0 had the opportunity to leave their stands fully set up for the remainder of the year, which saved them the lion’s share of their take-down and setup costs.
As I mentioned earlier, we also established a team expressly for the hospitality sector whose task it is to meet and negotiate with the hotel operators. We were quickly able to develop a partnership model here; hotels that agreed to meet certain criteria (i.e., maximum price per room depending on category, no minimum stays or obligatory minimum consumption, and no price increases compared with 2018) became Baselworld’s partners, which also means that we recommend them preferentially. In the meantime, forty-six hotels have joined this partnership. When we started our negotiations, quite a few of them said, “No chance, you’ll never succeed in this.” But the hotels are keenly aware of Baselworld’s importance for the city and the region, and they want to contribute to assuring that this trade fair remains here over the long term. As a second step, we will now approach the restaurateurs and try to win them over as our partners, too.
We also want to catch up in the communications sector. First, it is clear that journalists, bloggers, and influencers are our biggest multipliers, and they deserve to be treated commensurate with their importance. We are taking this into account with a new Press Centre directly in Hall 1.0, offering more and better workplaces and its own lounge, with a Press Day prior to the show’s official opening and with expanded digital services. We are likewise prioritizing greater transparency and increased frequency in our own communications sector, where we are moving forward with expansions in our digital services: We are presently relaunching our website and developing it into an information and service portal for the industry, and we are increasing the intelligence of our chatbot, which we launched last year, developing it into a virtual concierge that will be able to help with all important questions relating to Baselworld.
AA: Trade shows in the 21st century thrive because of how adeptly they are able to embrace technology. The Baselworld team seems to have invested generously in technology for Baselworld 2019. Could you talk about the tools exhibitors and visitors will have at their disposal at the next watch show?
MLM: We are in the process of converting our website into a new information and service portal for the industry. Our exhibitors will get their own landing pages on which they can present themselves and their innovations. This means that there will be a permanent place, a year-round platform, on which all participants can share ideas and information. Simultaneously, we are massively strengthening our activities on all communication channels. We have been sending out our newsletters on a regular basis for several months already, and we are developing the chatbot, as I mentioned before. This enables users to receive the latest daily news directly on your smartphone; and in the future, you will also be able to order tickets or ask questions about Baselworld. We are also developing a new app that will use elements of augmented reality to facilitate new and exciting access to the brands.
AA: The fastest growing area of watch sales comes from new, mostly very small (traditionally speaking) brands. Many of these companies dream of being able to display their products at a show like Baselworld. Offer some advice to members of this brand group who are considering coming to Baselworld. How can they make the most out of being at the show? What are some best practices? Also, tell us how moving Baselworld forward will expand solutions to very small but interesting brands that historically haven’t been able to access a show like Baselworld as exhibitors.
MLM: Nobody has to start at Baselworld with an area of 1,000 square metres. I really can only encourage all new and so-called “small” brands to contact us and use Baselworld as a springboard to the global market. It won’t cost you a fortune, and it will pay off in most cases. If you want to quickly make a name for yourself in the global specialist trade, Baselworld is still your best platform because the most important buyers and dealers from all over the world come to Basel.
The best examples, which prove that “small” can also be extremely successful, are undoubtedly the independent watchmakers in “Les Ateliers.” They don’t have the most spacious stands, but they do have a good format for presenting themselves and their products — and they number among our most satisfied and most loyal exhibitors. Especially with regard to opportunities for smaller brands, we will surely take another leap forward with Baselworld 2020. We are currently developing the concepts for next year’s show, which we will present in March at Baselworld.