BaselWorld ends with strong buying, attendance

April 11, 2008

The vibrant and colorful Dolce and Gabbana booth at BaselWorld.

Basel, Switzerland—BaselWorld 2008, held from April 3-10 at the Exhibition Centre Basel, ended on a high note, with an increase in visitor attendance, potential double-digit sales growth and world firsts in watchmaking design.

Visitor attendance at this year's show increased 5 percent to 106,800, with a slight drop in the number of American and Chinese visitors.

Approximately 2,100 exhibitors showed off their latest products.

According to Francois Thiebaud, president of the Baselworld Swiss Exhibitors Committee, the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis did not have as great an impact at the booths, with strong demand from emerging countries such as China, India and those in Eastern Europe possibly compensating for a potential slowdown in exports to the United States.

In the watch sector, Swiss exhibitors showed spectacular innovation, offering several groundbreaking designs, especially in terms of display modes and tourbillons. Other watch trends included timepieces accented with black diamonds, rose gold timepieces paired with both chocolate-brown and black straps, mixed metals, multiple time zones, brightly colored dials and bands, architectural inspiration and jewelry watches for both men and women.

The jewelry sector also showed positive results, especially in Halls 2.1 and 2.2, which were enlarged and refurbished this year, and catered more selectively to the high-end segment.

Despite the increase in gold and platinum prices, jewelry designers rose to the challenge, creating designs centered on diamonds and colored stones in a variety of cuts, as well as pearls.

The brands in Hall 3 also did well. In addition to the many orders racked up, Swiss exhibitors mentioned the promising contacts they established during the exhibition, show organizers said.

Show organizers also noted that Europe, headed by Switzerland, France, Spain and Italy, remains the key production hub for watchmaking and jewelry, while customers from the Middle East and Near East are making a promising return.

BaselWorld 2009 will be held from March 26 to April 2.

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