BaselWorld delivers as attendance dips 12 percent

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BaselWorld delivers as attendance dips 12 percent

April 03, 2009

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BaselWorld welcomed some 93,900 visitors this year, a 12 percent decline from last year.

Basel, Switzerland--BaselWorld organizers said the results of this year's eight-day show demonstrated momentum for the watch and jewelry industry, but figures show attendance fell about 12 percent, and officials acknowledged that orders were "slightly down" compared with 2008.

By the time show doors closed on Thursday, a total of 93,900 visitors from around the world had made their way through. That total is about a 12 percent decline from attendance figures at the 2008 show, which boasted 106,800 visitors, a figure that represented a 5 percent increase over 2007.

This year, 68.1 percent of those who visited the Swiss show were attending from overseas, an increase from the 63.6 percent of overseas visitors who attended the show in 2008.

Show organizers, who were braced for a tough year given the current global financial woes, reported feeling positive about the event's outcome.

"BaselWorld 2009 has shown that the watch and jewelry industry is facing up to this difficult economic situation in an extremely constructive way," BaselWorld Show Director Sylvie Ritter said in a press release. "BaselWorld 2009 has successfully given the watch and jewelry industry new momentum and, as a result, business has been boosted."

Show organizers, who commissioned a survey of visitors, said the results showed that the top goal of those visiting the watch and jewelry show was to "gain an overview of the market." This was followed by those who said they attended for the purposes of "networking," "customer care," "meeting new clients" and "information gathering about market innovations," the release said.

Some three quarters of those surveyed rated BaselWorld 2009 as either "good" or "excellent," with 78 percent saying that attending the show is a "must."

The show release included interview excerpts from executives at various watch and jewelry brands who said the show was better than they had expected. But show organizers noted that the economy had a negative impact on the number of orders placed.

"Orders were slightly down on the previous year due to the global economic crisis," the release said.

Some 71 percent of visitors questioned confirmed that they intend to visit BaselWorld 2010, which is slated for March 18-25, 2010.

On a site covering approximately 160,000 square meters (about 1.7 million square feet), there were 1,952 exhibitors from 45 countries showcasing their latest products and innovations. There were approximately 2,100 exhibitors at last year's show.

A total of 2,973 accredited journalists covered the trade show, including major trade publications, hundreds of lifestyle magazines, daily newspapers, online media and numerous TV stations from around the globe, the release said.

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