Following the unprecedented departure of brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel, Baselworld’s MCH Group and representatives of exhibitors have agreed on a settlement for the cancelled Baselworld 2020. However, the MCH Group has also confirmed that Baselworld will not be taking place in 2021.
The solution was drawn up in collaboration with the Swiss Exhibitors’ Committee, and was unanimously approved by the Comité Consultatif. President of the Swiss Exhibitors’ Committee, Hubert J. du Plessix, stated, ‘I welcome the constructive attitude of the representatives of the MCH Group, which has enabled us to find a balanced solution’. He also thanked Patek Philippe, Rolex, Tudor, Chanel, Chopard, Hublot, Zenith and Tag Heuer – all of which agreed to a lower refund, so that ‘other exhibitors can benefit from better conditions’.
Likewise, Bernd Stadlwieser, CEO of the MCH Group, commented: ‘We are pleased to have worked together and, in just a short time, found a solution that is acceptable to everyone. In the light of the large loss of revenue due to COVID-19 and our responsibility to all our stakeholder groups, this solution marks the limit of what is possible for us. With the amicable settlement for Baselworld 2020, we can now concentrate fully on the future.’
However, it remains unclear what the future will hold for Baselworld. Managing Director of Baselworld, Michel Loris-Melikoff, commented: ‘Together with the exhibitors and visitors, we are working intensively on clarifying and discussing the requirements and options for new platforms’. He added that decisions on ‘follow-up formats’ for the event will be decided by the summer.