and Grand Seiko...
News reached the offices of Tempus Fugit that Seiko and their upmarket brand, Grand Seiko, have decided not to participate in BaselWorld this year.
Now it would be easy to grasp at yet another straw saying that BaselWorld is doomed. But in fact, I would like to posit another theory.
Yes, some big brands are opting not to participate this year, and it seems clear that the SWATCH group is not assembling booths like so many Christmas toys. But for the first time in some time, I am actually seeing some very real possibilities for both the fair and the brands that participate in 2020. And the absence of some of the big dog brands is, believe it or not, just what might help BaselWorld regain its footing.
Think about it this way - with another very large dog moving out, it creates more potential for other, smaller brands to occupy space, and attention in the fair halls. When I think back as recently as 4 years ago, there were a lot more mid-sized brands in the mix. Eberhard, Paul Picot, Cuervo Y Sobrinos and the list goes on. Who's to say that some of these brands won't make a comeback in 2020 and reappear in Hall 1?
While 2019 was not perfect, it was the first time in a long time that the organizers started trying some different things, and that is a great reason to have hope for 2020 and beyond.
And my suspicion? I suspect that for Seiko and Grand Seiko, this is not so much Sayonara as it is -
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| Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide info web |
Now it would be easy to grasp at yet another straw saying that BaselWorld is doomed. But in fact, I would like to posit another theory.
Yes, some big brands are opting not to participate this year, and it seems clear that the SWATCH group is not assembling booths like so many Christmas toys. But for the first time in some time, I am actually seeing some very real possibilities for both the fair and the brands that participate in 2020. And the absence of some of the big dog brands is, believe it or not, just what might help BaselWorld regain its footing.
Think about it this way - with another very large dog moving out, it creates more potential for other, smaller brands to occupy space, and attention in the fair halls. When I think back as recently as 4 years ago, there were a lot more mid-sized brands in the mix. Eberhard, Paul Picot, Cuervo Y Sobrinos and the list goes on. Who's to say that some of these brands won't make a comeback in 2020 and reappear in Hall 1?
While 2019 was not perfect, it was the first time in a long time that the organizers started trying some different things, and that is a great reason to have hope for 2020 and beyond.
And my suspicion? I suspect that for Seiko and Grand Seiko, this is not so much Sayonara as it is -
jaa ne
If the fair continues to seek out new ways to make BaselWorld as much an experience as it is a trade show? Well the brands will come back, and more importantly? The FANS will come back as well. Let's face facts, the former cannot exist without the latter.
Viva BaselWorld!
