Or otherwise known as HourUniverse.
So the first thing you need to know about HourUniverse is that it is RESOLUTE! Apparently it is resolutely various different things which the press release takes great pains to point out. So I guess I will share my feelings with a resolutely bullshit free commentary.
After collecting fees and providing NOTHING (actually that's not fair, they did provide a constant stream of payment demands to brands both big and small) the folks behind BaselWorld 2020 are hoping that a name change and (a truly goofy press release) will help those same brands forget that these are the same "kind, patient souls" who demanded monies even when it was clear that they could not and would not provide any services as recently as this spring.
So when I received the news that it is now - "WE TIME", I had to take a moment to wipe the coffee off of my laptop screen that had traveled swiftly and unexpectedly from my mouth, up through and out of my nose and onto my MacBook Air.
So Mr. and Ms. Brand Owner - forget about all that money you got stuck for, because it's WE TIME!
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| Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide infoweb |
But in the interest of letting you judge for yourself, here is the announcement just as it skittered into the Tempus Fugit inbox -
HOURUNIVERSE :
A NEW PLATFORM THAT DEFINES THE FUTURE
A global digital platform active all year round
And a show designed as a grand festival of networking and experience
A new type of platform is being created. A total unification of the digital with the physical, unprecedented on the scale of the watchmaking, jewellery and gemstones industries.
A digital networking, business, information and content platform, active 365 days a year.
From February 2021, beyond borders and travel restrictions, digital, global, active throughout the year, HourUniverse will begin to assemble the watchmaking, jewellery and gemstone community, in the broadest sense of the word, by offering a new form of interaction.
By defining one's professional profile, presenting one's activity, unveiling one's innovations, creating new opportunities, widening one's field of action and identifying the best partners, a whole ecosystem will be able to come together on the platform. Thanks to a wide range of services and functionalities, this new digital universe will be a business and networking platform, as well as a space for information, content and conferences with livestreaming; a platform also designed to serve brands, permitting them to push their content such as product launches, press conferences, keynotes and seminars - live and/or interactive, commercial or PR - in their own corporate environment if they wish, with selective access.
Ultimately, for all players: several levels of access, activation and use. HourUniverse is an innovative, comprehensive, intelligent tool for connecting to the market, and will evolve along with feedback from the community. This is where the future is being shaped: the transformation of a trade fair into a digital, global space, active throughout the year..
Five days of Live Show, in a totally new atmosphere.
From 8 to 12 April 2021, in line with Geneva's watchmaking events, the concept will come into its own with the community being able to meet physically in Basel, concentrated in Hall 1.
An urban tech atmosphere, connected, trendy, graphics, black walls, LED screens, modern industrial decoration, resolutely contemporary aesthetics and design, all of which creates a new atmosphere, while maintaining top quality, for the watch, jewellery and gems industries.
Open spaces, pop-up stores, pavilions, multiple experience zones, initiation workshops, themed exhibitions, collectors' corners and sales area, a forum with a programme of conferences and debates streamed live available to brands and exhibitors, start-ups and suppliers of new technologies, to reflect on the major challenges and demands of the industry... the show is conceived as a grand festival of networking and experiences.
A resolutely open and participatory spirit prevails. Every day there are theme breakfasts, Happy Hours, ‘Get together’ moments, aftershow parties, not to forget an opening and a closing party designed to encourage informal exchanges and networking.
Beforehand, to facilitate the organisation of the stays, the registrations, to allow both visitors and participants to optimally organise their agendas and business, the bridges being built will also be obvious with the digital platform that will serve as the keystone to the whole.
Just as on the digital platform, the range of exhibitors in Basel will also go far beyond watch, Jewellery and gems brands. The ecosystem will be open to new players in the industry, whether in distribution, products, marketing or points of sale, with the presence of established companies as well as startups. Connected products and CPO (certified pre-owned) platforms will also have their place in the watch sector, as will manufacturers of e.g. synthetic stones in the gems sector. Players and services, including those related to the blockchain and the tech world in the broadest sense, are also welcome at the show.
Finally, with this new approach, the entire on-site reception structure has been redesigned. For participants, the pricing policy has been drastically adjusted to allow them a particularly competitive Return on Investment, ‘investments à la carte’, adapted to their business, size, scope, expectations and needs. Similarly, the accommodation offered for exhibitors and visitors alike will be at guaranteed ultra-competitive prices without precedent.
Ultimately, the ambition is to build a global, varied and interconnected universe; to provide today's tools at the service of the entire watchmaking, jewellery and gems community, in the broadest sense of the term.
