LVMH Watch Houses to Stick With Baselworld Fair

PARIS — Bulgari, Hublot, Tag Heuer and Zenith will attend Baselworld next year, the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned labels said Thursday, throwing their collective weight behind the beleaguered trade show at a crucial moment. The brands will work with show organizers for “new presentation concepts and formats” starting in 2021, according to a joint statement. The news follows a recent announcement from Breitling that it would opt out of next year’s edition, which had thrown further uncertainty on an event struggling to prove its relevance and stem defections in recent months. “This is a creative and completely open process with no constraints or thought restrictions, that we are tackling together,” said Michel Loris-Melikoff, director of the fair. The former organizer of Switzerland’s largest techno parade has faced an uphill battle since he was recruited to fill the position last year. His first moves were to negotiate caps on price hikes that traditionally swept the city’s hotels during the show and he moved the date to a later time of the year for the next edition, coordinating with rival fair SIHH. “A common decision was reached today,” said Stéphane Bianchi, chief executive officer of LVMH’s watchmaking division and ceo of Tag Heuer. LVMH supports Loris-Melikoff

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