Basel Ends on High Note

The 2007 Baselworld trade fair, held April 12-19 at the Exhibition Center Basel in Basel, Switzerland, ended with a record number of visitors: 101,700 — an 8 percent increase over 2006.

The annual trade fair, whose main attraction is the house-sized booths where the world’s leading watch companies show off their wares, is open to the public as well as the trade. It also attracts an international assortment of jewelry brands, gemstone wholesalers, and packaging and equipment companies. The fair had just over 2,100 exhibitors from 45 countries this year, a similar number to previous years.

Despite positive reviews, the show was marred by a theft on April 11, the day before the show started. Approximately $825,000 worth of jewelry was taken from a single exhibitor as the merchandise was transported onto the show floor. In another incident, thieves took $115,000 in jewelry from an Indian businessman on his way home from the show. At press time, police were still investigating both incidents.

The show also featured a celebrity appearance by heiress Paris Hilton, who was there to promote her new line of watches. “I am delighted to be here,” she told a crowd of fans in Basel . “It’s my first time in Zurich .”

Posted: April 20, 2007

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