The shift online of fairs like Watches and Wonders has affected more than just the watch industry. For Geneva and Basel, those Swiss cities that traditionally have been hosts of the largest watch fairs as well as other big gatherings like the Geneva International Motor Show and Art Basel, the domino effect from a physical event — or the lack of one — touches a wide range of other businesses, from airlines to the laundry services that wash visitors’ sheets and towels. “It’s a large ecosystem,” said Adrien Genier, chief executive of the private nonprofit organization Geneva Tourism & Conventions. “It’s not only about the hotels there, and the cafes and restaurants. It’s much broader than that.”He said that affected businesses included florists, bakers, grocers and limousine services, as well as the catering companies that served the off-site events customarily held during watch fairs like the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Watches and Wonders’ predecessor that commonly was known as S.I.H.H., and Baselworld, now called Hour Universe.

Source: New York Times April 07, 2021 06:33 UTC