Basel: The Baselworld exhibition will be two days shorter in 2018 after fewer buyers and exhibitors attended this year's show.
A total of 106,000 buyers took part in the event which ended Thursday, down 4% from the previous year, the show’s organizers reported. The number of exhibitors fell 13% to 1,300, according to National Jeweler.
Organizers said they were responding to exhibitor feedback by limiting the show to six days next year instead of the traditional eight. Baselworld 2018 will run from March 22 to 27.
“We have decided to reduce the duration of the show and adjust the prices accordingly,” said Sylvie Ritter, managing director of Baselworld. The industry is enduring a challenging period, with smaller companies experiencing the biggest impact of the downturn, she added.
The show came amid a dip in the global watch industry, with exports of Swiss timepieces falling 10% in 2016, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
