Las Vegas Show - Haute Appeal
WORLDTEMPUS - 18 June 2010
Lisa Roman, marketing director for Breitling USA, took a break between appointments at the Couture show in Las Vegas earlier this month to show off her calendar, which listed a series of back-to-back meetings with what could be termed the "who's who of American watch retailers."
Given that most people with a stake in the watch business attended the Baselworld fair in Switzerland, held in late March, Roman's appointments might have struck some as an exercise in deja vu. But from her perspective, Las Vegas fills an important gap in the marketplace.
"Some of these people we didn't see in Basel," Roman said. "Some are longstanding accounts, some are new, some are prospects. Las Vegas is a place to connect with your customers."
Baselworld may be the granddaddy of all watch fairs, but the economic crisis has exacerbated a trend among American retailers who now routinely skip Basel in favor of attending buying week in Las Vegas. While neither Rolex, Patek Philippe nor any of the Richemont brands—Cartier, Panerai and IWC, for example—make the journey west, scores of big-name watchmakers do. They range from haute favorites such as Ulysse Nardin and Chopard to independent makers such as Frederique Constant and Girard-Perregaux to mass-produced quartz brands such as Timex.
What happens in Vegas stays at one end of The Strip
Watchmakers choose to show their wares at one of three gatherings located in the middle of the Las Vegas strip: the Couture show at Wynn Las Vegas, which appeals to both upscale and fashion brands; the JCK show at the neighboring Sands Convention Center, occupied by numerous quartz manufacturers; and a satellite show called Swiss Watch by JCK, which allows brands such as TechnoMarine, Bedat, and Corum to welcome buyers in private suites in the Venetian Resort Hotel.
Retailers, especially those who like to travel with an entourage of salespeople, appreciate Las Vegas for both financial and logistical reasons, but the event isn't without benefit to the brands themselves. Marc Hruschka, President and CEO of Chopard USA, said the show allows his team to consummate marketing and advertising strategies hatched earlier in the year.
"About four years ago, we left Couture and came to JCK," he said. "At the time, this was a better environment; all our clients were here and circulating and it was difficult to get them to Couture."
So what about next year, when the JCK show moves to Mandalay Bay, at the south end of The Strip. Will it force many retailers to divide their loyalties?
"That's a question," Hruschka said. "It's up in the air."
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