Swatch Group to hold 'Mini-Basel' event in Dubai

The Swatch Group's second annual 'Mini-Basel' in Dubai will run from tomorrow until September 9, 2004. A gala dinner event for all attendees will take place at the Mina A'Salam Hotel on September 8, 2004. The three-day invitation only event is modelled on Baselworld, the world's leading annual exhibition for watches and jewellery held in Basel, Switzerland.

Swatch Group's Mini-Basel event in Dubai will bring its distributor and retail network in the Middle East together with the presidents, vice presidents and other senior management of the Swatch Group international brands. Breguet, Blancpain, Jaquet-Droz, Glashütte-Original, Léon Hatot, Omega represent Swatch Group in the luxury and prestige segment; Longines and Rado
correspond to the high segment range; Tissot, Calvin Klein, Certina, Mido, Hamilton and Pierre Balmain are leaders in the middle segment; while Swatch and Flik Flak are international names in the basic segment.

All the new watches unveiled by the group's brands at Baselworld in Switzerland will be presented at the group's showroom on the 46th floor of Emirates Towers' office building during Mini-Basel.

"This is the first time the many brands in the Swatch Group portfolio have exhibited in the UAE under the Swatch Group banner," said Marc Hayek, Head of Swatch Group Middle East, a member of the Extended Group Management Board and President of Blancpain. "This demonstrates our commitment to the Middle East, to setting new standards for innovation and product choice, and to sharing our knowledge and expertise with our valued customers and business partners in the region."

"Mini-Basel is a valuable opportunity for our Middle East partners to have face-to-face meetings and further develop business relationships. We are already looking forward to next year's event," said Marc Hayek.

The Swatch Group is the largest manufacturer of finished watches in the world and offers products in every market category. The Swatch Group represents some 25 percent of the watch production sales in the world. The Group posted a 13.7 percent increase in market share and an 8.6 percent rise in sales for the first half of this year, compared to the Swiss watch industry average growth rate of 10.8 percent. Sales have grown by 8.6 percent in the first half of this year, with sales in the luxury and prestige segment registering maximum growth. Aside from watches, the Group is a leader in technological research and development, sports timing, and telecommunications.