Long queues to get into Watches and Wonders were a sign that the show’s organisers where caught out by the return of visitors from Asia, but Matthieu Humair, the CEO of Watches and Wonders Geneva Foundation (WWGF), the organisation behind the world’s most important watch fair, says a second entrance this year will ease congestion.
“We definitely had some bottlenecks to get into the fair,” he tells WatchPro. “But this could be seen as a good problem because it was a measure of our success and the fact that we had all the markets back.”
Exhibitor numbers have increased from 48 to 54 brands this year, which has led to a new mezzanine floor being opened up, which will have its own entrance.
“This year we will have a new entrance, in addition to a new hall. So there will be two big entrances for visitors which will definitely help to beat the access issues that some people faced in last year’s morning rush,” Mr Humair promises.
“The main entrance will go directly into Hall 2 and the new area where there will be some great independents, including the British brand Bremont, which will join us for the first time. We will also keep the entrance that we had in 2023,” he explains.
It was embarrassing to be late to a “Swiss” appointment. I certainly hope you have enough staff at the start of the show to get people in quickly.