The London Watch Show will bring together the
top-selling watch brands in the UK with the market’s
biggest and best retailers, watch journalists from
the consumer and trade press, and industry service providers.
The exhibition will take place on July 2-3 at the spectacular Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden – an imposing venue that exudes history, power, security and power from its muscular exterior right through to its Art Deco chambers and sumptuous inner temple.
The first week of July was selected as the date for the London Watch Show following research with industry leaders and a survey on WatchPro.com. “Almost 40% of people taking part in the survey want July, compared to 23.1% for June and 15.4% for May. If you graphed the results of the survey, the peak would be early July,” revealed Rachael Taylor, editor-in-chief for WatchPro, which will co-host and curate the London Watch Show.
Over 90% of respondents to the online survey said they would attend a show dedicated exclusively to watches.
Freemasons’ Hall accommodates an exhibition over two floors, and in several rooms, which will allow for a carefully edited exhibition. Trade buyers will be guided through watch collections ranging from affordable luxury and fashion pieces in one part of the show, to fine watches in another.
“The benefit of a dedicated watch exhibition is that it allows us to create a show that is carefully tailored to the needs of the exhibitors and the trade buyers that will attend. We are keenly aware that time is precious in the watch industry and we promise to make this the most productive two days of the year for the UK’s community of watch professionals,” Taylor explained.
Along with trade watch buyers, the London Watch Show will also provide an opportunity for the media to see the collections that will be fighting for sales in the key Christmas period. “Glossy monthly magazines put their pre-Christmas issues to bed during the summer and early July is a perfect time for them to assess the key watch collections. They will be joined by watch journalists working across the UK’s newspaper, magazine and digital publications,” promised Taylor.
With the cream of the British watch industry in London for the exhibition, it is a perfect time to celebrate the achievements of its key executives with a glittering party. So, on the night of July 2, WatchPro will host a gala evening to launch the inaugural WatchPro Hot 100.
The Hot 100 is already the biggest social event of the year for the jewellery industry when it is hosted by WatchPro’s sister publication Professional Jeweller. WatchPro will replicate the concept, which is to create a fabulous party to celebrate 100 people that have made outstanding contributions to the industry over the previous 12 months. The selected 100 are featured in a luxury coffee table publication where we present pictorial profiles of each person. The names of the Hot 100, and their pictures, are a closely guarded secret until they are revealed on the night of the party.
“The Professional Jeweller Hot 100 is the most eagerly anticipated party of the year for the British jewellery community and we know the WatchPro Hot 100 will be just as popular. We can’t wait to unveil the 100 individuals that we feel have made the greatest contribution this year, and to celebrate their achievements with hundreds more leading lights from the watch industry,” said Taylor.
“The combination of the London Watch Show, the WatchPro Hot 100 and the expertise of WatchPro’s editorial and commercial team will make this an unmissable event for watch professionals,” Taylor added.
The London Watch Show is organised by ITP Promedia, publisher of market-leading titles including WatchPro, Professional Jeweller, Lingerie Insight and Menswear Insight. ITP Promedia is a wholly owned subsidiary of ITP Publishing Group, the largest magazine and digital publisher in the Middle East and India. The corporation, which publishes international editions of Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Grazia and Esquire, will provide the financial backing and operational expertise required to create a show with the scale, style and sophistication demanded by the watch industry. “We have the skills, the finance and the creativity to create an event that our friends in the industry tell us is badly needed in the UK by brands and retailers alike,” said ITP director Rob Corder.
http://www.londonwatchshow.com