Basel World 2011 – Day One Gets Underway
The first day at Basel World is Press Day and an opportunity to catch up with friends last seen at SIHH, examine and try on some fantastic watches, and imbibe the odd drink.
The program for today is pretty full; out of bed at 05:45 to get the 07:05 from Geneva to Basel, it’s a three hour train ride and, this being Switzerland, the train leaves and arrives exactly on time.
If you have remembered to print off your Press voucher the night before, I did but only at 23:00, the first task is to pick up your credentials along with an invite to the evenings Press party. The next thing is to stand in line inside the Press Room to rent a locker for the day. On the plus side they are free but they are also in rather high demand, never underestimate the value of having somewhere to leave you stuff rather than carting it around. Then a quick turn around the Press Room to see who is here and then we are off.
The Press Day is actually a set-up day for the brands and so the stands do tend to look a little rough around the edges and they aren’t yet fully staffed. This is a good thing as it allows you to wander the halls without having to fight the general melee, but it does mean that even if you have an appointment for an interview, actually finding someone responsible on the stands can be a challenge.
The plan for today is an initial stop at “The Palace” to speak with some of the ‘Usual Suspects’ (pictured above), back into the main hall for the AHCI, a couple of the smaller brands, mainstream company interviews and then the DeWitt cocktail party before heading home.
Trust me – you need a plan for days like this!!
Category: Basel World & SIHH
