After five consecutive years of uninterrupted success in Shanghai, The Art of Time Exhibition was organized for the first time in Dalian between September 18 and 21.
The choice about Dalian was not fortituous at all : located in the northeastern part of China, this fast developing city is among the ten largest areas in terms of inhabitants; it is also the second busiest Chinese seaport, a reputed textile centre and a privileged holiday destination. Above all, Dalian is a "Chinese open city" and, since 1988, its whole peninsula has been granted by the Central Governement with the status of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). For these very good reasons, Dalian is regarded as the main gateway to the northeastern provinces of China (Heilongjian, Liaoning, Jilin).
20 reputed watch brands – Alfred Dunhill, Baume & Mercier, Breguet, Breitling, Candino, Cartier, Chopard, Corum, Daniel JeanRichard, Delma, Ebel, Girard-Perregaux, Harry Winston, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Raymond Weil, Tudor, Vacheron Constantin, West End, Yves Saint Laurent – where on exhibit and took full advantage of the four-days exhibition to show their latest creations, to meet with the trade and to answer the many questions raised by a numerous captivated public. In this respect, it should be pointed out that the organizer, Promo Services Ltd., sent out a special invitation to more than 120 selected watch retailers of northern China which attended the exhibition for two days to the great satisfaction of the participating brands.
Although no comparison should be made with the attendance of The Art of Time Exhibition held previously in Shanghai, one has to stress here the very positive response from the visitors -both of the trade and the public. Beside the excellent presentation of the products itself, the exhibition particularly underlined the great reputation of Swiss fine timepieces in this part of China too. In this respect, the exhibition definitely brought a further promotional tool in the long term strategy of the participating brands to enter the Chinese market. Together with business opportunities, it also revealed the needed involvement of the Swiss watch industry in the education of Chinese consumers and watch professionals (brand and product knowledge, brand policy, positioning, philosophy, etc.). These signs remain however as many encouraging prospects for future business in China, and in this part of the country in particular.
Needless to say that The Art of Time Exhibition confirmed another valuable fact : the demand for Swiss watches not only refers to big centres such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou, but is spread over the greatest part of the country, where Dalian plays undoubtedly one of the leading roles.
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