Each year the Swiss-based Sequel selects a different country to host its Global Conference and more than 200 people from 60 countries have arrived in Sydney.
Sequel’s President and CEO, Cindy Livingston will also attend. Livingston is credited with starting the international watch business for GUESS and for introducing the Swiss made Gc watch brand.
Sequel appointed a local event management company to organise the Australian conference but the local distributor, Designa Accessories, has worked closely with Sequel to ensure its success.
The Sydney event is three fold incorporating marketing meetings regarding future brand strategies; charity events and the official Australian launch of the summer 2011 collection.
Commemorating the event, Guess and Gc Watches is conducting an extensive outdoor marketing campaign with 180 Guess Watch street flags and 200 Guess Watch billboards being prominently displayed throughout city streets.
Designa Accessories is upbeat about the week and the potential brand exposure the global conference will generate. General manager Justin Veil said, “The campaign sees Sydney streets waving the Guess Watch flag literally and a large outdoor Gc Watch billboard overlooks Sydney’s busiest street – George Street in the CBD, creating hype for the brands.”
The Summer 2011 collection will be on display at a launch party at Sydney’s Metro Theatre on Thursday August 18, with a long list of celebrities, retailers and media enlisted to attend.
According to Veil, Sequel has a strong desire to foster sound relationships with its distributors and retailers. “Since 2000, this [conference] has been a ‘travelling meeting’ and takes the distributors to a new location every year, focusing themes of the conference on iconic landmarks and culture unique to that nation,” Veil said.
Previous conference locations have included New York, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Africa and Dubai.
“Holding the meeting in a different location helps us give back to our retailers by creating some ‘buzz’ for Guess and Gc Watches in that country,” Veil said.
As part of the festivities a group of almost 200 Guess and Gc Watch delegates climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday, in a global fundraising initiative, ‘Faces to Watch – Time to Give.’
Sequel arranged for a helicopter to film and photograph the bridge climb and Veil said the only other time that has occurred was during Oprah Winfrey's visit.
“The theme of all of Sequel AG’s global charitable endeavours, allows Sequel and its partners to sponsor charities around the world that positively affect the lives and welfare of children,” Veil said.
Each person who made the climb acquired sponsors and all funds raised will go to Father Chris Riley’s ‘Youth off the Streets’ – an Australian charity group.
Father Riley has been working with the Macquarie Fields community since the public disturbance of 2005. All money raised from the conference will contribute to the construction of a youth centre in Macquarie Fields.
There will also be a Guess and Gc Watches event tonight at Sydney’s Luna Park. Funds will be dedicated to Youth off the Streets and guests can purchase tickets to some rides, including Dodgems and ‘TumbleBug.’
Finally, an exclusive auction dinner will be held on Wednesday night (August 17) at Guillaume restaurant in Sydney’s Opera House with Father Riley giving a guest presentation. The four day event concludes with Thursday night’s summer collection launch.
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