INSIDER VIEW: Insider Talks is an idea whose time has come

The Covid pandemic, and the subsequent government-mandated lockdowns, taught us a number of things, both individually and as societies. 

Not all the lessons were entirely constructive. For instance, I learnt (although probably knew already) that being legally compelled to buy a piece of food with every drink I ordered in a pub would do nothing to speed up or slow down the transmission of an airborne virus. I learnt that friends of politicians can be very adept at suddenly setting up companies that provide personal protective equipment in order to secure procurement contracts worth tens of millions of pounds. And I learned that stats can be presented and manipulated by all sides of any argument to make their case look compelling.

But one of the better lessons I took from the whole sorry chapter was that in-person events are absolutely and unequivocally better than the virtual or digital alternative.

It could have gone the other way. Zoom calls aplenty could have opened my eyes to just how unnecessary personal meet-ups had been before. But after a year and more of on and off lockdowns and staring at four walls in my home, it was apparent to me that the post-Covid world would have live events at front and centre of it.

This has played itself out in the watch industry. Rather than present an existential threat to the major shows and exhibitions, the pause for breath during Covid actually reignited the events space and gave it a new lease of life. A tired and arrogant Baselworld? Out. A fresh and hungry Watches and Wonders? In. Dubai Watch Week has multiplied in size since 2020. Even here in the UK, which has spent years trying and failing to replace SalonQP, we now have British Watchmakers’ Day, Hands On Horology, and the recent London Watch Week, all packed to the rafters with passionate and knowledgeable collectors.

It turns out that being deprived of such human interactions for so long left us realising just how valuable they are. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say.

It is against this backdrop that I decided it was a complete no-brainer to launch Insider Talks on the same days as the UK Watch Awards on 20 October at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, and the US Watch Awards on November 23 at Guastavino’s in New York. Some of the biggest watch retailers and watch brands operating across both respective countries will be gathering for food, drink, catch-ups, and celebration. But why not make the most of having hundreds of industry leaders in town all at the same time? The thought of putting on an afternoon of high brow panel discussions to debate important and topical industry matters just felt right. Some will be making mental notes in the audience, while others will be on stage as part of some of the panels, but all those in attendance will benefit from these serious chats, ahead of letting their hair down in the evening. 

If the past 15 years of being plugged into the watch industry has taught me anything, it’s that I can never stop learning. Knowing how little I know has always been a strength of mine, as odd as that sounds. Every interview I conduct for Watch Insider, and every interaction I have, either formally or informally, at major industry  gatherings leaves me better informed than before.

So, what could be better than getting a couple of dozen of these experts — store owners/managers, senior brand executives, and everything in between — in a room to get to the nub of some of the biggest issues facing the industry today? I’ll have a microphone in my hand, but the less I say the better. I can’t wait to hear differing opinions and consensus in equal measure. It’s difficult to learn anything when you’re in isolation or in an echo chamber. This is why Insider Talks is such a unique and important event to encourage a collective brain trust of ideas and solutions.

“No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come,” as French writer Victor Hugo said. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on October 20 and November 23.

This article was first published in the June 2026 edition of Watch Insider.