EPHJ trade show opens a new chapter marked by continuity
EPHJ, the world’s leading high-precision trade show, and Easyfairs, Europe’s leading organiser of professional events, have announced the start of a new chapter marked by continuity.
Geneva, June 4, 2025 – The founders of the EPHJ trade show, eager to pass the torch in order to reduce their professional activities, have decided, in collaboration with their partners, to find a successor who would ensure the continuity of the event while preserving its original spirit. After exploring various options they chose Easyfairs, a highly experienced company in the trade show industry, to become the new owner of EPHJ.
EPHJ, Switzerland’s largest professional trade show and the world’s number 1 in high precision, opened its doors yesterday. Held annually in Geneva, the event brings together nearly 800 companies and more than 23,000 visitors.
“After 22 years of passionate commitment, we felt the time had come to pass the torch. This well-considered decision is part of a natural process of succession, tied to our journey and also to our desire to guarantee a solid future for EPHJ. We are proud of what we have achieved and extremely confident in our choice of new owner,” stated the two founders of the trade show, André Colard and Olivier Saenger. “We built this show together with the exhibitors, in alignment with their concerns and in their best interests. We would like to thank them all, and we are confident that these values will be preserved by the new buyer, Easyfairs, which has demonstrated it has all the skills and expertise necessary to successfully maintain and develop this great event.”
The EPHJ trade show is thus entering a new phase in its development with the arrival of a new shareholder. This change of ownership comes with a clear commitment: to preserve the spirit, the conviviality, the DNA, the location in Geneva, the industrial focus, and EPHJ’s mission to serve innovation in watchmaking, jewellery, microtechnology and MedTech.
The team in charge of EPHJ, led by Alexandre Catton, will continue to manage the trade fair to ensure both its continuity and dynamism. The founding values, as well as the strong relationships established with the Swiss and international ecosystem, will also remain unchanged. This evolution will open new opportunities while strengthening the existing foundations that have contributed to the trade show’s success for over 20 years.
“We are honoured to take the reins of such an iconic event. The whole world admires the exceptional expertise of Swiss watchmaking and high-precision industries, which is perfectly showcased at EPHJ. The specialisation and consistent quality of EPHJ make it an ideal addition to our portfolio of events dedicated to the manufacturing industry, which now includes 30 trade shows held in strategic industrial hubs. Our ambition is to ensure the continuity of the foundations laid by its creators, with deep respect for the identity of the trade show, while providing it with the means to achieve greater international reach. EPHJ will remain an event by professionals for professionals, at the heart of innovation and expertise in high-precision watchmaking, jewellery, microtechnology and medical technology,” said Roland Brand, CEO of Easyfairs for the region DACH-Italy.
With this smooth transition, EPHJ reaffirms its commitment to continuing to bring together Swiss and international industrial players around a unique event that remains true to its roots while looking firmly toward the future.
Download the press release (EN)
Download the press release (FR)
Download the press release (DE)
For more information, contact:
ENGLISH:
Helen Woodbridge
Easyfairs Group Head of M&A Europe
[email protected]
FRENCH:
Marie Ost
Easyfairs Group Communications Executive
[email protected]
GERMAN:
Monika Götzmann
Head of Marketing (Easyfairs DACH-Italy)
[email protected]
From left to right: Roland Brand (CEO Easyfairs DACH-Italy), Benoit David (Easyfairs Group Head of M&A Deals and Strategic Alliances), André Collard (EPHJ Founder), Anne Lafère (Easyfairs Group CEO), Olivier Saenger (EPHJ Founder), Matt Benyon (Easyfairs Group CEO), Alexandre Catton (EPHJ Event Manager)
