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Dutch Miljonairs fair

CNC report from Netherlands

Added On December 13, 2011

The 10th edition of the Miljonairs fair in Amsterdam was opened by Australian Top Model and business woman Elle Macpherson. The 5-day event is more expensive and glamorous than ever.

LIFESTYLES takes you there...


SOUNDBITE: CHRISTIEN VAN DE BRINK, CNC CORRESPONDENT
""Should I get myself the collector's item of 1973, the Porsche 911?
Or maybe I should get myself a new outdoor set of furniture, including this nice looking swimming pool? It is all possible here, at the Miljonairs Fair 2011 in Amsterdam. Economic Crisis? Not for everybody."

SOUNDBITE: YVES GIJRATH, ORGANIZER
"The main trend in luxury this year is limited editions. So what you see here is more than 365 companies presenting all kinds of luxury and the main trend is limited editions, because people want to have unique pieces and it also has a value, which keeps the value. So we see in the cars, but also in art a lot of limited editions. So that's the main trend: Authenticity."

The main goal for stand holders is to sell their luxury products to millionaires from all over the world, who came here to see the latest trends in luxury land. Not an easy job, now European economic market is far from being stable.

SOUNDBITE: ROEL FASSBENDER, SELLER OF WHIRLPOOLS
"Well, the crisis have been going on for 5 years, and it is getting worse and worse. Basically we are still doing a good job, as long as you are being innovative, as we are with spa's like this, I bet you have never seen anything like this in the world before, that's what we aim at, if we have something new, we will keep selling our luxury items, but everybody is hit by the crisis. If someone tells you different, they are lying."

But luckily for the seller of luxury items like this crystal water pipe, new markets are to explore. Asians show a particular interest in European luxury products, many notice.

SOUNDBITE: DEBORA LEESER, DIAMOND JEWELRY SELLER
"I think it's because people there, they love jewelry, they really like to buy beautiful things for themselves, so what we see is that they really want to invest, so what you see nowadays is that when you invest in gold and when you invest in diamonds, it's really stable, so it's a good way of investment."

The European luxury goods are extremely popular among the nouveau riche in Asia.

SOUNDBITE: YVES GIJRATH, ORGANIZER
"Yeah, Holland is a very important market for Chinese buyers. We have a lot of visitors from China, during the whole year. Also, especially in the diamond and watch industry. So the Chinese consumer is getting more and more important in Europe."

Investment bankers from Asia for example, are among this circle of nouveau riche.

SOUNDBITE: RAVI CHIDAMBARAM, VISITOR
"Yeah, luckily we live in Asia, in Singapore, so actually it's not as bad. I think in Europa what you are saying is absolutely true. We have been fortunate in Asia because there is still a lot of growth, so business is not bad."

And for the ones who want to step in the feet of Neil Armstrong, this company offers a complete training to become a co-pilot of a space ship. Caution: for millionaires only!

SOUNDBITE: ANDREW NELSON, XCOR AEROSPACE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
"It's 95.000 dollars, and of course it comes with a fabulous five day stay in a nice spa and resort where you do some training and medical exams, then you get to do some fun things in a aerobatic aircraft, and you learn all about g-forces and you get to hang out with people like yourself and it's going to be exciting."

But not everybody agrees with this promotion of extreme luxury goods. Around 25 demonstrators of the Occupy movement gathered in front of the fair to raise their voice against the so-called "greedy capitalism."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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