HERMÈS - 2019 Universal Registration Document

OVERVIEW OF THE GROUP SIGNIFICANT EVENT SINCE THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR

these needs. With nine programmes established, it is taking its place as a dynamic sponsorship vehicle, ready to adapt to the realities of the modern world. In 2019, an intense and busy year, we continued to focus on the need for high quality philanthropic initiatives, by acting with altruism, with an open mind and in favour of future generations, continuously driven by the same conviction: “Our gestures define us”. More than ever, they help us move forward and make us better. The full report on the activities of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès is available at: www.fondationdentreprisehermes.org, in “The Foundation” section.

of the two institutions, giving them significant visibility both in France and in the US. Well-known in the world of visual and performing arts, the other Artists Residencies, Exhibitions and New Settings programmes remain unchanged. All three offer support, in different ways, to essential creation in the form of production assistance. This is a unique feature of the Foundation’s work: to act proactively, offering artists the best creative conditions and supporting them over the long term. In other words, to be truly engaged alongside those who actually create the works. All of these actions illustrate the Foundation’s ability to adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries and to provide appropriate solutions to meet

1

SIGNIFICANT EVENT SINCE THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR 1.10 AFR

Hermès's craftsmanship model, set up mainly on French territory, combined with its well-balanced geographic distribution network and its local customer base are some of the factors contributing to the House's resilience. The Group remains very attentive and engaged, assessing the situation on a daily basis and adapting its measures. In particular, it has set up a monitoring unit and adopted safety measures.

The emergence of the Covid-19 epidemic in January 2020 has heightened uncertainties surrounding the global economic environment and markets. It is difficult to assess its impacts on the Hermès Group at this stage. These will depend on the scale, the length and geographic scope of its development, and on the measures taken by the countries affected. We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of Hermès employees in countries affected by this health crisis.

2019 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT HERMÈS INTERNATIONAL

39