The September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair opened Tuesday at AsiaWorld-Expo. AWE houses the raw materials section of the September Fair. The fine jewelry section, meanwhile, will open on September 15 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
Celebrating its 34th edition, the September Fair hosts more than 3,600 exhibitors from 55 countries and regions. Fair organizer UBM Asia expects about 58,000 buyers from around the world to create active traffic in the two venues.
Among the highlights of the Hong Kong fair include:
* Exhibition space in the two venues totals more than 135,000 square meters.
* Debut of the Myanmar and Portugal Pavilions. The new additions bring to 24 the number of group pavilions in the two venues.
* The single largest showcase of Hong Kong jewelry, with more than 1,250 Hong Kong companies participating in the two venues, accounting for around 35 percent of exhibitors.
* Once again the fair is home to the world’s largest diamond pavilion, with around 500 diamond companies, and Asia’s biggest gemstone marketplace, with more than 750 gemstone companies.
* New exhibitors from Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), French Polynesia and the Republic of Vanuatu are participating.
* ALROSA, Russia’s diamond company and the world’s biggest diamond miner by volume, is hosting its diamond auction at the Fair from September 13 to 17 at AWE. Admission is by invitation only.
* Two international pearl auctions, the 68th Robert Wan Tahiti Perles Auction and the 59th Paspaley Pearl Auction, will also be held by invitation during the fair.
* The “Declaration Program on Exhibits of Natural Diamond”, is being introduced at this edition. Participants in the program will have on display at their booths a “Declaration Program on Exhibits of Natural Diamond” poster, which will demonstrate clearly to buyers that diamonds from these exhibitors are natural. This program provides an easier and quicker way for buyers to make an informed decision when purchasing diamonds. Participants in the program are members of global diamond trade organizations, including the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, the Antwerp World Diamond Center, Belgium and the Israel Diamond Institute. The diamond exhibitors will be housed in Halls 5, 7, 9 and 11 at AWE.
* Since June 2012, the Trade Buyer ID has enjoyed warm reception from our esteemed buyers from around the world. Beginning at this edition of the September Fair, holders of the Trade Buyer ID can enjoy up to 25 percent discount on dining privileges at participating restaurants. Buyers simply need to present the Trade Buyer ID to enjoy this privilege.
Despite challenging economic conditions in some parts of the world, consumer confidence in China and the rest of Asia remains steady, according to the Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, Markets. The region’s confidence score reached or exceeded 100 points in the second quarter of 2016, the survey said. Countries surveyed in Asia included the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Pakistan and Thailand.
The continued healthy growth of the Asian market, particularly China, is not lost on players in the jewelry industry. According to Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs at UBM Asia, more internationally renowned organizations and laboratories are establishing their presence in the China market.
“They partner with local authorities to hold seminars, set up scholarships and share knowledge about the latest technologies in the industry. They believe there is room for growth in the China market so they are establishing their brands here through these activities,” Lau said.
Over the last decade, the September fair has served as a bridge to tap into China’s lucrative market. As the preeminent jewelry fair for the industry, the fair provides the greatest product range not only for Chinese buyers but also for buyers from around the world.
“The Fair is not only an effective marketplace and platform to tap into the Asian markets, but also functions as a ‘filter’ as only serious buyers and exhibitors will attend world-class fairs like the September Fair,” Lau said. “A fair of this caliber offers tremendous value to both exhibitors and buyers. It also provides easy access to some of the industry’s most reputable vendors, thus helping the industry to continue to grow.”
To bring in more buyers from robust markets, UBM Asia has enhanced visitor promotion in certain markets. As a result, 24 buyer delegations from the mainland China are visiting this edition. Overseas delegates from Finland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Russian Federation and Vietnam are also coming.
The Hong Kong Premier Pavilion features around 30 of the city’s outstanding jewelry companies and their brands. Visitors are sure to be captivated by the exquisitely crafted jewelry collections that reflect the very best of Hong Kong’s jewelry manufacturing traditions. The pavilion is located in Halls 1D & E of HKCEC.
The International Premier Pavilion is a destination for the trendy. Located in Halls 3B & C of HKCEC, the pavilion houses a select group of over 50 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions, namely Belgium, mainland China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
The Fine Design Pavilion hosts 76 internationally renowned jewelrs in the Grand Hall of HKCEC. They will showcase exquisite jewelry set with luxurious and rare diamonds, gemstones and pearls, as well as top-quality bejeweled watches, valuable masterpieces, and exclusive jewels from around the world.
The Fine Gem Pavilion is dedicated to the world’s finest loose diamonds, pearls and gemstones. Located in Hall 9 of AWE, 54 esteemed exhibitors will showcase a variety of high-quality loose gems.
The Fair press conference will be held on September 15 at 11 a.m. in meeting rooms S226 – S227 of HKCEC. Heads of jewelry associations will share their views on the developments in the jewelry trade. The Senior Vice President of UBM Asia, Wolfram Diener, will announce the latest developments in UBM Asia’s jewelry fairs portfolio.
A Welcome Reception organized by UBM Asia will be held on September 15 at 6:30pm at the Grand Foyer of HKCEC.
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