Spirits Remained High At Hong Kong Jewelry Fair despite Destruction Caused By Super Typhoon Mangkhut

It’s impossible to discuss the 2018 September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair without mentioning Super Typhoon Mangkhut. It landed in Hong Kong on September 16, as a Signal No. 10, the highest level of tropical cyclone warning signals in Hong Kong for 10 hours. It was one of the strongest storms in the city’s history and the strongest storm in the world this year. 

Storm damage just outside the Hong Kong convention
center

It tore through high rises, toppled construction equipment and destroyed some less fortified buildings. It toppled trees, stopped all public transportation and caused severe flooding along coastal areas. Some of the photos and videos being distributed among those of us stranded in hotels or at home were quite shocking. 

The storm understandably caused the full-day closure of the Hong Kong fair at both the AsiaWorld-Expo by the airport, for the last day of the materials portion of the fair, and at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in the center of the city, during the third day of the finished jewelry portion of the show. If that’s not enough the storm forced the rescheduling of the 2018 JNA Awards gala dinner, which was held the following night. 

     One of the walkways to the convention center

Miraculously the convention center showed no sign of damage, despite being on the water’s edge. Despite the fewer people, everything appeared normal at the show, which is testament to the focus and resiliency and focus of the staff at UBM Asia, which owns and operates the fair, the convention center staff and the residents of Hong Kong. 

Between the one day closure and buyers leaving before the storm arrived, there was definitely a loss of business but for the most part everyone was happy. I spoke with several gem dealers at the JNA Awards gala dinner and all were satisfied with the business they did during the days the show was open. 

     One of many damaged buildings in the city

Earlier in the day, there were still a good number of buyers walking the halls of the Hong Kong convention center. I spoke with several exhibitors in the Fine Designer Pavilion and they were in good spirits sharing typhoon stories while showing their jewels to whatever buyers remained. Like the gem dealers, they said business was disrupted for the remainder of the fair but prior to the storm, sales were strong. 

Many of the dealers in this area, which specializes in new and second-market high jewelry, have been exhibiting at the September Hong Kong fair for years. I asked one of the veteran dealers why he continues to attend. He simply replied: “I make money.” 

The September Hong Kong Fair Is Now All About the Jewelry

The finished jewelry section of the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair (HKCEC) opened Friday with the ceremonial dragon dance offering good luck to all exhibitors and buyers. 

The fair officially opened two days earlier at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) convention center near the Hong Kong international airport with companies that specialize in diamonds, gems, pearls and other jewelry making materials. However, the jewelry portion of the fair, which displays products ranging from the most basic to the most exclusive, marks the true start of the annual event. 

It is one of the world’s largest jewelry and gem fairs, if not the largest, and with the continued economic growth in China and other Asian markets, it is one of the most important events on the jewelry industry calendar. UBM Asia, which owns and operates the trade show, said in terms of exhibitors, 3,700, it is the largest in the fair’s history. Whether that results in more buyers attending will be known in the next few days. 

It is also the most international of all jewelry shows. At any given moment somewhere on the 135,000 square meters of exhibit space you will see Japanese pearl jewelry exhibitors doing business with retailers from Dubai, Chinese jewelry manufacturers selling to South American distributors and Polish amber jewelers selling to the Chinese market. In addition, it’s a true business show. There are few new product launches or big corporate events. All of the action is done at the booths.

The day at HKCEC began with a large number of people in registration lines and even larger numbers of buyers waiting in long lines for the doors to fair to open. A large crowd also gathered around the dragon dance performers just as the doors opened to the fair. 

While all of the trading is going on, Super Typhoon Mangkhut is barreling towards Hong Kong, described as a Signal 9 storm, among the strongest on the 10-plus point scale. If it does hit Hong Kong and remains a Category 9, the show will at least temporarily close Sunday. 

The materials portion of the show at the AWE will end Sunday and the finished jewelry at the HKCEC will run till Tuesday.