Italian Exhibition Group Acquires Arezzo Gold Jewelry Trade Shows

Italian trade fair and government representatives at a press conference in Rome 

The newly formed Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) trade show company expanded its footprint in the Italian jewelry and gold industry by taking over the organization and management of the OroArezzo and Gold Italy trade fairs. The two shows are held at Arezzo Fiere e Congressi in the Tuscany region’s city of Arezzo. It is one of the two major gold jewelry manufacturing centers in Italy. 

With this agreement IEG becomes the trade fair representative for the entire Italian gold and jewelry industry, valued at more than $6 billion, according to an Italian government official. 

The agreement was announced Thursday at a press conference in Rome attended by trade fair representatives and national and regional government officials, including Ivan Scalfarotto, undersecretary for the Ministry of Economic Development; Stefano Ciuoffo, Tuscany Region councilor for production, credit, tourism and commerce; Lorenzo Cagnoni, IEG president; Matteo Marzotto, executive IEG VP; Corrado Facco, IEG managing director; and Andrea Boldi, president of Arezzo Fiere e Congressi.

“The strategic agreement with Arezzo Fiere e Congressi spotlights Italian Exhibition Group's competence as a central, cutting edge trade show player for the jewelry sector on a global scale,” Facco said. “The Italian segment is Europe’s most important, and certainly most qualified, production district in terms of design and technological innovation.” 

IEG was formed in October 2016 with the merger of two Italian trade fair companies, Fiera di Vicenza and Rimini Fiera. IEG said at the time the alliance makes the new entity a “top player in Italy” in terms of directly organized shows with 61 fairs in its portfolio (90 percent own by the trade fair organizations) and 160 other events and congresses. The company also said it was the first example of a merger between trade show enterprises in Italy.

Among Fiera di Vicenza trade shows are VicenzaOro, held three times per year (which includes a trade show in Dubai). It is centered in Vicenza in the Veneto region, the other of the two major gold jewelry manufacturing centers in Italy. 

“Italian Exhibition Group will be managing an overall four events in Italy, one in Dubai, the official presence in the United States and a series of other strategic operations in Asia,” Facco said. “Therefore, IEG’s role as a content provider takes on even greater value, thus consolidating its international leadership in the marketing, communication and production of events linked to business for high range luxury goods.”

The new company’s aggressive stance toward locking up the trade fair sector in Italy for the jewelry industry seems to coincide with its plan to issue an Initial Public Offering as early as this year. The company made this announcement during the recently concluded VicenzaOro January trade fair. 

In addition, officials at the press conference in Rome said it coincides with Italian government initiatives to consolidate the industry in order to better promote internationally the “Made in Italy” quality production merchandise mark (indicating that a product is all planned, manufactured and packed in Italy) throughout the jewelry industry’s supply and production chain.

“This agreement is a decisive step for the development of a segment that is worth over $6 billion in exports. Know-how and organizational abilities are thus being united in order to compete in an increasingly more complex market, where company dimensions and project aims and ambitions make the difference,” Scalfarotto said. “We allocated almost $9 million euros to the gold and jewelry industry last year, providing support to our companies' participation at foreign trade shows and strengthening the biggest events in Italy. For 2017, we will be firmly continuing our efforts. After the plan aimed at the U.S. market, which began in 2016, we will be placing particular focus on Asia and the Middle East.”

IEG noted that despite the consolidation it will continue to promote the trade shows as regional fairs within their territories, “albeit with a considerable view to systematization.” 

“The aim is to strengthen and boost the industry by increasing business opportunities for exhibitors, stimulating the domestic market and favoring the presence of international buyers in order to help companies gain access to strategic jewelry markets,” IEG said in a statement. 

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The Plumb Club Says It Has A Plan For Growth

The Plumb Pavilion at the JCK Las Vegas jewelry trade show

The Plumb Club—a coalition of jewelry, diamond and watch manufacturers—says it has a three-year plan to expand its membership base through “trade show involvement, member branding opportunities, industry leadership roles, responsible sourcing and best business practices, and marketing and communications to enhance” its brand.

The Plumb Club’s 42 firms account for 20 percent to 25 percent of the $8 billion dollar domestic fine jewelry market, according to the organization. It is perhaps best known for its exhibition pavilion at the annual JCK Las Vegas Show.

One key change will be opening its membership to companies beyond those that exhibit at trade shows. The organization says this will grow its influence, ensure that all product categories are represented and generate added retail support. 

The Plumb Club logo

In addition, the group plans to establish representation on the boards of select industry non-profits and also will require members to comply with responsible sourcing principles by either completing Responsible Jewellery Council certification or its own internal compliance requirements.

“What’s remarkable about The Plumb Club is that it’s the only U.S. trade association of important jewelry, diamond and watch suppliers whose members pool their resources and knowledge to improve our business environment by connecting with retailers, doing business responsibly, and helping to determine policies that will positively impact the future of the jewelry industry,” says Jonathan Goodman Cohen, president of The Plumb Club. “Our members have exceptional expertise and experience in product development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution.” 

Suppliers interested in becoming Plumb Club members can contact Lawrence Hess, executive director, at 201-816-8881 or by following this link. 

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JCK Las Vegas A Showcase For Independent Jewelry Designers

The “Breeze Brooch” by Baiyang Jewelry

There were plenty of high quality designers at the JCK Las Vegas trade show, held earlier this month. JCK is the biggest show in North America and some of these designers can get lost among the masses that attend the event. But if you look carefully and invest the time you can find something worthwhile. I chose a dozen designs that exhibited superior artistry or craftsmanship but it could have easily been 30 or 40. 

They are listed as follows:

Graceful curves, light and airy 18k yellow gold, red gold and platinum for this “Breeze Brooch” (top picture) by Baiyang Jewelry

The sliced and hollowed freshwater soufflé pearls serve as baskets for seed pearls and reclaimed rubies for these earrings by Little h.

A 2.1-carat oval-shaped black opal serves as a center stone of this 18k yellow gold ring in a sunburst design by Audrius Krulis, finished with seven white diamond.

Etienne Perret is well-known for his ceramic jewels with diamond embellishments. The Daisy Rings pictured are an example of this work. A white ceramic band centered with a blue colored enhanced natural diamonds surrounded by white diamonds; and a black ceramic band centered with a natural color cognac diamond surrounded by a white diamonds. 

A simple tube shape turns elegant in 18k yellow gold with round openings and a sprinkling of diamonds. The “Holly Pendant” by Dana Bronfman can be worn horizontally or vertically. 

Well-crafted 14k yellow gold ring by Dilamani with three rows of round diamonds.

The “Sleeping Vishnu Mala” necklace by Asbury Adams uses labradorite, turquoise and ebony wood on violet silk cord with labradorite and amethyst beads. 

Scroll cuff (22mm) in 14k yellow gold with diamond by H Weiss.

A bangle with sweeping curves made of brushed 18k yellow gold set with round diamonds by Jyes International.

A golden snake with emerald cabochon eyes slithers around this oxidized silver cuff by Lika Behar.

A textured sterling silver multi-stone cuff by Michou.

18k Royal Couture Collar Peacock Necklace with emeralds and diamonds by Tanya Farah. 

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June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair Opens With Record Number Of Exhibitors

The 29th edition of the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair opened Thursday at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Occupying more than 70,000 square meters of exhibition space, the four-day fair runs until June 26. USM Asia, organizers of the annual fair, said the fair attracted a record number of exhibitors—in excess of 2,200 companies from 41 countries and regions.

“During an economic slowdown, companies choose to exhibit in reputable trade events that attract quality buyers. This edition of the June Fair is seeing many repeat exhibitors. This shows the June Fair offers genuine benefits to them,” said Celine Lau, director of jewelry fairs at UBM Asia.

The Fair features 16 specialty themed pavilions, including the Diamond Pavilion, one of the largest diamond pavilions in the world, with about 500 local and overseas diamantaires. The Gemstone Pavilion meanwhile has more than 500 international gemstone suppliers.

The top 10 sources of pre-registered visitors are: Hong Kong, mainland China, India, Taiwan, the United States, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Korea and Thailand, which account for 86 percent of the total pre-registered visitors. 

GRS Lab and the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong will host seminars on timely industry topics. On 25 June, the GRS Lab will discuss its new book, “Pigeon Blood Valley” and share the latest market intelligence about rubies from the city of Mogok, Myanmar. The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong will discuss the technology for identifying laboratory-grown diamonds. 

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Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair Reports Strong Growth in Buyers and Exhibitors

Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair – March reported an attendance increase of 9.7 percent compared to the prior year’s edition. The event held March 4 – 7 in Halls 3, 6 & 8 of the AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong had a total of 4,255 unique visitors from 89 countries and regions.

“The fair results are certainly very encouraging,” said Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs at UBM Asia Ltd., which owns the trade fair.

The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Taiwan region, Japan, Russian Federation, Germany and Korea were the top visitors at the show (not including mainland China and Hong Kong). The top 10 altogether accounted for 36.5 percent of the total number of visitors.

Meanwhile, the fair hosted 411 exhibitors—up 6.5 percent from last year—from 21 countries and regions. There were four group pavilions and three theme pavilions. Group pavilions from mainland China, Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan region demonstrated distinct market specialties. Three theme pavilions—“Sense Zone”, “Fashion Accessories Zone” and “Stainless Steel Jewellery Pavilion”—provided a range of on-trend fashion jewelry and accessories.

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Buyers Market Show Provides Smart Phone Map for Jewelry Retailers

A digital and customizable floor map is one of several buyer services that will debut at the Buyers Market, Feb. 16-18, 2013, and its annual Jewelry Preview on Feb. 15, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

Premier Jewelers occupy a pavilion together on the show floor but additional jewelry designers are located throughout the hall. In addition, Buyers Market provides gift and fashion products made by nearly 800 U.S. and Canadian studio artists. 

“The combined square footage of exhibitor booths alone is nearly the equivalent of two football fields,” said Rebecca Mercado, show director. “We’re excited to introduce mobile technology to help our buyers find the merchandise they need.”

Retailers who plan to attend the trade-only show can begin charting their course on the show floor through the digital floor map already in place on the Buyers Market’s website. New exhibitors are added weekly and the artists have begun posting their product keywords in the search list.

The website is also where to register. The $35 basic registration fee includes admission for up to four members of a store’s buying staff, plus access to all retailing seminars, fashion shows and Buyers Market events. Pre-registration ends February 11. On-site registration will be $50. To take advantage of discounted rates at Buyers Market contract hotels near the convention center, register before Jan. 25. For customer service call 866.341.2001 or e-mail BMACregistration@jspargo.com.

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Shanghai Fair Provides Buying Opportunities for Upcoming Holidays

Jewelry retailers in Asia will have a final opportunity to stock their shelves for the upcoming Christmas holidays and Chinese New Year festivities during the China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair – Shanghai (Shanghai Fair), from November 9 – 12 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.

More than 300 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions will showcase the latest contemporary jewelry, classic bestsellers and trends during the eighth edition of the annual trade fair, organized by UBM Asia.

In 2011, retail sales of consumer goods in Shanghai exceeded RMB677 billions, up 12.3 percent from 2010. Retail sales of gold and jewelry alone grew roughly 25 percent, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

Given its November schedule, the Shanghai Fair provides the last-minute opportunity for buyers wanting to add to their inventory for the busy Christmas and Chinese New Year festivities.

Pavilions dedicated to luxury jewelry manufacturers, jadeite manufacturers from Taiwan and gems from Sri Lanka are among the features of the fair.

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Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair Attracts Nearly 4,000 Buyers

Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair, held at the AsiaWorld-Expo center in Hong Kong, attracted 3,878 buyers from 84 countries and region, according to UBM Asia, which owns and operates the trade fair. More than 75 percent of buyers were from outside the Hong Kong region.
 
The four-day event, which ended February 21, was held earlier than its usual March schedule in order to suit the international trade event calendar. The Top 10 visiting countries (excluding mainland China and Hong Kong region) were the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Japan, Korea, Germany, France and Russian Federation. They accounted for 34.6 percent of total visitors.

“We are happy to note that the United States was the source of the biggest number of visitors, which accounted for 10 percent of total visitors,” said Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs at UBM Asia.

The exhibition space near the Hong Kong International Airport was expanded by 17.6 percent from last year’s edition, UBM Asia said. It housed 386 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions, an 18 percent increase over the 2011 edition of the trade fair. The exhibitors were from Australia, Canada, mainland China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Nepal, Netherlands, the Philippines, Samoa, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Hong Kong and Taiwan regions. More than 80 percent of them are from outside Hong Kong region.

Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair is held three times per year. Upcoming dates are: June 21 – 24, September 19 – 22, and March 4 – 7, 2013.

JewelleryNetAsia Enters Turkish Jewelry Market

The global jewelry trade portal, JewelleryNetAsia, announced Tuesday its participation at the Istanbul Jewelry Show 2012, which will open its doors on March 22 at the CNR Exhibition Center.

At the stand of JewelleryNetAsia jewelry buyers can make use of the free-of-charge sourcing support as well as access the internet free of charge. As official media partner to the jewelry show, JewelleryNetAsia is providing the online exhibitor list, show photo galleries and product previews.

The Turkish jewelry market is one of the most dynamic globally, with Istanbul being one of its trade centers. Thousands out of the estimated 40,000 jewelry-related firms in Turkey are active also on international markets. The majority of the Turkish jewelry exports is gold jewelry, mostly to the Middle East, the USA and CIS countries.

More than 600 Turkish Jewelry Suppliers are represented at both the Istanbul Jewelry Show as well as in the online directories of JewelleryNetAsia. Many specialize in wholesale gold jewelry and wholesale diamond jewelry but there is also a large amount of technology vendors and suppliers of findings and mountings.

‘It is not only the Turkish market that attracts us, but also the fact that the whole region congregates here for business. Also the region is not yet very sophisticated when it comes to using the internet for sales and sourcing, so this is a perfect timing for fast growth’ said Jerome Hainz of JewelleryNetAsia.

For inquiries, contact:
Fiona Wong, Marketing Manager, JewelleryNetAsia
Tel: +852 2586 2180 Email: Fiona.Wong@ubm.com

JNN at the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair

The registration area at the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

The Jewelry News Network (meaning me) will be leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow to attend the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. The former British colony, with its bustling port, international banks and robust stock market, is the gateway to China, the most dynamic jewelry and luxury market in the world. This alone makes it one of the most important events in the jewelry industry calendar. But there’s more.

The event—being held September 19-23 at the Asia World-Expo on Chek Lap Kok island, next to Hong Kong International Airport for diamonds, colored gemstones, materials and equipment and September 21-25 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre overlooking the beautiful and busy Victoria Harbor for finished jewelry—is one of the three largest jewelry trade fairs in the world and the largest in Asia. Nearly 1.4 million square feet of exhibition space will be used by more than 3,300 vendors from 45 countries to display their products and services to an estimated 45,000 buyers from 135 countries.

While Asia is the focus, this fair is truly an international affair. There will be 20 country pavilions from all the major jewelry markets, with France being the newest group to have its own pavilion. Thailand, a gemstone manufacturing center, has the largest overseas pavilion at the Hong Kong show with more than 150 exhibitors at the AWE and more than 200 at the HKCEC.

The International Colored Gemstone Association, which represents the global colored gemstone industry, also has its own pavilion.

The AWE portion of the fair boasts the world’s largest diamond pavilion, with more than 430 exhibitors.

The luxury market and fine jewelry design have become more of a focus in Asia and the fair responded with pavilions dedicated to high-end jewelry and gems as well as internationally inspired designer jewelry. It includes the following:
 
* Fine Design Pavilion in the Grand Hall of HKCEC with more than 70 internationally renowned jewelry and timepiece companies;

* Fine Gem Pavilion in – Hall 9 of AWE with more than 50 exhibitors deemed “world class” selling top quality gems;

* Hong Kong Premier Pavilion showcasing the top-notch craftsmanship and exceptional creativity of 30 Hong Kong avant-garde jewelers; and
* International Premier Pavilion with more 50 prominent jewelry companies from around the world showcasing cutting-edge jewelry designs.

I will be spending nearly all of my time at the convention center with the finished jewelry vendors and buyers. The last time I attended the show was in 2005, the year before it moved to two venues. I’m looking forward to seeing how much the show has changed and grown since that time. I will be blogging live from the show as often as possible.

Las Vegas Jewelry Week

Mandalay Bay, the new home of JCK Las Vegas

The upcoming week in Las Vegas is going to be one of the most important for the U.S. jewelry industry in some time. The performance of jewelry trade shows for the next several days will help determine whether the industry is returning to a period of sustained growth following the single event of the economic meltdown of 2008, or if it is the victim of something bigger and more widespread—a cultural and technological change that is steamrolling traditional ways of assessing luxury, beauty and fashion; while providing new ways of delivering messages and products that are beyond the reach of an aging industry.

Of course the big news is that one of the largest and most successful shows in the international jewelry industry—JCK Las Vegas and its affiliate shows, Luxury at JCK and Swiss Watch at JCK—will be held for the first time at Mandalay Bay.

The change is the result of some downsizing and rightsizing due to recent economic realities and competition within the industry. Celebrating its 20th year, JCK Las Vegas has always been held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, one of the largest conventions facilities in the country, which along with the adjacent Venetian Las Vegas offers approximately 1.8 million square-feet of space. The show was so successful that even in this space there was an annual waiting list of hundreds of companies.

Things changed dramatically during the 2008 global economic meltdown, which resulted in a dramatic shrinkage of the jewelry industry. No more waiting lists. More empty spaces. Fewer buyers. So now the show will be held at the newer, nicer although smaller space. Still, at 1 million square feet, it is huge by normal expo space standards.

Things have been changing for some time as other jewelry shows have opened and taken away some JCK exhibitors. The most notable change is that what has been termed JCK Las Vegas for years by the industry is now known in the industry as “Las Vegas Jewelry Week” or “Las Vegas Jewelry Market Week.”

The week begins with JCK at Luxury (May 31 – June 6). The first three days of the show is an invitation only gathering of luxury jewelry retailers and consumer press, which the show has been since its inception. The next four days, the show is open for all of those attending JCK Las Vegas. This is in no doubt in recognition of the only segment of the jewelry industry that continues to grow during this sluggish recovery. Autore, Breuning, Carl Messler and Danhov are among the approximate 230 luxury exhibitors at the show.

Swiss Watch at JCK (June 2 - 6) remains an appointment only event. There is no desire and seemingly no need for the luxury Swiss watch industry to change the way it does business as it continues to experience exceptional sales growth and consumer passion for its timepieces. Exhibitors run from Breitling to Zenith who will be seeing buyers in suites at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel in the same building.

Wynn Las Vegas, home of the Couture Show.  Photo Credit: Destination360

The Couture Show, over in the Wynn Las Vegas (June 2 – 6), features some of the best-known high-end jewelry brands in the world, including Damiani, John Hardy, David Yurman, Judith Ripka, Kwiat, Mikimoto, Roberto Coin and Stephen Webster. These are among the companies that broke off with JCK Las Vegas to form a show that is specific to their niche in the industry. In the past, the show lived off its close proximity to the Sands Convention Center. The question this year is whether enough buyers will want to make the trip from the south end of the strip to the Wynn. There are certainly enough destination brands for buyers to make the trip.

The American Gem Trade Association attached itself to JCK Las Vegas a number of years ago with its own show, AGTA GemFair Las Vegas. The collection of gem and pearl dealers from all over the world will continue its successful association with JCK at Mandalay Bay (June 2 – 7).

Then there’s JCK Las Vegas (June 3 – 6), still the dominate jewelry trade show on “The Strip” even if its status is slightly tarnished. This show contains all aspects of the jewelry industry from bridal to manufacturing equipment and technology suppliers. Low-, mid-, and high-end tiers of the market are resented as well as international jewelry manufacturers.

Planet Hollywood is the location for Niche: The Show

Finally there’s Niche: The Show at Planet Hollywood (June 4 – 6). This is show dedicated for designers of handcrafted jewelry and other materials and mediums, such as glass, ceramic and wood. This event is an answer to the long-term struggle small jewelry designers had at JCK. The show was just too big and attracted too many buyers from large-scale operations with orders that these types small businesses couldn’t fill.

There are other shows as well, specializing in antiques, dedicated for watch dealers and for bead makers that round out the festivities. But it’s the major trade shows that will determine the shape and scope of what the U.S. jewelry industry will look like in the coming years.

Many in the industry will be crossing their fingers.