WATCH & JEWELLERY DUBAI

Boosting The Trade Show Concept

The five-day Watch & Jewellery Dubai (WJD) held in early December, is the only government organised and trade oriented jewellery show in the Middle East.

WJD, organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) was a trade-only show for the first three days, and open to the public the remaining two days. The fact that 88 per cent of the 460 exhibitors were international, was a reflection of the interest of suppliers from around the world to tap one of the fastest growing international jewellery markets. Previously called International Jewellery Dubai, the name was changed to include watches, since the region accounts for nearly a tenth of global sales of luxury watch brands. There were several country pavilions including those from India (32 participants), Turkey (30), Italy (25) and, for the first time, an Antwerp diamond pavilion with 17 firms.

Networking events included seminars and workshops by the DTC, the Dubai Diamond Exchange, Gemological Institute of America (GIA), International Gemological Institute (IGI) and the Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre (DMCC). "The primary objective of organising such seminars is to encourage an exchange of ideas between industry professionals, international experts and their regional counterparts to provide a platform for people involved in jewellery and allied sectors to interact," said Elisa Seminari, international project manager, WJD.

Other features included a Designer Piazza, a larger Branded Jewellery Section, and Gold Expressions organised by the World Gold Council. The event saw the launch of the Dubai Gem Certification services by the DMCC in association with American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL), the Gubelin Gem Lab and the Bahrain government's testing services. The certification covers diamonds, gemstones, pearls and jewellery.

Although the organisers anticipated 17,000 visitors to the show, only a small fraction of the attendees were trade buyers, indicating that business in the Gulf is not yet conducted at such shows. Many exhibitors were unhappy at the low trade turnout. "We'd like to see more promotion of the event so that retailers in Dubai and other Gulf countries see this as an opportunity to source their requirements," said an exhibitor who had few visitors.

But the organisers were not fazed. "We will continue to project this event as a platform for global and regional manufacturers to reach their markets in the Gulf as well as from North Africa, India and beyond," said Seminari.

WJD reflected the consumer preferences of the region. On display were larger than average pieces of both jewellery and watches.

Quite a few stalls offered white gold jewellery which is becoming popular. Most pieces incorporated plenty of coloured stones. There was no dearth of luxury brands, especially from Europe. And they too displayed their flashiest styles. The diamond stalls which featured carat stones attracted a good response.

IIJS 2006

Online And On Course

A fully functional online and user-friendly portal is making the IIJS 2006 edition fully accessible to people from all over the country and globe. The portal - www.iijs.org - features exhibitor information, forms, bookings and other essentials with regular updates. Even payments can be made through a secure payment gateway. The IIJS 2006 exhibitor manual will be uploaded on to the website shortly giving all the pertinent information that exhibitors seek. The organisers have also informed that henceforth all official communications regarding the show will be via e-mail only.

Giving substance to the organisers' strategy, over 7000 people have registered in the first phase since IIJS 2006 visitor pre-registration opened late last year. This also includes over 500 foreign registrations. The interesting fact is that this is 30 per cent higher than what was achieved in the same period for IIJS 2005.
To be held at NSE Complex, Mumbai from May 4-8 2006, the organisers have spared no efforts to reach out to the visitors with value added services to enhance the entire experience.

In keeping with trade demands, this year too IJJS 2006 is offering a veritable treasure of knowledge and business know-how at its much-anticipated seminars covering vital aspects of the trade and the managing of jewellery businesses. The seminars on 21st Century Retailing, to be held at a hall within the IIJS venue, would dwell on important issues ranging from financial aspects to retail demands as also branding and promotional strategies. Speakers of repute include Prasoon Joshi and Sanjay Desai of McCann Erickson who will articulate on branding, advertising and corporate identity in the jewellery trade. Nirupa Bhatt of Rio Tinto will focus on the importance of building consumer confidence and Vivenne Becker, will give the final touches to the seminars covering Global Design Trends. Topics such as enhancing business skills, leadership factors, best practices, and professionalism in family businesses have also been planned for discussions.

As a precursor to the event, GJEPC is also hosting an IIJS Corporate Golf Meet on May 3, 2006, at the Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai's oldest and most exclusive private club, offering an ideal networking opportunity, participation is open to IIJS exhibitors and international trade buyers.

Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair

The Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair will open to visitors from March 1 to 5, 2006, at the Impact Exhibition & Convention Center, Thailand. Over 32,700 visitors attended the previous edition of the show, organised by the Thai Gem & Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) and the Department of Export Promotion (DEP) in September 2005. The fair will accommodate over 1,200 exhibitors in eight halls covering 60,000 sq mt. Items on display will include gold and silver jewellery, precious and semi-precious gemstones, loose stones (diamonds and pearls), machinery and tools. The majority of exhibitors and buyers at the previous event came from India, US, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.

Jaipur Jewellery Show 2005

A model displays jewellery at the show

Dubbed the second-most important event on the Indian gem trade calendar, the Jaipur Jewellery Show 2005 surpassed benchmarks set in previous years, to draw in an excess of 30,000 visitors. Held between December 23 and 26, 2005, the fair treated participants to a diverse range of jewellery, diamonds and precious stones, even featuring an entire pavilion dedicated to machinery and tools.

Shmuel Schnitzer, president, World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) inaugurated the four-day event, and commended the Indian industry for sustaining a rapid growth rate in the gem and jewellery sector. "India's economy is expected to reach the size of that of Europe within a decade and a half. Our own industry is already witnessing a shifting of the goalposts, with India and China becoming central players," he noted.

Promising continued cooperation between the WFDB and India, Schnitzer added, "I believe that very soon we will also accept Anoop Mehta, the president of Mumbai's Bharat Diamond Bourse, as a permanent member of the WFDB Executive Committee, which is surely appropriate, since a diamond centre as important as India deserves a position at the heart of public activity in the world diamond industry."

Rashmikant Durlabhji, event convenor concluded, "The consensus of exhibitors at the show was that not only did they see an increase in business from their current accounts but also with new accounts. Overall business was extremely positive and many new retail establishments visited the show this year for the first time."
"This is our first time at the JJS and we have had a fantastic response from both local and international visitors. Buyers really knew what they were looking for and knew that they would find it at JJS," expressed Praful Patel, an exhibitor at the show.