Optimism Prevailed

By most accounts, business was good and traffic was strong at The JCK Show ~ Las Vegas 2005. Although some exhibitors thought foot traffic was light, particularly after Sunday, most were satisfied with a steady volume of traffic. Said one watch exhibitor who asked not to be named: "Of course, if you're depending on walk-by traffic to do well at a show, you shouldn't be here."

Reed Exhibitions, the show's management, declined to release attendance figures.

A few exhibitors complained about retailers who made but didn't keep appointments. Fred Morgan of Alisa Italian jewelry and Altanus watches called the practice "rampant," citing more broken appointments than in any previous year. But overall, exhibitors at the show posted strong sales results, and the consensus was a feeling of optimism in the industry overall.

Exhibitors such as Frederick Goldman, Andin International, and designer Caroline Ballou, all in the Plumb Club pavilion, cited strong results, particularly for fashion-forward lines. Ballou's signature colored gemstone line was popular, as were Goldman's sterling silver Lyric collection for women and its new Triton collection for men. LeVian had "one of the best shows we've ever had," said David Zar, president of LeVian Timepieces. "We thought last year was good, but this year was just incredible."

On a separate note, JCK found no vendor who thought either business or traffic at The JCK Show was affected by the new Signature Salon show across the street at the Wynn. Of those exhibitors who felt foot traffic was light, none cited the other show as a possible reason.

The show also was notable for its lack of crime incidents. None were reported either in the show or near it. One exhibitor initially claimed a bag with jewelry (worth about $150,000) was taken while she was waiting in a hotel cab line when the show ended. She later reported that the line was located, with nothing missing.

The most unusual thefts occurred not at The JCK Show, but at Luxury by JCK, the invitation-only high-end show immediately preceding it. On two successive nights, several jewelry exhibitors' showcases were broken into during the early evening (while people were still in the show area). What was taken, however, were not expensive items but rather prototypes of new jewelry and samples of new designs, most of them inexpensive in terms of their materials and stones (e.g., CZ instead of diamonds). Expensive jewelry was left untouched. Security and law enforcement officials said privately they hadn't seen anything like it, and speculation is that the thieves intend to knock off the designs.

A JCK Staff Report