The 2009 CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, Congress will be held March 1-4 in Macau, the former Portuguese colony, which like neighboring Hong Kong, is a Special Administrative Region of China.

CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri made the announcement following a meeting of CIBJO’s President’s Council held earlier this month in Antwerp. The chief hosts of the 2009 CIBJO Congress will be MJS Trade Fairs (Macau) Ltd., the organizers of the Macau International Jewellery and Watch Fair. The second edition of this fair will take place just prior to the CIBJO Congress, from Feb. 28 to March 3, at the Macau Venetian hotel, which will also double as the Congress venue. Cavalieri, who was a keynote speaker at this year’s first edition of the Macau International Jewellery and Watch Fair, said he was very pleased with the offer made by MJS.

“The show organizers have the support of all major Macau governmental and semi-governmental organizations that cover investment and export promotion as well as international trade relations and business development. Macau is an absolutely exciting venue,” Cavalieri said. “MJS director Sunny Liu said he and his colleagues were elated at the prospect of bringing the leadership of the world jewelry industry and trade under one roof at the Macau Venetian.”

JCK