GemFest Basel 2008 will include a presentation on the luxury market to the jewelry and watch industry by keynote speaker David Arnold, senior vice president and group publisher of CurtCo Robb Media, LLC. Arnold’s company publishes the Robb Report and Showboats International magazines targeted to the world’s most affluent readers.

The two-hour free event hosted by the Gemological Institute of America will be held April 5, at 4 p.m. in the Hall Montreal of the Basel Convention Center. A reception will follow.

Arnold will present a snapshot of the modern high-net-worth individual, and will discuss worldwide trends in wealth, along with affluence proliferation facts and figures. He will give an overview into the psychographic factors that shape the lives of this influential population in “Perceptions of Wealth vs. Reality.” He also discusses how to adapt sales and branding messages to this important group of buyers.

According to Arnold, the public’s perception of luxury buyers is often quite different than the reality.

A panel discussion on recent trends in the luxury diamond market will complement Arnold’s talk. Topics will include how goods are sold, supply and demand, and future outlooks.

Panel members include: François Curiel, chairman of Christie’s, on the auction house perspective of the large diamond market; Amit Dhamani, managing director of Dhamani Jewels, representing the luxury diamond manufacturing point of view; Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general manager, Rio Tinto Diamonds N.V. with the mining perspective, and Tom Moses representing the Laboratory outlook. A question and answer session will follow.

Those who wish to attend GemFest Basel 2008 should RSVP by March 31 by calling (760) 603-4205, e-mailing events@gia.edu or visiting www.gia.edu/alumni.

JCK