The 2015 JCK Las Vegas jewelry show closed its four-day run last week, leaving its attendees with an invigorated sense of the industry and plenty of insight—and memories—to take home. With its 2,300 exhibitors, more than 22,000 retail buyers representing 9,400 stores (a 4 percent increase over last year’s event), and a series of seminars, talks, panels, and exciting events, there was much to see and do at the Mandalay Bay this year. Pair all of that with a visual redesign of the show floor and merchandised neighborhoods, and the takeaways from the largest jewelry show in North America were even greater.
“The collections featured at this year’s show were some of the best retailers have seen in years,” said JCK’s senior vice president Yancy Weinrich. “I heard over and over how impressed they were with the innovative designs, superior craftsmanship, and salability of the products shown.”
Photo by Peggy Jo Donahue
“The Power of Blogging,” part of the JCK Talks series, included (from left): moderator Diane Warga-Arias, idazzle‘s Monica Stephenson, Adornmentality‘s Barbara Palumbo, Gem Gossip‘s Danielle Miele, fine jewelry blogger Katerina Perez.
In addition to the revamped show layout and variety of product was a robust schedule of events, including the JCK Talks educational series, the second annual JCK Shark Tank competition, the new Evening of Design Awards in the JCK Wine(d) Down Bar, and the annual highlight of the week, JCK Rocks the Beach, this year with soulful singer Gavin DeGraw.
Gavin DeGraw performs at JCK Rocks the Beach.
A high point for many showgoers was the new JCK Talks series, which included “Best of the Best,” a discussion on strategy from top retail experts; “The Power of Blogging,” a spirited discussion on the subject featuring the industry’s top jewelry bloggers; and “Diamond Insights,” presented by De Beers. Rounding out the educational topics from the show floor were two style and merchandising events, including a memorable presentation by Hollywood costume designer Patricia Field and the Aventurine’s Marion Fasel called “Expressing Style Through Jewelry” and “First Love, Then Style,” a fashion and bridal feature from Michael O’Connor, Severine Ferrari, Molly Guy, and Stacy Tasman, all industry insiders.
Patricia Field (left) and Marion Fasel present “Expressing Style Through Jewelry” at JCK Las Vegas 2015.
After a jam-packed week at JCK Las Vegas, here’s what some of the participants had to say:
“The 2015 show far exceeded my usual expectations. From the beginning of LUXURY to the close of the JCK show, the buzz this year was palpable, the designs were exciting, and the exhibitors seemed energized. JCK is a never-miss show for me, and I always leave there feeling like I am a better retailer for having attended.” —John Carter, Jack Lewis Jewelers
“Alex and Ani had a tremendous outpouring of support from the retailers we met with and, as first-time exhibitors at JCK, our overall experience was exceptionally positive.” —Daniel Sills, Alex and Ani senior vice president of sales.
“We had the best show to date this year in sales and also were thrilled to be recognized with a Platinum Innovation Award. We’re excited by the caliber of retailers that LUXURY and JCK continue to bring and appreciate the support, tools, and hospitality shown to retailers and exhibitors during the show.” —Shant Hovsepian, Danhov
“JCK 2015 was very successful for us. We appreciate the great planning and management, which enabled our team to focus on meeting with customers.” —Jonathan Goldman, Frederick Goldman
Mark your calendars: JCK Las Vegas returns to the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino June 3–6, 2016.
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