The March 2021 edition of JIS, one of the first in-person trade events of the year, came to a close in Miami Beach, Fla., on March 24.
The show, which was planned with public health and safety in mind, featured 170 exhibiting brands, including BA Gold, Kendra Scott, and Meira T Jewelry. Attendance surpassed expectations, with nearly 3,000 buyers—comprising retail jewelers, designers, diamond dealers, pawnbrokers, wholesale buyers, and distributors—on the show floor.
“This is such a liberating experience as an independent business owner to be able to get back with those who I consider our teammates, to get reacquainted with our vendors and other business owners that we’ve met at previous shows, and catch up on how they’re doing and what’s trending where they are,” said a representative of Avalon Park Jewelers in a statement from the show. “This is what we need as independent jewelers to re-energize.”
Over the past year, JIS has offered multiple webinars and virtual opportunities in lieu of live events because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to move forward with the March event was based on direct feedback from the jewelry industry, gathered through customer and visitor surveys conducted by JIS Show producer Reed Exhibitions.
“It has been a very hard year for all our customers, visitors, and our teams, but I’m delighted to say that physical events are back,” said Hugh Jones, global CEO of Reed Exhibitions, in a statement. “Exhibitions and trade shows are key to the growth of business and the local economies in which they take place. JIS was alive with the excitement and buzz that comes from meeting friends, colleagues, and business partners once more, and all those present were playing their part in complying with our health and safety protocols to the benefit of all. It was humbling to witness.”
Health and safety guidelines were communicated by JIS to attendees and exhibitors prior to the show, so that adequate preparations could be made before the event. Daily mandatory temperature screenings were conducted onsite, and extra registration kiosks were made available to ensure physical distancing. Proper facial coverings were also a requirement, hand sanitizer was present throughout the show floor, transparent barriers were placed on booths, and enhanced deep cleaning and air filtration was conducted throughout the venue.
To further enhance its safety protocols, JIS partnered with the wireless technology brand Konduko to enable networking without physical contact via the company’s SMART badges. Attendees simply had to scan their SMART badges at the booths of vendors they were interested in, and at the end of the show day, they received a Daily Digest email that included contact information for those vendors.
“Getting the jewelry industry back to in-person events is so important for our industry and the quality of networking, product and vendor discovery, and order writing that can be made,” said Sarin Bachmann, group vice president of Reed Jewelry Group, in a statement. “Now more than ever, this means prioritizing health and safety for our customers and our employees, alongside the business and connections made onsite. Being a part of Reed Exhibitions gives us an advantage with the health and safety learnings from around the globe, and access to a large dedicated team focused on these efforts for all of our U.S. events.”
The next JIS event is set to take place, once again in Miami Beach, Oct. 8–11. For more information, visit jisshow.com.
Top: An attendee visits an exhibitor booth featuring a transparent barrier. (Photo via JIS Show)
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