Based on the success of the first Indo-U.S. Jewelry Business Relationship Development Conference held in October, 2007, the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India will again host teams from the executive suite and head buyers from the biggest U.S. jewelry retailers, from Sept. 8-13, at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Centre.

“We are pleased to present the second, expanded format Indo/U.S. Jewelry Business relationship development Conference,” said Sanjay Kothari, GJEPC chairman. “We saw firsthand last year, that before you can do business together, you must first agree to agree to do business together. That is a tough assignment to accomplish in just the usual trade show booth. We are going beyond looking at rolls of beautiful jewelry. This conference is unique in that it provides us a forum to raise and discuss issues of concern and to seek positive solutions in a pro-business environment.”

The first two days of the conference will be a series of educational speakers and group discussions addressing key business topics of interest facing both the U.S. retailers and Indian jewelry manufacturers. Interspersed with these thought-provoking panels and forums will be a series of “speed dates” where the retailers and 20 leading Indian manufacturers will have a half an hour to review select product lines, discuss their business needs & issues and then decide on initiating the next phase of the conference meetings.

At the end of the second day of the conference, based on “wish lists” developed by both the retailers and the sponsors, GJEPC will then pair up the conference attendees for two days of 2-hour meetings at the selected factories around Mumbai. Based on feedback from the previous conference attendees, this is now twice as long as last year’s factory visits. The retailers will have a chance to meet with a variety of the sponsors’ quality control managers, jewelry designers, inventory managers, heads of shipping, and their financial counterparts as they tour the factories that sparked their interest.  

As part of the trip, following the two days of factory tours, the retailers will have the option of staying in Mumbai for another day to continue their jewelry business meetings, or they can elect to go to Agra and tour the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After their stay in Mumbai, and/or the Taj Mahal, the retailers will be able to fly on to Hong Kong for the jewelry show or return to the U.S.

“It is crucial to have excellent client/vendor relationships at a time when the general economic conditions are stressful,” said Hemant Shah, convener, Promotions, Marketing & Business Development of the GJEPC and co-developer of the Indo/US Conference. “We expect the retail attendees and the sponsoring manufacturers will be highly motivated to find new ways to work together for their greater mutual benefit. This is especially true for the retailers that have never been to India as they will now have the opportunity to see our modern factories and experience some of the extraordinary sights and sounds of India during their visit.”

Rick Bannerot, managing director of R&B Partners, LLC, of Stamford, Conn., has again been retained by the GJEPC to help develop and coordinate the Indo/US Jewelry Conference.

JCK