PENNSYLVANIA JEWELERS PLAN CONVENTION, SHOW
The Pennsylvania Jewelers Association will hold its 90th annual convention and 20th annual Keystone Jewelry Show Aug. 2-5 in the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center in Hershey.
The keynote speaker is Shane Decker, who will present “The Art of Selling 1-ct. Diamonds.” The education program includes round-table discussions on advertising, appraisals, security and design/manufacturing. In addition, Jewelers of America will administer its Certified Store Managers Exam.
The Keystone Jewelry Show will feature more than 40 exhibitors.
Social activities include a welcoming picnic, golf tournament, president’s reception, Kids’ Night and Monte Carlo Night and Murder Mystery Dinner.
For special hotel rates and discount tickets to HersheyPark, contact the Pennsylvania Jewelers Association, P.O. Box 5527, Harrisburg, PA 17110; (800) 523-1106 or (717) 233-3254, fax (717) 233-3255.
PLANS ANNOUNCED FOR DALLAS SHOW
Nearly 400 exhibitors plan to participate in the Dallas Fine Jewelry Show by MIDAS, scheduled for Sept. 7-9 in Market Hall, Dallas, Tex. The show includes 50 antique and estate jewelry exhibitors organized by Richard Arens of the International Jewelers Association.
The show will run concurrently with the Dallas Fall Gift Show, which attracts representatives of more than 10,000 retail stores.
The North Texas chapter of the Gemological Institute of America Alumni Association will present a seminar and silent auction in connection with the jewelry show.
Social activities will include a wine-and-beer reception and a by-invitation dinner dance presented by the Southwestern 24 Karat Club of Dallas.
Dallas Fine Jewelry Show by MIDAS, P.O. Box 535083, Grand Prairie, TX 75050; (214) 660-3831, fax (214) 647-1800.
GLDA CANCELS FALL SHOW
The Gem and Lapidary Dealers Association has canceled its Fall Tucson Gem and Jewelry Show beginning this year because of poor attendance and lack of exhibitor interest. GLDA will continue to sponsor a spring show. The 1997 show is scheduled for Jan. 29 to Feb. 5. Gem and Lapidary Dealers Association, P.O. Box 2391, Tucson, AZ 85702; (520) 742-5455, fax (520) 544-0715.
APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR TUCSON DESIGN GALLERY
Applications are now available for exhibition in the “byDesign” designer jewelry gallery of the American Gem Trade Association’s 1997 Tucson GemFair. The deadline for application is July 26.
The gallery, a juried event for designer-owned jewelry companies, debuted with 72 designers at this year’s GemFair. The response was good, says Cindy Edelstein of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, which produces the gallery. Designers participating in “byDesign” must pass through a juried acceptance process and also must be accepted as affiliate members of AGTA.
The 1997 Tucson GemFair will be held Jan. 29-Feb. 3 in the Tucson Convention Center. The gallery will be located in the arena next to the Gem Hall at the convention center. For more information or to obtain an application, call the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau at (212) 580-4256.
JA SHOW ANNOUNCES SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
The JA International Jewelry Show will be held July 20-23 in the Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, N.Y.
More than 1,400 jewelry manufacturers, designers, importers and distributors from more than 20 countries will display their products for an estimated 13,000 buyers.
New to the show will be the Estate and Antique Jewelry and Watch Pavilion, featuring up to 100 companies. Professor Michael Coan of the Fashion Institute of Technology will conduct a tour of the pavilion from 2 to 4 p.m. July 22. A full-day conference on antique and estate jewelry will be held July 23 (see JCK, June 1996, pp. 420-421).
The show also will include the New Designer Gallery, which will feature Stuart Adelman of Artelle Designs, Minneapolis, Minn.; Catherine Iskiw of New York, N.Y.; Mia Mayer-Garman of MiMa Fine Jewelry, Philadelphia, Pa.; Amanda Megibow of Englewood Cliffs, N.J.; Rebecca Myers of Milwaukee, Wis.; Kent Raible of Tiburon, Cal.; Mark Schneider of Schneider Design Studio, Long Beach, Cal.; Susan Schultz of Pazia Inc., New York, N.Y.; Tess Sholom of Tess Designs, New York, N.Y.; Alex Soldier of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Kimberlee Teti of Haverford, Pa.; and Susan Van Gilder of North Salem, N.Y.
Other highlights include the Platinum Pavilion; Designer Gallery, featuring established designer jewelers; Place Vendô#-12#me, showcasing the work of high-end jewelers; New Product Gallery, a sample of exhibitors’ designs; By Appointment OnlySM, where retailers meet with manufacturers of luxury watch lines by appointment; and international pavilions for manufacturers from Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, Thailand, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Mexico.
The Jewelers of America Center for Business Studies will present 27 seminars. CBS has designated July 20 as Technology Day, featuring seminars on “Advertising on the Internet: Your New Source for Customers,” “How Technology Can Turn You into a Custom Designer,” “Software Programs for the Independent Jeweler” and “Installing High-Tech Security Systems: Can You Afford Not To?”
Seminars scheduled for July 21 are “How to Wow Your Customers,” “Town & Country’s Survey on Consumers and Designer Jewelry,” “Hiring Right,” “Skyrocketing Your Gold Sales” and “Overview: Setting up Your Own Repair Department.” Also this day, attendees will have a chance to attend a presentation on JA’s new Benchmark Consumer Survey, and CBS will conduct a certified store manager review class and test. Executive roundtables will discuss “Developing a Winning Business Plan,” “Bias and Your Bottom Line” and “Handling Difficult Customers.”
On July 22, scheduled seminars are “Diamonds: An Ancient Journey,” “Jewelers’ Forum: Ways to Deal with Negative Press in Your Market,” “Open to Buy: Planning Cash Flow Solutions for the Nineties,” “Working with Platinum” and “Making the Sale: Advanced Cultured Pearl Sales Techniques.” Executive roundtables are “Everyone Owns the Store,” “Legal Issues Affecting Your Workplace” and “How to Develop a Financial Plan You Can Live With.”
For information on the seminars, contact Jewelers of America, 1185 Ave. of the Americas, 30 Fl., New York, NY 10036; (800) 223-0673 or (212) 768-8777. For information on the show, contact Blenheim Group USA, Ft. Lee Executive Park, One Executive Dr., Ft. Lee, NJ 07024; (800) 829-3976 or (201) 346-1400, fax (201) 346-1532.
PJS ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR ‘HOMECOMING’ SHOW
“Homecoming” is the theme of the 1996 Pacific Jewelry Show, scheduled for Aug. 24-26. Because the show is returning to the Century Plaza Hotel after an absence of several years, organizers have planned a homecoming party at the hotel’s reflecting pool Aug. 24.
In addition to food and live music, the event will include a reunion of jewelers who participated in the “Future Jewelers of America” seminars that Bulova Corp. conducted in the 1970s. The seminars also were known as “Sons and Daughters” seminars because they taught children of jewelers the basics of jewelry store operations. “Many lasting friendships were made during the ‘Sons and Daughters’ seminars, and the PJS will offer an excellent opportunity to relive the good times,” says Marion Halfacre, who cochairs the show with Richard Horne.
The show will feature several special sections, including Discovery Islands, Designers Marketplace, Plumb Club Pavilion and Platinum Pavilion. “It’ll be the perfect show for the independent jeweler,” says Horne. “The timing is right because it’s late enough in the year that jewelers will know what they need for the holiday season, but early enough that they’ll be able to get the merchandise they order.”
Dale Perelman, president of Jewelers of America, will present the keynote address — “Your Future as a Retail Jeweler” — at 9 a.m. Aug. 24. James Porte of the Jewelry Marketing Institute also will speak. The education program, offered by the Jewelers of America Center for Business Studies, includes “How to Expand Your Customer Base,” “Service, Service and More Service,” “Polishing Up Your Sales Skills,” “Welcome to the World of Diamonds,” “Boost Your Business With Promotions,” “Jewelers in Cyber Space: How to Use the Internet,” “Design Techniques for the Non-Designer,” “Open to Buy: Cash Flow Solutions for the Nineties,” “How to Sell More Diamonds Over One Carat,” “Wax Modeling Clinic,” “Pearl Grading Techniques,” “How to Create Matching Bands for Semimounts,” “Synthetic Diamonds” and “Fracture-Filled Diamonds. “Participants can earn credits toward the Accredited Jeweler Designation. All seminars are free but reservations are required.
Two major examinations to help jewelers increase their proficiency in handling colored gemstones and making appraisals will be offered during the show. The American Gem Society’s Colorvision Examination will check jewelers’ ability to identify color variations found in gemstones. AGS members also will be able to take the Certified Gemologist Appraiser Examination. Appointments are required for the Appraisal Exam; call (702) 255-6500 or fax (702) 255-7420. You can arrange a time for the Colorvision Exam at the same number or at the show.
Several events are scheduled in conjunction with the show. The Gemological Institute of America will hold a CareerFair in the Century Plaza Hotel Aug. 23. The Golden Nuggets of Southern California will hold an officer installation breakfast Aug. 26 featuring a presentation by Linda Abell of Crescent Jewelers, Los Angeles.
Pacific Jewelry Shows, 911 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1740, Los Angeles, CA 90017; (213) 623-5722, fax (213) 623-5742.
ACC PLANS CRAFT FAIR IN SAN FRANCISCO
The ACC Craft Fair San Francisco will be held July 31 to Aug. 4 in the Ft. Mason Center in San Francisco, Cal. The fair is open to trade buyers only July 31 and Aug. 1.
The fair, which will feature the work of 300 juried craft artists, is a week earlier this year to coincide with the new dates for the San Francisco International Gift Fair, which will be held July 27-31 at the Giftcenter & Jewelrymart in San Francisco. The ACC fair will feature the work of 300 juried craft artists. The International Gift Fair will feature 300+ wholesale gift and jewelry showrooms.
Meanwhile, the American Craft Council says sales and attendance were up about 15% at the ACC Craft Fair Atlanta, held March 16-17 amid stormy weather and the threat of a tornado. ACC projected sales at $1.14 million. The fair attracted 227 exhibitors and 10,640 members of the public.
American Craft Council, 21 S. Eltings Corner Rd., Highland, NY 12528; (800) 836-3470, fax (914) 883-6130.
FOREIGN SHOW UPDATE
The Hong Kong Jewelry & Watch Fair will be held Sept. 18-22 in the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Organizers expect 1,300 exhibitors from 32 countries and 30,000 buyers from 65 countries. The show will feature finished jewelry, loose diamonds and colored gemstones, equipment, packaging and tools. Seminars will be presented by the Hong Kong division of the Gemological Institute of America and by the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong. Miller Freeman Inc., One Penn Plaza, P.O. Box 2549, New York, NY 10116-2549; (212) 615-2657, fax (212) 279-3966.
The Jewelry, Clock and Watch segment of the International Frankfurt Fair/Tendence, to be held Aug. 24-28 in Frankfurt, Germany, will feature 470 exhibitors. Messe Frankfurt, 200 Galleria Parkway, Suite 790, Atlanta, GA 30399; (770) 984-8016, fax (770) 984-8023.
International Jewellery London will be held Sept. 8-11 at Earls Court 2 in London, England. Organizers expect more than 400 exhibitors, including a Design Pavilion, and the fair’s first Emagold Pavilion of gold jewelry manufacturers. The fair includes finished jewelry, loose stones, silverware, timepieces and barometers, gifts, packaging, displays, tools, equipment and services. Reed Exhibitions 383 Main Ave., Norwalk, CT 06851; (203) 840-5313, fax (203) 840-9313.