JCK ORLANDO SHOW TO FOCUS ON BUSINESS

JCK’s Orlando 2000 International Jewelry Show & Conference, scheduled for Jan. 27-30 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla., will feature more than 950 exhibitors.

The conference program, comprising 16 educational sessions, will take place on Thursday, Jan. 27. The sessions are divided into four tracks: Diamonds; Sales and Marketing; a special American Gem Society track; and “From the Industry,” in which association leaders provide information to help jewelers in their store operations. At “Touch the Future,” an interactive learning exhibit on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, jewelers can have a one-on-one dialogue with an expert.

The exhibit hall, which opens Friday, Jan. 28, will include several special sections. A new section, the Technology and Business Services Pavilion, will be devoted to new developments for jewelry stores. The Design Center will showcase 75 of the industry’s most talented designers. The Diamond Plaza section will include more than 30 exhibitors displaying diamonds and diamond jewelry. Time Square, the watch section, will feature 60 exhibitors. The International Marketplace will comprise exhibitors from Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, Tahiti, and Thailand. The Plumb Club’s more than 35 members will be housed in a specially designed, spacious pavilion. The Product Panorama, an up-front showcase, will feature new products.

Each morning at 8 a.m., there will be a keynote address and complimentary continental breakfast. On Friday, Jan. 28, Gary Gordon of Samuel Gordon Jewelers, Oklahoma City, will discuss “Diamond Retail.” On Saturday, Jan. 29, Antwerp diamond cutter Gabi Tolkowsky will speak about “The Music of Diamonds.” Diamonds will again be on the agenda on Saturday, Jan. 30, when Shane Decker of Shane Decker Diamond Co., Franklin, Ind., discusses “Selling Everyone’s Favorite Gem.”

Social events at the show will include a golf tournament on Thursday morning, a complimentary Welcome Reception on Thursday evening, and a free Super Bowl party on Sunday.

For more information, call (800) 257-3636 or (203) 840-5684.

OHIO JEWELERS DISCOVER COLUMBUS

During the last weekend of August, more than 3,000 jewelers from Ohio and the six surrounding states flocked to Columbus for the 56th annual Columbus Jewelry Show. Some 1,200 industry suppliers displayed their products and services at the regional event, sponsored by the Ohio Jewelers Association and held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

The show got started Friday morning with a golf outing featuring a $10,000 award for a hole-in-one. (No one carded an ace.) After a day of educational sessions, show goers were invited to a cocktail reception sponsored by JCK.

The doors at the exhibit hall opened to heavy traffic Saturday. “Saturday was busier than it’s normally been,” says show manager Adriana Sfalcin. “And Sunday is always a strong day for us.” Heavy security included a SWAT team to keep the bandits at bay. There were no incidents. Says Sfalcin, “Everything ran like a top.”

Well, maybe not everything. One jeweler complained of an underdone hot dog. Says Sfalcin, “If that’s the worst thing that happened to anyone, we must have had a pretty good show.” Even so, she’s not taking any chances. Next year she plans to staff the grill herself.—Rob Murphy

COLLECTIBLES CONFERENCE SLATED THIS MONTH

The Collectibles Business and Gift Executive Annual Conference will take place Nov. 10-12 at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. The theme is “The Real Y2K Problem: How to Grow Sales in the Hyper-Competitive Millennium.” Branding and the Internet will be the subjects of two keynote speeches.

Other session topics are sales and distribution. A panel made up of leading retailers will be featured. Separate sessions will focus on the latest trends in the giftware and collectibles market.

For information, contact Unity Marketing, 188 Cocalico Creek Rd., Stevens, PA 17578; (717) 336-1600, fax (717) 336-1601.