For anyone in the diamond and jewelry industry, last week was a big one - the annual JCK show was held in Las Vegas. Touted as one of the most important diamond and jewelry trade shows in the US, JCK, which runs annually in late May to early June, is a good example of the way that trade shows can help knit together the various players, personalities and profits that set the tone for the year ahead. So in honor of JCK, we’ve decided to focus this post on some of our favorite, famous diamond industry trade shows.
Like every industry, diamond trade shows give industry players the opportunity to get together, face to face, and get down to business. Whether in the diamond jewelry trade or any other industry, there are a few key reasons why people attend trade shows. Here, we’ve broken them down into a focused list of five.
Why Attend a Diamond Trade Show?
- Networking: Trade shows are a great way to meet new people in the industry, strengthen professional ties, refresh old business acquaintances and update your address book. For most of the year, business owners are busy - with running their business and the day to day minutiae of earning a living. Trade shows are an opportunity to get a breath of fresh air, while staying on the job. Apart from business networking, many trade shows offer evening programs with concerts, parties and get-togethers to enable some relaxed social mingling as well.
- Education: Trade shows are chock-a-block with educational offerings - lectures, demonstrations, panel discussions and Q&As. A good trade show will host a variety of educational events on a range of topics, so you can pick and choose the ones that are relevant to your business and needs.
- Latest industry updates: Trade shows are an opportunity to find out the latest happenings in the industry. This may be via appearances and events featuring influencers and key industry figures. Also, trade shows are often chosen by companies as the venue to make big industry announcements. For example, just before the recent JCK Las Vegas show, De Beers announced that the company will sell lab-grown diamonds to the public, which certainly caused quite a stir.
- Trend spotting: If there’s a new, upcoming or hot trend, trade shows are the place to find out. Companies like to present new products or even launch new products at trade shows, hoping to create a buzz. With so many potential customers and competitors under one roof, trade shows are a great way to spot trends and keep your finger on the pulse of what’s new and exciting in the industry.
- Buying & selling: Of course, trade shows are also an opportunity to increase your bottom line. Much buying, selling and deal making goes on at trade shows, not just at the booths, but at dinners and meetings. Trade shows are a rare opportunity to meet many potential customers face to face, and in a short period of time, which means it’s the perfect time to focus on business deals and to lay the groundwork for future sales.
So these are the reasons why you might want to attend a diamond trade show. Now, let’s focus on which shows are worth attending. With hundreds of trade shows focusing on diamonds, gems and jewelry worldwide, here is just a small sample, covering the world’s major diamond centers.
5 Not-to-be-Missed Diamond Trade Shows
1) JCK - United States
JCK 2018, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, once again proved to be a hit. JCK is a leading media authority in the jewelry industry, the publisher of JCK magazine and host of a series of trade shows. The JCK Las Vegas show attracts over 20,000 visitors and over 2000 vendors, including jewelry, diamond, gemstone, equipment and security vendors.
Sarine participates every year at JCK, and this year we were very proud to have been named a finalist in the JCK Think Tank for innovative technology. Our VP Products Roni Ben Ari presented our AI-based digital diamond grading reports to an enthralled audience. Also, Sarine CEO David Block participated in a panel discussing one of the hottest movements in the diamond industry - blockchain.
Roni Ben Ari, VP Products at Sarine, presents our AI-based digital diamond grading reports during the Think Tank competition at JCK Las Vegas 2018
2) Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show - Asia
The Hong Kong Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which runs concurrently with the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, is the largest jewelry trade show in Asia, attracting a combined 80,000 visitors and 5,000 exhibitors. The show runs during February or March, and brings visitors from all over Asia and the world.
The show includes loads of special events, including fashion shows, presentations, networking events and seminars by industry leaders. It’s widely regarded as the most glittering show for the jewelry trade and related products and services, with ‘themed’ zones and halls displaying specialized and elaborate jewels and jewelry pieces. It’s definitely the place to spot the latest glitzy jewelry trends.
3) Baselworld - Switzerland
Baselworld is the trade show for the watch and jewelry industry, held in Basel, Switzerland. With over 2000 exhibitors from 45 countries, and nearly 100,000 visitors, Baselworld showcases the world’s leading watch and jewelry brands. There’s a lot of tradition backing up the Baselworld show, which was first held in around 1920. This year, Baselworld changed its format, hosting far fewer exhibitors and shortening the duration of the show by two days. Attendance numbers however remained unchanged, and the CEO of Rolex declared that Baselworld is still a must for Swiss watch brands.
4) International Diamond Week - Israel
Running at the diamond bourse in Ramat Gan usually in February, International Diamond Week was held for the first time in 2011, and draws 500 buyers from 30 countries, and 200 diamond and jewelry companies who display their wares at the busy trading week. Although a smaller trade show, International Diamond Week tends to reflect the state of the industry, hosted in one of the world’s historical diamond trading hubs. This year, in line with overall trading trends in the diamond industry, sentiment at International Diamond Week was positive, indicating a strengthening market.
5) India International Jewellery Show - India
India’s premier jewelry show, IIJS runs concurrently in two sections - the Jewellery, Stones & Allied section, and the Machinery section. Held in Mumbai, the show hosts visitors from more than 800 cities and towns across India, and over 80 countries. A strictly B2B show, IIJS is the ideal trade show for jewelry and gemstone manufacturers, importers, traders and retailers. As India is the world’s largest diamond manufacturing hub, the IIJS trade show is an important industry event, placing an emphasis on allied equipment and machinery for jewelry and gemstone production.
So there you have it - the why and the what of diamond trade shows. At Sarine, we regularly exhibit at diamond and jewelry trade shows throughout the year. Which diamond trade show will you be attending next?
