An agreement with the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) will see the fair become an official partner, bringing the ‘Made in Italy’ brand to the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) next August. Deals are also in the works with the other so-called BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, and China.
The VicenzaOro Italian Club is also scheduled to hit the Las Vegas strip at next year’s JCK show, with about 150 Italian companies in tow. Other promotional efforts include the North American Buyer Cultivation Initiative, a project that will tap 12 U.S. retailers to act as ambassadors for the VicenzaOro brand to develop customer loyalty and expand trade relations between the two countries. In addition, T-Gold International—the fair’s technology show—will be travelling to China, Brazil, and India in collaboration with Associazione Fabbricanti Esportatori Macchine per Oreficeria (AFEMO) and with the support of the Italian Ministry for Economic Development.
On the home front, the fair’s new 15,000-m2 pavilion is on track to be completed in 2013, along with an eight-storey, 600-car parking garage. The extra space is in anticipation of growth in attendance due to the fair’s new partnerships. About 50,000 buyers gather for the three annual shows, but Ditri says that number is expected to increase by 100,000.
At ‘Fall,’ more than 1400 exhibitors from Italy’s traditional gold centres, as well as 30 countries around the world, participated in the event, billed as a final opportunity to stock up for the holiday season. Although final numbers were unavailable at press time, 15,000 buyers from 120 countries were expected to attend.
From the show’s aisles, notable design trends included interchangeable drop earrings, spiral rings and cuffs, rutilated quartz, turquoise, concave-cut gemstones, and laser-cut surfaces creating a diamond-like finish.
As global economic conditions infringe on the jewellery industry, creating the conditions for retailer success remained a priority among exhibitors.
Ricardo Vianna, owner of Vianna Joias in Brazil, says one of the biggest challenges right now is the decrease of gemstone production in that country due to tougher environmental procedures at the mining level. For the artisanal miners who extract the stones, the costs are very high, and projects must be approved by slow-moving government bodies.
