Live from Vegas - Day 7

The invoices have been closed-off, the final handshakes have been exchanged, the exhibitors are packing-up and dispersing back into the world.  JCK Las Vegas is done.  I was asked a few times why I was here and my answer obviously included buying and education.  We also come looking for trends.  That was a tough answer to give.

In my observations, there were no clear-cut trends that you HAVE to observe.  At AGTA you’d think that pink and green tourmalines were the hot ticket, but indicolite, opal, tanzanite were also trending up.  At the main show, you might see a lot of engagement sets that were highly embellished with micro-set diamonds, but there were simpler bolder designs as well.  If you heeded the words of the experts at the seminars, you’d easily believe that your shoppers are trending towards personalized design, internet savvy and social consciousness.

The most important thing that attendees of the show will bring-back to their stores is a feeling that they gave their business a shot of adrenaline.  They can say to their clients, “I hand-picked this out of thousands…”  They can say, “I met the designer in person.”  They can discuss supply-chain ethics with much more authority.  The up-and-comers who were in attendance for the first time are glowing in the knowledge that there’s infinitely more to this industry than the four walls they occupy for their 50 weeks per year.  Walking among thousands of people who have made a passionate choice of jewellery as their career, suddenly these young guns stop gawking and realize they walk among peers.

There are other shows coming up and more opportunity to boost your businesses.  Don’t miss-out.  It’s been said that if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got; but there’s a new sentiment out there.  The new sentiment is that the status quo will lead to declining fortunes.  In this day of viral media, competition from the internet, and rapid access to inventory from all over the world, it requires more knowledge, resourcefulness and passion to succeed.

I hope to see you at the next show.