Jewellers Optimistic as 2012 Fairs Approach

Anticipation is growing for the jewellery industry as the 2012 trade fair season approaches.

The ‘jewellery trade fair season’ begins next month with Victoria hosting the Melbourne Jewellery Fair March 4-5 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, while the Brisbane Jewellery Fair takes place March 25-26 at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre in Southbank.

For the second consecutive year Australia will stage three jewellery fairs, with Sydney hosting the main event in September.

Director for wholesaler Ellani Collections, Paul Hicks, told Jeweller last year’s Melbourne fair was well supported and set in a positive atmosphere.

“I expect Melbourne to be even better for me this year,” Hicks said. “After a great Sydney fair and Christmas I’ve acquired a lot of new accounts and Melbourne has left me constantly busy.”

Hicks stressed the importance of having a third fair, saying it’s a great opportunity for retailers around the country to build relationships with suppliers and vice-versa.

“Australia and New Zealand is so spread out that it’s almost impossible to see everyone so the Melbourne and Brisbane fairs are great for everyone to come together,” Hicks added. “Retailing can be a tough gig at the moment so for them to see the wholesalers and form a view of where their business should head is beneficial.”

Duraflex Group director, Phil Edwards, said Thomas Sabo and Spinning Jewelry are launching new ranges at the Melbourne and Brisbane fairs.

“We’re using both fairs to launch two different products and hope to attain good feedback and high attendance rates,” Edwards told Jeweller. “We will have representatives from Thomas Sabo visiting Melbourne and overseas reps will be coming to Brisbane as well.”

Edwards intends to use both fairs as a solid testing ground for future years, with the supplier paying close attention to attendance and retailers’ feedback.

Royal Exhibition Centre in Melbourne's Carlton Gardens

“It’s unusual having two fairs so close together but this year’s fairs will be a testing ground for our new range of products,” Edwards said. “It will be a good chance to monitor retailers’ feedback and keep track of attendance levels.”

Registration

Fair organiser, Expertise Events advises that visitors to the 2011 fairs will have received a new Buyer Identification card making registration simple. Visitors with a blue photo card need only to mark the dates and present the card upon entry to the Melbourne and/or Brisbane fairs for immediate access.

Visitors still holding a past gold buyer card will be required to update their registration and new visitors or those updating their record can download a registration form from the Jewellery Fair website.

Expertise Events managing director, Gary Fitz-Roy said, “With three fairs along Australia’s east coast, the JAA Jewellery Fairs are an ideal chance for jewellery retailers to top-up their stocks and get in-tune with the latest trends after Christmas.”

Both the Melbourne and Brisbane trade fairs will each present over 90 exhibitors offering finished jewellery, retail services, watches and jeweller’s supplies.

Fashion Models to Show Off Jewellery at Sydney Fair

Expertise Events will celebrate the JAA International Jewellery Fair’s 20th anniversary in style with a live fashion parade that will revolutionise the fair’s day-to-day format.

Dubbed ‘Collection Preview Live’, the European-style runway show will feature professional models wearing exhibitors’ jewellery and watches. Three 15-minute long parades are set to take place on each day of the fair at hourly intervals between 12pm and 2pm.

Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-Roy has enlisted the services of the Niche Marketing Group to produce the fashion parade that is intended to commemorate the fair’s 20th anniversary. Fitz-Roy said it may become an annual event if it receives a positive response from exhibitors and attendees alike.

Fitz-Roy said the live fashion parade will be an ideal way to showcase the latest trends in the industry. “Collection Preview Live is designed to give retailers the chance to view our exhibitors’ products in-situ on real people,” he said.

“As well as bringing a new level of entertainment, glamour and sophistication to the event, we hope to provide inspiration to retailers as they search for new solutions for their business,” he added.

Exhibitors interested in having their products showcased had to pay a fee and supply products for whichever fashion segment they were appearing in.

Separately, New Zealand retailers who are interested in attending the Sydney fair can make use of a group package developed by the New Zealand Retailers Association and the Jewellers Association of New Zealand (JANZ). The package will offer Kiwi retailers a special group price to the fair inclusive of airfares and accommodation. JANZ will also have a stand at the fair and a Kiwi lounge area.

Fashion models at last year's JAA Design Awards

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