Alchemy in Vicenza
A big tick for IEG which gave VOICE to a hybrid event for the gold and jewellery trade in Italy
IEG ’ s organising team in Vicenza was rewarded for its very bold move to create a hybrid experience for devotees of the famous Vicenzaoro jewellery and gold tradeshow , with a real September success and many important deals being done .
In just two months , the hybrid event , Christened VOICE , went from a creative idea and design , to realisation and production , attracting 370 exhibitors and 100 speakers .
The new VOICE concept was designed to keep the industry together , but as a separate hybrid entity and with no risk of compromising the Vicenzaoro main tradeshow brand .
Despite the pressure to deliver , IEG ’ s organisers let novel ideas and innovation fly as they re-thought the concept , innovated and collaborated to come up with a new product for the new circumstances .
The full tale of how the IEG created VOICE and the thinking behind it was laid out in a presentation by IEG ’ s group brand director jewellery & fashion , Marco Carniello , in a recent UFI Connect session , which is available to view via the UFI website .
With typical Italian flair , the naming of the event ‘ VOICE ’ was deliberate to give voice to the jewellery world and to add impetus to economic reactivation . The initial letter ‘ V ’ symbolised a rebound , a return to growth . And with its horizontal underscore , the ‘ V ’ also resembles a tick , that graphic sign defining the fulfilment of an action . VOICE was a positive sign for companies , for the whole sector and for Made in Italy .
The hybrid event took place in Vicenza , 12-14 September , and gave an entirely new format to the postlockdown gold / jewellery industry which had not had the possibility to meet , discuss or do business since the January edition of Vicenzaoro . Over 600 business matching meetings were organised by IEG , a third of them online , and there was a full programme of seminars , conference sessions and talks , with film-making techniques employed .
There were virtual buyers ’ rooms where over 200 trade deals were struck , and the knowledge
Left : A powerful VOICE in Vicenza programme clocked up over 3.5m views on digital channels .
The balanced format between the physical dimension and VOICE ’ s digital offer , gave a real filip to the sector , which was determined to beat the re-start challenge .
Those in physical attendance all observed IEG ’ s # safebusiness protocol , the strict system adopted to ensure a safe and functional , live in-show experience .
VOICE , therefore , became the event that gave voice to a key sector and allowed an entire community to re-unite over three days .
Big names taking part included Jerome Favier , vice-president and CEO for Gruppo Damiani , Stephen Lussier , CEO for Forevermark at De Beers , Edward Asscher , president of the World Diamond Council , and Gaetano Cavalieri , president of Cibjo .
Many other owners and CEOs from top companies along the Italian supply chain were also in attendance at VOICE . Also present were Maddalena Capra , head of sustainability for Pomellato ; Eleonora Rizzuto , director of corporate sustainability and responsibility ( CSR ) ethics and compliance officer at Bulgari and LVMH Italy ; Isabella Traglio , vicegeneral manager at Vhernier .
Leading social influencers , such as Laura Inghirami , founder and creative director of Donna Jewel , and Yianni Melas , an expert from the world of gems , known as the modern-day Indiana Jones , also took part in the show .
The list of corporates was a long one and all the national category associations were fully represented .
VOICE was a huge showroom in which companies were able to present their product offer and latest collections created during the lockdown months .
IEG thanked all the companies that attended by making them part of the event ’ s own logo with the V tick made up of all their names .
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 5 2020 31