EDITOR’S LETTER
CONTRIBUTORS
Is it still show time?
CONTRIBUTORS
NATALIE PERRY
Natalie is a jewellery
designer and
founder of Natalie
Perry Jewellery. She
creates sustainable
jewellery from
fairtrade gold,
recycled silver and
ethically-sourced
gemstones.
HANNAH
SHUCKSMITH
Hannah is the
founder and creative
director of Hannah
Shucksmith London.
Hannah is also a life
coach and likes to
combine both her
interests.
PHILIP KYDD
Philip is the
founder of Philip
Kydd gold and
silversmith and has
been producing
hand crafted
jewellery and
silverware for over
30 years in their
workshop in North
Somerset.
LEONARD ZELL
Leonard has
been training fine
jewellers for 25
years. His monthly
column gives
some top tips on
sales training and
improving your
bottom line.
ON THE
COVER
I hope you enjoy the issue.
October 2018
www.jewelleryfocus.co.uk
£5.95 | ISSN 2046-7265
ARE JEWELLERY
TRADE SHOWS
DEAD?
Following the news of the watch giant
Swatch Group pulling out of Baselworld,
we investigate whether trade shows still
retain the same value as they once did
Are jewellery
trade shows dead?
Page 20
In my years as editor of this magazine I have
attended dozens of trade events, collecting,
among other things, impressions of the
shows, a flavour of how much buying and
selling goes on, and a gauge of the mood
of the industry at large. It fluctuates, and
you will always have people lamenting low
footfall, but is always illuminating.
This year has arguably brought the issue of slow days at the trade
show to a head, with Swatch announcing they will withdraw from
Baselworld, and sticking the boot in to the organisers as they did
it. It has no doubt set the jewellery community throughout Europe
and possibly even further afield to wondering: does the benefit
still outweigh the cost? It’s a question of existential importance if
your business is organising shows. There is no doubt that several
prominent events have seen exhibitor numbers dwindle noticeably
in recent years, and it is hard to see how, in a market where serious
new entrants are few and far between, this cannot result in a
downward spiral. If there are fewer exhibitors, there is less to see,
so footfall dips and those who do still exhibit feel that pain. This
colours their decision-making when pondering whether to exhibit
again next year.
Consequently, and especially in the wake of Swatch’s
announcement, there has been much discussion about the necessity
for show organisers to ‘reinvent’ their platform, but there is only so
much that can be done. Dancers, champagne and jazz quartets do
not make the tills ring, and more importantly, they do not undo the
20 years’ entrenchment of easy-to-use online marketplaces, highly
efficient logistics, and remote trading. Many may still enjoy going to
exhibitions, and yes some business will be done, some relationships
forged. But it is not necessary to attend anymore. If orders are not
being signed in substantial volumes, the experience is reduced to a
PR and glad-handing exercise, and a very expensive one at that.
I don’t profess to have any developed ideas about how the format
could be rebooted in such a way as to stay relevant in the internet
age, but one thing’s for certain: it will only survive if it does.
TALKING POINT
RETAIL ADVICE
We ask jewellers about their
experience at IJL 2018
32
Why marketing your business for
annual events is important
34
42
TAKING STOCK LEONARD ZELL YOUR VIEWS
A look at the latest product
releases and business services Leonard Zell looks at the different
types of sales managers We sit down with Jianhui Yan,
founder of Jianhui London
October 2018 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk
MICHAEL NORTHCOTT
Editor, Jewellery Focus
[email protected]
JEWELLERY FOCUS
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