Nationwide Jewellers and the Independent Jewellers Collective (IJC) have thrown their weight behind the upcoming Australian Jewellery Fair at Sydney’s International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour.
Both buying groups have scheduled member activities for the day before the show’s opening to encourage attendance as well as reconnect face-to-face. Nationwide Jewellers – Australia and New Zealand’s largest buying group – has moved to ensure the fair is a central focus to the commencement of it 2022 member activities.
“This week we will be advising all members that our Trade Fair Dollars – $20,000 to $40,000 in 6 months interest free finance – will be available for them to buy from our preferred suppliers at the Australian Jewellery Fair on 12-13th March 2022,” Colin Pocklington managing director said.
He explained that the finance would be available to all members across Australia and New Zealand, “whether they are able to attend the jewellery fair or not”.
“Making the finance available to all will be of particular assistance to members impacted by border closures – Western Australia, and possibly New Zealand,” Pocklington added.
Dubbed the ‘Australian Jewellery Fair 2022 Kickstart’, Gary Fitz-Roy, managing director Expertise Events said: “There is no doubt that while the jewellery industry has survived the past two years relatively intact, the vision for how it maintains and fully recovers post-COVID needs to be at the centre of everything we do as an industry”.
Nationwide’s decision to back the event means its free finance to members will not be available at other events and “in early February we will advise members of our detailed program for the fair, which will include education and training opportunities” Pocklington said.
Fitz-Roy said, “The 2022 event really flows on from the 2021 event which we ran in March last year back in the same room and location [at the Convention Centre] and the timing was crucial then as it is now.
“As we know COVID has changed everything and it’s logical to think post-Christmas if there is going to be a spread after so many people have mixed it’s going to be January and early February so from best practice safety perspective March allows things to subside, running to early may compromise suppliers and retailers as omicron still circulates and kids return to school.”
He said that after consultation with suppliers they indicated that a later date in March was the best because supply chain and delivery disruption means retailers have been taking longer to re-assess their stock levels for Mother’s Day and the coming months before the major fair in August.
“This year’s event is even more important as the thing we have learned is that gathering together is not just about buying. Given the past two years, networking and talking to colleagues about your experiences are crucial, you can’t keep this bottled up.
“We also need to celebrate the positive things, and not get bogged down about what was, we need to keep looking forward. On Saturday afternoon we have happy hour, which is a chance for the community to get together, continue buying or just catch up with friends and colleagues,” Fitz-Roy said.
IJC is currently finalising its plans and activities timed to coincide with the Australian Jewellery Fair 2022 Kickstart.
“The March event is another important step in the healing and reconnection and for many the first chance again in a long while to catch up with key suppliers and colleagues, we can’t wait to see the industry united under the one roof and back in the room,” Fitz-Roy said.
More reading
New jewellery trade fair announced; March 2022
