With its inaugural jewelry-industry leadership retreat, Jewelers Mutual Group officials say the Conversations in Park City event gives attendees an experience perfect for this moment, focusing on deep learning, meaningful conversations, an array of industry leaders to network with, and an unforgettable setting.
The conference is set for Oct. 14–16 at the St. Regis Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah. This three-day event requires registration; there also is the cost of travel, hotel, and the retreat’s $1,250 participation fee. Registration deadline is Aug. 31.
Ideal attendees are people who want to be at the top in terms of leadership and thought-provoking conversations about the jewelry industry, says Mark Smelzer, chief content executive at Jewelers Mutual. Attendees will include people in retail, manufacturing, membership associations, and selected media representatives, all there to network, study, and connect, he says.
“It’s a pure-play thought and opinion leader event,” says Smelzer, who is also JCK‘s former publisher. “It’s about solving the pain points [across the industry] and offering new solutions.”
Smelzer says the conference and retreat also “connects with what Jewelers Mutual does, which is our north star of helping the industry and raising the tide for everyone. The better the jewelry industry does, the better we all do.”
Pulling people out of the city, putting them in this beautiful mountain setting, and then connecting them in small-yet-meaningful conversations and in front of key panelists is creating something new for the jewelry industry, Smelzer says.
“It’s the intersection of all these great ideas of creating an event that is additive to the schedule, not duplicative. It doesn’t compete with other [jewelry-industry] events out there,” Smelzer says.
Conversations in Park City starts with a kickoff cocktail party on Oct. 14. The next day is devoted to a deep dive into retail, the future of the jewelry industry, and consumer trends with expert leaders at PSFK, a retail and shopper-experience consulting firm based in New York. PSFK also will share insights on tech trends, such as Web3, NFTs, and the metaverse, Smelzer says. The final conference day focuses on interactive panels on key industry topics, including customer service, sustainability, and more.
In addition to the social and educational events, Smelzer says attendees can participate in à la carte, off-campus excursions meant to spark friendship and casual conversations. These activities include fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and more, all focused on the natural habitat and creating lifelong connections for industry leaders, he says.
In a company statement, Scott Murphy, president and CEO of Jewelers Mutual, says he hopes attendees will be “inspired by the content and motivated by how our industry can evolve.”
“While Jewelers Mutual began as an insurance provider over 100 years ago, we have transformed into a company that provides a robust suite of solutions to help further the growth of the jewelry industry every day. We view Conversations in Park City as another way for us to deliver value to the industry, this time through an educational and social lens,” Murphy said.
Top: Park City, Utah, will serve as the host to the first Conversations in Park City event, a three-day retreat and conference for jewelry-industry leaders (photos courtesy of Mark Smelzer).
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