Fiera di Vicenza managing director Corrado Facco wanted VicenzaOro Dubai to be an international show, and by all accounts, it looks like he succeeded: Some 6,000 visitors from more than 110 countries flocked to the four-day high-end jewelry fair, held April 23–26, in the UAE’s most populous city.
In its first year, VicenzaOro Dubai (VOD)—organized by DV Global Link, a joint venture between Fiera and the Dubai World Trade Centre, which hosted the show—welcomed 500+ brands from more than 25 countries. The largest contingents of exhibitors came from Italy, the UAE, and India, thanks to a partnership with India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJPEC).
Day 1 kicked off with a formal ribbon-cutting by His Highness Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director general of the Dubai department of information, and ended with what’s come to be something of a trade-show tradition: the Le Vian fashion show. (VOD marked the brand’s official entrance into the Dubai market.)
Other buzzed-about events included a fashion show sponsored by World Diamond Mark featuring jaw-dropping diamond jewels by Dubai-based retailer Dhamani; the GJEPC-sponsored India Night dinner; and an exhibition of extraordinary necklaces called “The Italian Beauty,” featuring contemporary designs from such artists as Roberto Coin, Diego Percossi Papi, and Franco Pianegonda, inspired by the Beauty Room at Vicenza’s Museo del Gioiello.
The second annual VOD is set for April 14–17, 2016—strategically placed in the trade show calendar, explained Facco, between Baselworld and JCK Las Vegas.
Rays of Love necklace in silver and diamonds by Franco Pianegonda
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