Whatever you’re up to this week, cancel your plans and get in front of your computer: JCK Virtual 2020 kicks off Monday, Aug. 10, and between browsing the exhibitors’ showrooms (more than 700 and counting!) and making video appointments to view the latest and greatest collections, you’re also going to want to take advantage of the virtual edition’s robust education lineup. Not to mention the networking events. Who’s up for “Drunk Yoga”?
All of this happens within the JCK Virtual 2020 platform, so make sure you’re registered, check out the calendar, and start planning your show schedule.
To help you narrow the options, our musts are highlighted below. Note: All events are happening in Eastern time—that means no jet lag for those of us who usually have to hop a westbound plane for the Vegas action! Also, pajamas welcome…
The Luxury Experience: Monday, Aug. 10
(by invitation only)
As usual, the Luxury virtual show commences before JCK proper and it’s an invite-only affair. Start the day at 10 a.m. with a keynote address by De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver, “Time to Connect: Evolving Consumer Perceptions and the Unique Role of Diamonds in the New Normal,” in which Cleaver will share insights from new consumer research, discuss industry trends, and outline what it all means for holiday sales.
Another highlight: At 5 p.m. join the Udell family, owners of London Jewelers on Long Island, N.Y., and in downtown Manhattan, as they host a live cooking lesson from their New York kitchen (yes, really). Throw on an apron and follow along for family secrets, their own recipes, and more.
JCK Talks Trends: Tuesday, Aug. 11–Friday, Aug. 14
(various times daily)
Join jewelry industry style and trend experts (including JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky) for a variety of forecasting and reporting sessions each day of the show. If you head to the calendar page and filter by “JCK Talks Trends” you can add the events you want to watch to your schedule. Highlights:
Tuesday, Aug. 11: Bridal trends with The Knot’s Shelley Brown and Engagement 101 at 11 a.m.; gemstone trends with Diamond Doodles and iDazzle at 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 12: Luxury trends at 1 p.m with Robb Report’s Kareem Rashed and @thediamondsgirl; bridge and currents trends with Gem Gossip at 4 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 13: Essentials in tech and retail innovation at 1 p.m with PSFK’s Piers Fawkes; watch trends at 4 p.m. with Worn & Wound’s Zach Weiss
Friday, Aug. 14: Diamond trends with Susan Jacques of the GIA (which is also this series’ sponsor) at 11 a.m.
JCK Talks: Aug. 11–14
(various times daily)
Same deal here: Filter the calendar by “JCK Talks” this time to reveal must-see events such as “Digital Fraud Trends That Make Selling Online Challenging” on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 3:30 p.m.; “Promoting Diversity in the Diamond Industry” on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m.; and “Retail Innovations Changing the Ways Consumer Shop” on Thursday, Aug. 13, at noon. Plus, don’t miss JCK‘s top editors’ and publisher Mark Smelzer’s rundown of “2020 Hot Topics” on Thursday at 3 p.m.
Association Mix & Mingle:
Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.
Going virtual didn’t stop the JCK Events team from getting the gang together again for its annual networking event with the American Gem Society Young Titleholders, Jewelers of America (JA), Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC), and the Women’s Jewelry Association. The JA is hosting an interactive game with prizes, and there’s even a special cocktail that you can mix up at home using a recipe developed by the JVC: the Full Disclosure, which calls for “truth-telling gin” and a “wedge of emerald lime.”
JCK Talks Keynote “2020 JCK Jewelry Industry COVID-19 Business Impact Report”: Aug. 13 at 10 a.m.
Join Reed Exhibitions chief operating officer Yancy Weinrich, JCK news director Rob Bates, John Carter of Jack Lewis Jewelers in Bloomington, Ill., and Megan Flynn of M. Flynn Jewelry in Boston, as they unpack the results of a survey sent to jewelry retailers and industry professionals on the topic of the pandemic’s effect on the jewelry industry. Having taken the pulse, as it were, on where things stand, this talk is where you can find out what “business as (un)usual” looks like, and if there are any silver linings (spoiler: there are!).
Top: Omi Privé, known for its one-of-a-kind gemstones, is a JCK Virtual 2020 exhibitor. Use the JCK Virtual platform to set up a time to see their collection. That’s what this event is all about!
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