Although Meg Carroll, designer/owner of Meg C Jewelry Gallery in Lexington, Ky., specializes in clean, modern metalsmithing and custom handmade engagement rings, the widespread, ever-growing appeal of vintage and estate jewelry isn’t lost on her. Even among her customers who favor unique jewelry from Carroll’s small stable of like-minded designers (think Dana Bronfman and Tura Sugden).
“I have always loved vintage jewelry, and I had been wanting to do a vintage jewelry trunk show with a local antique jewelry dealer for some time,” says Carroll.
So when Carroll and her team started brainstorming ideas for their summer event schedule, it seemed like a great time to reach out to local dealer Dianne Mink.
“She has a spectacular collection of vintage, antique, and estate jewelry, and she was excited to be involved,” says Carroll. “And because the event was going to be in June, we thought pairing the show with a vintage-inspired, diner-style ice cream social would take the event to the next level.”
Below, a breakdown of the elements that went into staging the ice cream social and making it a success.
Printed flyer
Promotional tactics
Carroll and her team developed a marketing campaign around the event, using a variety of colorful, enticingly styled photos and graphics. They sent multiple email blasts throughout the month leading up to the event, distributed printed flyers, created a Facebook event, and posted often on all of their social media outlets.
“We rely on social media a lot for marketing, and utilized Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to get the word out,” says Carroll. “The week leading up to the event, and on the day of the event, we shared a lot of Instagram and Facebook stories in addition to our typical daily posting.” The ice cream social even earned a promotional spot on the local news.
Catering and decor
“My team and I plan all of the events we host in the gallery together, whether it be a trunk show, exhibition, workshop, or launch party,” says Carroll. For the ice cream social, that meant researching classic soda fountain recipes, sourcing retro tabletop items, and handling things like decor—and the actual serving of the ice cream and beverages—themselves. Carroll and her team even wore 1950s dresses and neck scarves tied just so to bring in an extra element of vintage flair.
Turnout
The trunk show saw 40 to 50 people in attendance throughout the day. “We didn’t really know what to expect, since we hadn’t ever tried anything like this before, but we were really pleased with the turnout, and we plan to host the event annually,” says Carroll.
Top performers
“All of the jewelry in Dianne’s collection was just stunning, and we had a great response to the whole spread. However, the most attention was definitely on her incredible collection of Edwardian and Art Deco diamond engagement rings,” says Carroll.
In fact, because the response was so strong, the gallery will be including Mink in its next big event series: Bridal Month at Meg C Jewelry Gallery, which will highlight bridal jewelry at a variety of trunk shows and events throughout the month of October.
Top: According to Meg C Jewelry Gallery, vintage jewels and ice cream sundaes are a recipe for success.
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