Ed. note: After going to press, Reed Jewelry Group announced that the JIS October show would relocate to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., due to damage from Hurricane Irma. The dates, Oct. 8–11, remain the same. Click here for more information on the event and to learn about the Jewelers Disaster Relief Fund.
For jewelers looking to season their business with a little pleasure, the Jewelers International Showcase in Miami is an easy sell. The show, which returns to the Miami Beach Convention Center this fall with a new date pattern—Sunday, Oct. 8, to Wednesday, Oct. 11—is the ideal staging ground for a few days of productive fun in the sun.
“It’s a sold-out show—we’re wall-to-wall in this space,” says JIS industry vice president Jordan Tuchband of the venue, which is in the midst of a $600 million renovation. “They split the building in half and are renovating one side at a time, and we’re on the newer side. It looks killer.”
JIS October enjoys a strong reputation among exhibitors and buyers—about half of whom hail from the U.S., with a quarter coming from the Caribbean, and another quarter from Latin America—for its location, timing, and wide jewelry selection.
“You have everything from ultra-high-end to silver and fashion,” Tuchband says, singling out the Galleria pavilion for its concentration of high-end brands, including Siera, Natalie K, Neon Gems, and Shy Creation.
Attendees who flock to JIS to see exhibitors that offer cash-and-carry opportunities may be surprised to learn that not everyone at the show allows for immediate delivery—particularly not exhibitors in the Italian pavilion or Plumb Club, both of which are returning to the show this fall.
“Forty percent or more of the show does not do immediate delivery—that’s not their model,” Tuchband says. “If you’re a retailer from Bogotá or Mexico City, you’re not going to fly back with a suitcase of gold jewelry. But the cash-and-carry that does happen at the show is significant.”
All of these factors have helped make JIS October a hot ticket. “We anticipate one hell of a turnout,” Tuchband says. “Retailers are hedging their bets to be a little closer to the season, and JIS October is by far the best show domestically so close to the season.”
Bangles in 18k gold with 1.78–2.79 cts. t.w. diamonds; $10,000–$16,500; Nigaam; sales@nigaam.com; nigaam.com