Miami’s JIS show welcomes retailers in the market for holiday jewels
Retailers in search of holiday product and a brief respite in one of America’s top vacation destinations—have you considered the Jewelers International Showcase in Miami? The show runs Oct. 14–17 at the Miami Beach Convention Center and is, according to Yancy Weinrich (pictured), senior vice president of Reed Jewelry Group, an ideal place to stock up on seasonal trends. She talks to JCK about what’s new at JIS and offers a sneak peek of the big JCK events in 2017.
JCK: What should readers know about the JIS show in Miami?
Yancy Weinrich: It’s the second–largest jewelry show in the United States in terms of both exhibitors and attendees. The show is about 60 percent cash-and-carry and 40 percent order-writing and closeouts, so it’s really convenient for people taking delivery for the holidays. The attendees are largely Latin American, and many love the South Florida location because their businesses are headquartered there. Miami is a really easy hub for them.
JCK: What’s new this year?
YW: Plumb Club will return with a bigger and better lounge. We also have an Italian Pavilion in Miami for the first time, with over 45 companies. We are introducing the mobile app that we used at JCK Las Vegas during JIS Miami. And the Retailer of the Year Award will be in its second year. Hong Kong and Brazil are also expanding their pavilions this year. All in all, we’ll have almost 700 exhibitors in Miami and thousands of attendees from more than 50 countries around the world. South Beach is tough to resist in October!
JCK: As retailers start planning their schedules for 2017, what should they know about JCK Tucson?
YW: JCK Tucson has great momentum. It’s this little oasis in the desert we’ve put together with designer-focused jewelry and exhibitors who can help retailers do custom design. This whole idea of customization and uniqueness and the desert oasis where retailers can get all that—it’s really picking up steam.
JCK: And what’s the key takeaway about JCK Las Vegas 2017?
YW: The JCK and LUXURY shows have shifted their dates to accommodate the Shavuot holiday. We’ve always worked around the holidays for our exhibitors because we have a large contingent of those who are observant, and we realize their importance in the industry.
In 2017, LUXURY starts Friday, June 2, and JCK starts Monday, June 5, and both shows go through Thursday, June 8. One thing to keep in mind is that all of the big events—Jewelers for Children, Plumb Club, Rocks the Beach—will stay on their same date pattern. So if they were on the third day of the show in previous years, they’ll stay on the third day of the show in 2017.
Top: 18k rose gold rings with rhodochrosite and diamonds, $2,330–$2,540; Vianna, Miami; 888-679-3088; viannabrasil.com