THREE SHOWS TO FEATURE ANTIQUE & ESTATE JEWELRY

The International Jewelers Association has scheduled three antique shows for 1996:

• The Original Miami Beach Antique Show will be held Feb. 2-7 in the Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Fla.

• The Las Vegas Antique & Estate Jewelry Show will be held May 30-June 2 in the Aladdin Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

• The Miami Beach Antique Jewelry & Watch Show will be held Oct. 25-27 in the Miami Beach Convention Center.

International Jewelers Association, 3150 Danville Blvd., Suite B, Alamo, Cal. 94507; (510) 552-0452, fax (510) 552-6233.

JA LAS VEGAS! ANNOUNCES EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The new JA Las Vegas! jewelry show, scheduled for Jan. 10-12 in the Sands Expo & Convention Center, will feature a two-part education program.

The Jewelers of America Center for Business Studies will present one part, called the “Southwest Regional Education Conference.” National Jeweler magazine will present the second, called “Build a More Profitable Business: Start the New Year with Tools From the Experts.”

The show itself is produced by the Miller Freeman Jewelry Group, which publishes National Jeweler, and Blenheim Group USA, which owns and produces the JA International Jewelry Shows. Organizers expect 1,000+ exhibitors in 1,650 booths for the show.

Part 1: The CBS conference starts and ends one day before the show. Here’s the schedule for each day:

· Jan. 9 &endash; Certified Store Manager review class, 8:30-10 a.m., presented by Karen Kelly of Jan Bell; CSM test, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; “Synthetic Diamonds,”10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m, Gemological Institute of America; “All the Diamond Cutting You Ever Need to See,” 1:30-3 p.m., Ronnie Vanderlinden and David Steinmetz of Diamex Inc.; and “Gemstone Enhancement Seminar,” 1:30-4:30 p.m., GIA.

· Jan. 10 &endash; “How to Sell More Diamonds Over 1 Ct.,” 9-10:30 a.m., sales trainer Shane Decker; “Service, Service and More Service,” 10:45-11:45 a.m., Karen Kelly; “How to Go After the Multibillion-Dollar Hispanic Market,” 1-2:15 p.m., Joe Monserrat, former national director of the Puerto Rican Business and Marketing Association; “Jewelers in Cyberspace: How to Use the Internet,” 2:30-3:30 p.m., Eileen Farrell of JA, Jeff Cramp of Cramp & Associates and Jacques Voorhees of Polygon; and “Greek Gold: A History Lesson,” 3:45-5:40 p.m., Judith Reiss of Pratt Institute.

· Jan. 11 &endash; “Selling Pearls with the Quality Cultured Pearl Reference System,” 9:30-10:30 a.m., Devin Macnow of the Cultured Pearl Association; “Wax Modeling Clinic,” 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m., Judith Reiss; and “How to Create Matching Bands for Semimounts,” 3:30-5:30 p.m., Chuck Bowman of Stuller Settings.

Part 2: The National Jeweler conference, scheduled for Jan. 10-11, will be divided into two tracks: “Diamonds Are Big Business,” which will feature seminars to improve diamond marketing expertise and address diamond industry issues, and “Developing Your Business,” which will focus on sharpening marketing and merchandising skills. Here is the schedule:

· Jan. 10 &endash; “Detecting Fracture-Filled Diamonds and Why You Need to Know About Them,” 10:30-11:45 a.m., presented by Deborah Hiss of GIA; “Recovering from Bad Press About Diamonds: How to Maintain a Positive Image,” 1-2:15 p.m., Joan Parker, senior partner with the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency; “How to Make Your Diamond Department More Profitable,” 2:30-3:30 p.m., Tom Tivol of Tivol Jewels; and “De Beers, Fracture-Filling Synthetics…Learn How Current Hot Issues Affect Your Business,” 3:45-5 p.m., Allen Lipscher of Global Diamonds, Ronnie Vanderlinden of Diamex Inc. and Ron Yehuda of Yehuda Diamond Co.

· Jan. 11 &endash; “Tune into TV Shopping for Valuable Sales & Merchandising Techniques,” 9:30-10:45 a.m., Julie Livingston, a creative marketing consultant; “Make Your Store the Talk of the Town: Positioning for Success,” 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Nick Greve of Carl Greve Jewelers; “Develop a Comprehensive Ad Plan: Get More Bang for Your Buck,” 1-2:15 p.m., Stuart Fetter and Harry Aureli of Silverman Associates; “Getting Personal: Knowing More Than Your Customer’s Birthday Can Build Sales,” 2:30-3:30 p.m., Susan Eisen of Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry; and “Turn Today’s Merchandising Trends into Profits,” 3:45-5 p.m., Gary Gordon of Samuel Gordon Jewelers.

(Organizers caution that dates and times for both parts of the education program are subject to change.) To register for the CBS courses, call Gina De Haan, JA’s director of education at (800) 223-0673. To register for the National Jeweler conference, call (201) 346-1400. For show information, retailers should call (800) 528-7017.

NORTHWEST TRAVELERS REPORT GOOD SHOW

Exhibitors at the Northwest Travelers’ Association Fall Trade Show, held Sept. 9-10 in Portland, Ore., reported some of their best sales in years, according to organizers. They attributed their success to more preshow promotion and the attraction of shopping locally.

The show included an educational program by the Gemological Institute of America and the awarding of four GIA scholarships.

Held in conjunction with the show were the Oregon State Jewelers and Pacific Northwest Jewelers conventions.

The 1996 show will be held Sept. 7-8 in the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash. Northwest Travelers’ Association, 16806 222 St. E., Graham, Wash. 98338; (360) 893-6669 telephone and fax.

PLANS ANNOUNCED FOR JA NEW YORK SHOW

Retailers will have a chance to gear up for the spring selling season at the JA International Jewelry Show, scheduled for Feb. 3-6 in the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, N.Y.

Blenheim Group USA, which owns and operates the show, expects about 1,000 exhibitors and 12,000 buyers.

Show highlights will include:

• Plumb Club Pavilion &endash; This is the club’s first pavilion at a JA show and will feature 30 companies with customized booths, private conference rooms, a lounge with complimentary refreshments and a business center with telephones, fax and copy machine.

• Designer Gallery &endash; Penny Preville, Alex Sepkus and David Yurman are among the designers who will showcase their work.

• New Product Gallery &endash; Exhibitors will present their most innovative designs in showcases arranged by award-winning stylist Penny Hochberg.

• International Watch & Clock Pavilion &endash; As usual, this pavilion will include Chronos, the futuristic watch and clock store with 18 window displays, the Clock Tower Plaza cafe and a watch and clock window display contest sponsored by Watch & Clock Review and Chronos magazines.

• By Appointment OnlySM &endash; Buyers must make appointments in advance or on-site to view watch lines with limited distribution.

Also planned are international pavilions for exhibitors from France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy and Thailand. Buyers may meet privately with exhibitors or use a telephone, fax and photocopy machine in the buyers’ lounge.

Education: The JA Center for Business Studies will present an education program at the show. The seminars will range from “Welcome to the World of Diamonds” to “Jewelers in Cyberspace: How to Use the Internet.” In addition, the Gemological Institute of America will present a full-day workshop Feb. 3 on synthetic diamonds and gemstone enhancement.

For the first time, JA and Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, N.Y., will produce CBS courses that fall within Pratt’s continuing education requirements. CBS graduates who have earned up to 120 credits in the JA Education Program may be eligible for the Pratt Jewelry Certificate offered through the school’s continuing education department.

UNIVERSAL JEWELRY SHOW TO DEBUT IN LAS VEGAS

The Universal Jewelry Show will debut next fall in Las Vegas, Nev. The show will be held Oct. 3-5 in the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Samuel Lopresto, a veteran trade show organizer, is president of Universal Jewelry Show Inc. Teresa Darling, also a veteran show organizer, is chief executive officer and general manager. Sales and marketing will be handled by Donnelly’s, the Trade Show Group.

Organizers expect to have about 900 booths. Special sections will showcase gemstone dealers, estate jewelry dealers, jewelry designers, watches and international exhibitors. The show will be preceded by a two-day educational program. Details will be announced later.

Admission is open only to retail jewelers and finished jewelry wholesalers.

For discount airfare and hotel rates, call Wings of Dawn at (800) 472-6327 or (800) 344-4453.

Universal Jewelry Show Inc., 13121 Estes Circle, Westminster, Cal. 92683; exhibitors call (800) 816-6626, buyers call (800) 962-2431 fax (310) 694-8701.

FOREIGN SHOW UPDATE

Organizers expect 4,800 exhibitors and 115,000 buyers from around the world for Ambiente ’96 &endash; International Frankfurt Fair, scheduled for Feb. 24-28 in Frankfurt, Germany. The fair has three sections: tableware, home design and giftware, including jewelry and timepieces. Messe Frankfurt, 200 Galleria Parkway, Suite 790, Atlanta, Ga. 30399; (770) 984-8016, fax (770) 984-8023.

Increased exhibitor registration for International Jewellery Tokyo ’96 indicates Japan’s recession is on the way to recovery, according to the show’s organizer, Reed Exhibition Cos. The show, scheduled for Feb. 14-17, will feature more than 700 exhibitors and is expected to attract about 35,000 buyers. Pavilions are planned for exhibitors from Austria, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Reed Exhibition Cos., 383 Main Ave., Norwalk, Conn. 06851; (203) 840-5313, fax (203) 840-9313.

Exhibitors said business was good despite slightly lower attendance at the Japan Jewellery Fair, held Sept. 20-22 in Yokohama. Next year’s show will be held Sept. 4-6 at Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama. For information, U.S. jewelers are asked to contact MESAGO Messe & Kongress GmbH, Rotebühlstr. 83-855, D-70178 Stuttgart, Germany; (49-711) 619-460, fax (49-711) 618-079.

Oro Arezzo, held Sept. 2-5 in Arezzo, Italy, attracted 300 exhibitors and 3,500 buyers. The buyer attendance was up 8% from 1994. Organizers said business was brisk for high-end, high-design jewelry and slower for chain vendors. The show is organized by Centro Affaire Promozioni, Via Fleming, 1-52100 Arezzo, Italy; (39-575) 381-333, fax (39-575) 383-028.

Organizers were pleased with business at the inaugural MIOR and SMART Expo, exhibitions of jewelry, timepieces, loose stones, tableware and giftware held Sept. 15-18 in Bologna, Italy. More than 400 exhibitors and 14,000 buyers participated.

Intergem, the International Trade Fair for Gemstones and Gemstone Jewelry, was held Sept. 22-25 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Attendance was off slightly from last year, but exhibitors said business was good considering the weak economy. The theme &endash;”Gemstones with Rare Inclusions” &endash; was reflected in special exhibits, in a forum featuring renowned Swiss gemologist Eduard Gübelin and in the Visitors’ Prize, a 1.483-gram rock crystal ball with rutile needle inclusions. The prize went to Manfred Erdmann, a goldsmith in Hamm, Westfalia, Germany.

The Inhorgenta trade fair will be held Feb. 23-26 in the Munich Trade Fair Centre, Munich, Germany. Beginning this year, anyone with a valid exhibitor pass or visitor admission ticket for any event sponsored by Munich Trade Fairs will be able to use the city’s public transportation system free. Kallman Associates, 20 Harrison Ave., Waldwick, N.J. 07463-1709; (201) 652-7070, fax (201) 652-3898.

The second International Jewellery Dubai will be held March 20-24 in the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The show will feature jewelry, timepieces, loose stones, objets d’art, components, packaging, displays and equipment from manufacturers in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the U.S., as well as U.A.E. More than 5,000 buyers attended the 1995 show. Dubai World Trade Centre, P.O. box 9292, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; (917-4) 306-4070, fax (917-4) 306-4033.