ATTENDANCE, BUYING ARE LIGHT AT UJ EXPO

Event: The inaugural United Jewelers Expo.

Dates: Jan. 8-10.

Location: Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev.

Sponsor: United Jewelers Expo Inc., Fallbrook, Cal.

Attendance: 500 exhibitors and 2,900 buyers, according to show organizers.

Mood: Exhibitors expressed disappointment with traffic and lack of buying by those who did attend. But show organizers, buoyed by the sale of the show to Blenheim Group USA (see JCK, February 1995, page 16), said, “For a first show, it was a good show. We never promised a rose garden.”

Most exhibitors expressed concern about the early January dates and the fact the huge Consumer Electronics Show overlapped the first two days of UJExpo. However, Blenheim announced it would move the show back two days in 1996 (opening immediately after CES) and reschedule it to late January/early February beginning in 1997. Exhibitors, some of whom feel the show has good potential, greeted the news with a let’s-see-what-happens attitude. There is some concern for future years about a conflict with Jewelry World, a show that will debut Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 1996, at the Cashman Convention Center in Las Vegas. Jewelry World is sponsored by the Miller Freeman Jewelry Group, parent of National Jeweler magazine.

Regarding business at UJExpo, Arlette Cohen of Raphael Co., Long Island City, N.Y., said people were interested in the company’s higher design line. “But business has not been very good,” she said. Bob and Ann Richter of R&M Richter, New York, N.Y., said they were disappointed in the quality of buyers. Clifford Cheng of Cheng’s Jewelry Co., San Francisco, Cal., had lots of lookers, many from other parts of the country, but few buyers. And Sorab Holako of Sonette, Los Angeles, Cal., said the buyers he talked to “didn’t know what they were looking for.”

But Steve Biggs of Steven Douglas Co., San Pedro, Cal., opened six new accounts the first two days. And Conni Mainne of Conni Mainne Designs, Oakland, Cal., said she opened one new account that “made my show. It validates that it’s not how many buyers you see, but who they are.”

Some buyers also seemed pleased. Peter Rachford of 2001 Contemporaries, Austin, Tex., liked the timing. “It was a good time to get away,” he said. He was looking for silver, though he said he didn’t see as much as he had hoped. Francois Bachoura of Lake Avenue Jewelers, Pasadena, Cal., said he did a lot of buying, especially cameos and diamonds and including an engraving machine. But Edward Rozcicha of Benton’s Jewelry, Seattle, Wash., was disappointed in the show, citing a low quality of vendors. “I felt like they were like used-car salesmen – they tried to pull you into their booths as you walked by,” he said.

EXPO NEW YORK MOVES TO JAVITS

Expo New York, an annual trade show for precious jewelry manufacturers and suppliers sponsored by the Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths of America, will move from the Passenger Ship Terminal to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this year. The first show at the new site will be March 12-14. The new location offers more exhibit space and will bring the show and related seminars under one roof.

Expo New York annually features more than 300 exhibitors and attracts more than 5,000 buyers. The 1995 event also will feature “Platinum Day” March 11 in association with the Platinum Guild International-USA. The event will feature six seminars on topics ranging from the efficient use of alloys and designing platinum jewelry for manufacturing to platinum casting techniques. A $35 fee will cover attendance at all Platinum Day seminars.

MJSA, One State St., Sixth Fl., Providence, R.I. 02908-5035; (401) 274-3840, fax (401) 274-0265.

BOSTON GIFT SHOW EXPECTS 590 EXHIBITORS

The 134th Boston Gift Show will be held March 25-29 in the Bayside Exposition Center, Boston, Mass. The show will present 590 exhibitors of jewelry, gifts, stationery, decorative accessories, crafts, gourmet products and toys.

The show will include a seminar titled “Hiring and Training Seasonal Staff.” The seminar will begin at 2 p.m. March 27; the fee is $5 per person. “A Taste of the Tropics” buffet and dancing will give attendees a chance to forget about winter weather. Tickets are $25 per person.

For seminar and buffet reservations or show information, contact George Little Management Inc., Ten Bank St., Suite 1200, White Plains, N.Y. 10606-1933; (914) 421-3216, fax (914) 948-6180. For discounted travel and hotel rates, call Travel Planners Inc., (800) 221-3531.

ATLANTA CRAFT FAIR SCHEDULED FOR APRIL

The ACC Craft Fair Atlanta will be held April 1-2 in the Georgia Dome. The show is open to the public, but most exhibitors also welcome professional buyers, says the American Craft Council, the show organizer. The show will have 220 juried craft designers.

American Craft Enterprises, 21 S. Eltings Corner Rd., Highland, N.Y. 12528; (800) 836-3470, fax (914) 883-6130.

FOREIGN SHOW UPDATE

The first Beijing International Jewelry, Watch, Spectacles & Technical Equipment Fair, held Nov. 3-7 at the China World Trade Center, had 317 exhibitors from 23 countries, including Germany, Italy, Singapore and China. Organizers counted 8,500 buyers, 7,500 of them from China. An education program featured seminars designed to educate overseas jewelry manufacturers about the Chinese market and presentations by international trade associations to educate Chinese jewelers about international market trends. The next show will be held Nov. 2-5 in the same location. Headway Trade Fairs, 445 Fifth Ave., Suite 18-F, New York, N.Y. 10016; (212) 889-9393, fax (212) 889- 0515.

Jewellery Arabia ’94, the third Middle East International Gold, Jewellery, Clock & Watch Exhibition, attracted 6,097 buyers to the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre Nov. 17-20. That’s up 10% from the previous year. During the show, the World Gold Council introduced its Arab Trend Book, which aims to help worldwide manufacturers and suppliers meet the design and quality demands of the region’s buyers. The show included national pavilions from Germany, Hong Kong, Italy and Spain. The next show will be held Oct. 26-29 in the same location. Kallman Associates, 20 Harrison Ave., Waldwick, N.J. 07463-1709; (201) 652-7070, fax (201) 652-3898.

Asia Expo Hamburg will be held March 29-April 1 in the Hamburg Messe, Hamburg, Germany. The show will present more than 200 companies from Asian countries, including jewelry, giftware, silverware, stationery, and art. The show is sponsored by German Asia-Pacific Business Association and Trade Representatives Association and organized by Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH and Headway Trade Fairs, 445 Fifth Ave., Suite 18F, New York, N.Y. 10016; (212) 889-9393, fax (212) 889-0515.

Jewels of Asia ’95 will be held April 7-9 in the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Aug. 3-6 in Suntec City, Singapore. The shows will feature jewelry, gems, timepieces, packaging, displays and equipment. Organizers expect about 100 exhibitors in Malaysia and 125 exhibitors in Singapore. Interface Exposition Associates, 1114-A, Serangoon Rd., Singapore 1232; (65) 291-8559, fax (65) 291-1560.