Tracey and Ed Dikes of Weston Jewelers in South Florida found that “A Night in Roma” theme perfectly complemented an event for Bulgari, a brand that epitomizes Italian style in fine jewelry and timepieces. Guests, who numbered 150, were on hand to experience the perks of Rome, including Italian cuisine, specialty cocktails and that icon of Italian style since 1946, the Vespa.
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Create an Experience
Weston Jewelers welcomed guests to “A Night in Roma” last December. They were transported to Rome with a convincing, scenic backdrop of Italy, an Italian Vespa, limited-edition timepieces and fine jewels from Bulgari, Italian cuisine (including freshly-pulled mozzarella and gelato), and champagne and specialty cocktails.
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Museum-quality Pieces
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Daniel Paltridge, president of North America for Bulgari, attended the event to introduce guests to the newest designs in the Bulgari collection.
“The theme was amazing,” Tracey Dikes says. “When guests approached the store, there was a backdrop with a Roman scene and a Vespa parked in front of it. People took photos sitting on the Vespa or standing behind it.”
They sent out about 80 invitations to clients who had demonstrated an interest in Bulgari and wound up with about 150 guests.
Events are an integral component of Weston Jewelers’ business strategy. “Each year, we try to partner with one of our brands to do something larger like this,” Tracey says. “Throughout the year, we do smaller events in-store or off-property in a restaurant. When you space it out properly, people are thrilled to have an opportunity to come out, and in this case, see pieces they don’t usually see in the store; museum-quality pieces.”
A big part of the event’s success had to do with the working relationship between Weston Jewelers and Bulgari. “I think there really needs to be a partnership between retailers and brands; there needs to be a give-and-take,” Tracey says. “They can’t give you product and turn their back on you. We work better with brands that consider us all on the same team.” Communication between Weston’s marketing staff and Bulgari’s marketing staff was key to ensure the event’s success. “We came up with the idea at the end of the summer; there were a lot of phone calls and emails back and forth.”
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Bring Awareness to the Brand
“It turned out to be a buying event, but of course the ultimate goal was to bring more awareness to the brand,” Tracey says. “Not everyone is comfortable making purchases in front of other people, so some people waited a little while to come in.”
At the end of the day, there’s nothing the store would have done differently, Tracey says. “Truthfully, it was a fabulous evening. It was wonderful.”
