(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The JA New York Summer Show, which staged at the Jacob Javits Center August 8-10, was one of the first jewelry industry events to take place in over a year and a half, and both attendance numbers and overall high-level of excitement set a positive tone for a new trade show season. Retailers, industry professionals and press all expressed enthusiasm about being back at a show, with the event’s exhibiting designers, brands and manufacturers doing swift business in their booths. Many remarked that business, “felt like the 1990’s.”
“It was so great to see everyone come together again after months of being apart,” enthused Gannon Brousseau, EVP of Emerald and Director of COUTURE. “Not only was there an amazing energy throughout the Javits, with everyone expressing excitement about being back at a show again, it was evident that business was being done and orders were being written; retailers need to stock up after so long without in-person events.”
“It felt so good to be back attending shows again,” noted Paul Schneider, Owner of Twist and TwistOnline based in Portland, OR. “While we’ve continued to do robust business throughout the pandemic, having the opportunity to meet with people in person is so important to maintaining our most critical relationships, and walking shows is paramount to discovering new collections and brands.”
“Despite all of the challenges of the last year and a half, it was great to see the show floor filled with buyers, to see people buying and selling, and to see friends in person after far too long,” noted Mark Smelzer, chief content executive of Jewelers Mutual and Publisher of The Zing Report. “Being at JA New York for two full days was simply proof that the need for face-to-face encounters endures.”
The Fall JA New York Show is taking place October 24 to 26, 2021 at the Jacob Javits Center. COUTURE and Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show are taking place at the Wynn Las Vegas August 24 to August 26. For more information, or to apply for press credentials, contact Michelle Orman at (646) 302-5521 or via email at [email protected].
Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson
When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren.
For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish.
"Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful."
The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing."
Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."
