(PRESS RELEASE) ROSEMONT, IL —INSTORE, the leading publication for American jewelry retailers, kicked off The INSTORE Show this weekend in Rosemont, Illinois at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. The Cram Day Conference, a full day of retailer education, took place on Saturday, Aug. 10, while the show takes place Aug. 11 – 12. The INSTORE Show once again co-located with the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference, which took place Aug. 9 – 10.
Cram Day seminar topics covered How to Maximize Your Search Engine Results Through SEO and How To Sell (and Close) Today’s Jewelry Client, among others. Additionally, the GIA Alumni Collective also held an education track during Cram Day. “We had a fantastic education lineup last year, but we really took it to another level this year, particularly with the GIA sessions on laboratory-grown diamonds,” says Trace Shelton, editor-in-chief. “Plus, the Play It Cool Party was even more ‘hopping’ than last time around, and many of the best retailers I know from around the country were here to shop and buy.”
Sunday’s program kicked off with keynote speaker, Tom Shay, a fourth-generation retailer and present-day principal of Profits Plus Solutions. The presentation addressed retailers, advising them to ignore the negativity in the mainstream media and stay laser focused on controlling their own destinies in Strategies To Win In A Challenging Economy.
On the show floor, the first part of The Bench Pressure Challenge tasked a trio of entrants to unveil and explain their Mystery Box Challenges—a small jewelry fabrication assignment comprising the same group of materials.
First-day retailer attendance was up from 2023, and those present came with clear shopping goals. And there were several last-minute exhibitors who surprised show staff by setting up shop on opening day. One of those vendors was first time exhibitor, Bret Eulberg of Robert Haack Diamonds in Greenfield, WI. He heard about the show last week from a peer and decided to give it a try to make new connections. “Without networking you can’t expand your business,” he said. By the end of Day One, he had met several new customers, selling merchandise to over half of them.
Retailer Mark Loren of Mark Loren Designs in Fort Myers, FL., returned to the show for the education. “It’s always on-point education,” he said. “The session on store security was outstanding, and I enjoy meeting new bench jewelers at the Challenge. It can be a good source of finding new talent.”
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Vendors, too, had a good first day. Ravi Joshi of Smiling Rocks in New York, N.Y., is a returning exhibitor for the quality of the buyers. “We met decent customers last year whom we serviced all year,” he explains. “This region is good, and the customers are nice. Clients are here looking for fashion and bridal lab-grown diamond jewelry as well as some loose colored lab stones in pink, blue, and green.”
The excitement will continue on Day 2 of the show taking place Monday, Aug. 12 featuring another lineup of exceptional education content, round two of the Bench Pressure Challenge and a full day of shopping and networking on the show floor.
For more information about the show, visit theinstoreshow.com or direct any questions to INSTORE staff at info@theinstoreshow.com.
About The INSTORE Show 2024
The INSTORE Show 2024 is the premier trade show for independent fine jewelry professionals and industry suppliers. Presented by INSTORE magazine, this event offers a unique platform for networking, education, and discovering the latest industry trends and products.
