(Press Release)
NEW YORK – The Jewelry Industry Summit, the open forum on sustainability and responsible sourcing, has sold out, the organizers have announced. The forum is taking place at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City from March 11-13 with an opening reception on the evening of March 10.
The Summit is an interactive, working meeting, with large and small discussion groups assisted by professional facilitators – rather than a full agenda of speakers. The format’s central purpose remains attendee participation. However, conference planners have invited a few speakers to share information to help the group gain insight on what constitutes a responsible sourcing program at the current time.
Speakers, who will discuss responsible sourcing within and outside the jewelry industry, include (in alphabetical order): Anna Bario, co-owner, Bario-Neal; Andrew Bone, executive director, Responsible Jewellery Council; David Bouffard, vice president of corporate affairs, Signet Jewelers; Eric Braunwart, owner, Columbia Gem House, Lynsey Cesca Jones, director for responsible sourcing, VF Corp.; Eduardo Escobedo, executive director, Responsible Ecosystems Sourcing Platform; Dorothée Gizenga, executive director, Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) ; Stewart Grice, director of mill and refining, Hoover & Strong; Maria Gorsuch-Kennedy, principle program manager, supply chain sustainability, EMC Corp.; Erik Jens, global head, diamond & jewellery clients, ABN AMRO; Jamie McGlinchey, design and development manager, Melissa Joy Manning; Marcelo Ribeiro, director, Belmont Emeralds; and Margo Sfeir, marketing director, ELEVATE.
The Jewelry Industry Summit’s poster sessions for the three-day event, include contributions from the following organizations and companies (in alphabetical order): Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), Columbia Gem House, the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), the Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), ELEVATE, Ethical Metalsmiths, Martello Risk, The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,Responsible Jewellery Council, Signet Jewelers, Source Intelligence, True North Gems, Underwriters Laboratories, United States Council for International Business, United States Wildlife Trafficking Alliance.
The Summit has been coordinated by representatives from companies in various sectors of the international trade. The planning committee includes (in alphabetical order): Ann Arnold, BIG – Buyers Intelligence Group; Lita Asscher, Royal Asscher; Anna Bario, Bario Neal; Robert Bentley, Robert Bentley Company; Mihir Bhansali, Firestar Diamond Inc.; Edward Boehm, Rare Source; David Bouffard, Signet Jewelers Ltd.; Eric Braunwart, Columbia Gem House, Inc.; Lisa Bridge, Ben Bridge Jeweler; Bruce Bridges, Bridges Tsavorite; Brandee Dallow, Rio Tinto Diamonds; Peggy Jo Donahue, Donahue Communications; Jeffrey Fischer, Fischer Diamonds, Inc.; Rebecca Foerster, Leo Schachter Diamonds, LLC; Karen Goracke, Borsheim’s; Stewart Grice, Hoover and Strong; Mark Hanna, Richline; Hayley Henning, True North Gems; Steve Hodgkins, Rolex USA; Christina Miller, Ethical Metalsmiths; and Barbara Wheat, Natural Color Diamond Association.
Administration of the Summit has been coordinated by Suzan Flamm, Cecilia Gardner, and Sara Yood of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee. Summit design and facilitation is by Cheri Torres and Mike Feinson of Innovation Partners International.
Sponsors for the Jewelry Industry Summit include presenting sponsor: Signet Jewelers; notebook sponsor: World Gold Council; cocktail sponsor: Gibgot Willenbacher; luncheon sponsors: ABN AMRO and Rough Diamond Traders; coffee sponsors: CIBJO, Friedman LLP, Gemological Institute of America, and The Plumb Club. Other sponsors include AIGS Lab (Bangkok, Hoover & Strong, and JA New York. Media partners include: IDEX, JCK, Rapaport, Smart Work Media/InStore, and The New Jeweller. A list of other contributors who made donations via the Jewelry Industry Summit’s Indigogo campaign can be found at the donor page of jewelryindustrysummit.com.
Jewelry industry members who are not attending the Jewelry Industry Summit can follow the proceedings via live updates on the the Summit’s Facebook page.