(PRESS RELEASE) HONG KONG — Informa Markets Jewellery announced that Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) 2020 is pivoting to an online format this year with the launch of Jewellery & Gem Digital World (J&G Digital World) — a virtual show experience that seamlessly integrates digital product meetings with a rich programme of industry forums, discussions and practical gemmology workshops.
Previously known as the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, JGW — the world’s biggest B2B jewelry marketplace — will make its physical return in September 2021 as it accelerates its transformation into a sourcing event that fuses the best of both the offline and online worlds.
JGW 2020 was originally scheduled for September at two venues — 13 – 17 September at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) for loose precious materials, and 15 – 19 September at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) for finished jewelry and other related products. After much deliberation, however, the show was moved to 9 – 13 November at the AWE in support of the necessary safety measures that aim to stop the spread and limit the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.
As the situation continues to evolve and the outlook remains uncertain, Informa Markets Jewellery is now gearing up for an enhanced and more powerful in-person event in September next year.
“We know how important our Jewellery & Gem fairs are as powerful platforms where our community can come together, create strong business relationships and discover leads to drive up sales. We are conscious of the great responsibility that we hold as the organiser of the biggest jewelry events in the world — led by our flagship show, JGW — and no one is more disappointed in the decision to move the industry’s foremost in-person event to 2021 than us,” said David Bondi, senior vice president of Informa Markets in Asia.
“Our overriding priority has always been to provide our stakeholders with a safe, secure and the highest-quality sourcing experience possible, which is simply not feasible given the current circumstances. New challenges, however, afforded us new opportunities to work for creative solutions that will bring our community together in a new way — Jewellery & Gem Digital World.”
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Scheduled for 27 – 29 October, J&G Digital World is the first edition of a series of virtual events anchored in efficient digital product meetings enhanced by custom digital catalogues, assortment management solutions and personalised showroom technology, which will endure as a valuable service beyond the Covid-19 crisis. Several new online initiatives, including an Asian jewellery industry webinar series, and Jewellery & Gem Knowledge Community’s online gemstone education programme, will also be launched as a prelude to the virtual show.
“We are embracing the hybrid future of B2B jewelry commerce. In the coming months, we will introduce even more exciting opportunities for industry stakeholders by optimising our best-in-class physical shows with our new digital capabilities,” Bondi said.
Meanwhile, JNA Awards 2020 will reveal its award recipients in a virtual presentation scheduled for 27 October – the first day of J&G Digital World. The most prestigious programme of its kind in the international jewelry and gemstone industry, the JNA Awards champions best business practices by honouring companies and individuals that demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovative thinking, and sustainable and socially responsible strategies. This year, the event is open to registered participants of J&G Digital World and the JNA Awards.
More details about J&G Digital World and the JNA Awards will be announced soon.
