Press Releases

MJSA Launches ConFab Chicago

It will take place on Oct. 24.

Published

6 years ago

October 3, 2019

INSTORE Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) MJSA, the U.S. trade alliance dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, plans to launch a new day-long seminar program, MJSA ConFab Chicago, in conjunction with the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference. The ConFab will take place Oct. 24 in the Jeweler’s Center at the Mallers Building. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. alongside the 2019 Responsible Gem Boutique, which features the leading suppliers of ethically sourced gems.

The ConFab sessions will focus on the business, sales, marketing, and legal aspects of jewelry manufacturing and design, and they will be led by some of the industry’s most renowned experts. Among the scheduled presentations:

The Anatomy of Your Story: From Values to Strategy to Brand

Presented by Andrea Hill, owner of Hill Management Group and MJSA’s designer advocate, this session will help attendees to connect with consumers in a meaningful way. Consumers today often buy only when they find a brand that speaks to them. Hill will show how to identify a business’s core values, foster a positive culture, and develop messages that consistently tell the story of what makes that business different—the foundation of an authentic brand.

How to Harness Your Inner Salesperson

The best salespeople in the world are strong listeners with a keen interest in meeting their customers’ needs. Donna DeLucia, senior director of technical sales for the Jewelry Solutions Group (a division of Frederick Goldman Inc.), will show how anyone can understand, tap into, and express their authentic sales self, in a way that isn’t “sales-y” at all—just a form of problem-solving that leaves everyone happy.

One Trip Around the Sun: 2019 Legal Update with JVC

It’s been a year since the FTC released its first update to the Jewelry Guides in two decades. Sara Yood, senior legal counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, will discuss how the changes—from the elimination of precious-metal thresholds to allowable descriptions for lab-grown diamonds—have impacted the jewelry industry. She’ll also deliver a “wheelhouse” of legal updates, including anti-money–laundering rules, the recent Supreme Court decision allowing states to tax internet/remote seller sales, updated employment laws, how to deal with undisclosed laboratory-grown diamonds, and anything else that’s new and pressing.

MJSA ConFab Chicago will also include time between sessions to connect with colleagues as well as to shop the Responsible Gem Boutique, which will feature dealers such as Columbia Gem House, Anza Gems, Nineteen48, Moyo Gems, Nature’s Geometry, and Capricorn Gems.

Attendees of both MJSA ConFab Chicago and the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference (which will run Oct. 25-26) are entitled to a 10 percent discount off the ConFab registration fee, which is $50 for MJSA members, $75 for nonmembers, and includes lunch.

MJSA members are also entitled to a 10 percent savings on the Responsible Jewelry Conference registration fee.

MJSA ConFab Chicago registration is limited. To register or to learn more, go to MJSA.org.

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.