Press Releases

Portland Jewelry Symposium to Highlight Responsible Sourcing

Published

9 years ago

August 18, 2016

INSTORE Staff

(Press Release)
PORTLAND, Ore. – The ninth annual Portland Jewelry Symposium will bring together authorities in the field of responsible sourcing, starting with the Sunday night keynote dinner and address by Bennett Freeman, one of the nation’s prominent experts on the subject.

“We are excited to be exploring the topic of responsible sourcing this year in addition to our full program” said founder Teresa Frye. “Increasing interest from the consumers on the origins of precious metals and stones is something that the industry will strongly benefit from learning more about.”

Freeman has extensive experience in the field, having worked at the intersection of multinational companies, responsible investors, NGOs, governments and international institutions to promote corporate responsibility, sustainability and human rights around the world. “We are very fortunate to have the chance to hear first-hand of his global experiences on the subject,” Frye said.

Rounding out the program will be talks by Toby Pomeroy, designer and one of the industry’s true pioneers in fair mined gold, and Stewart Grice, VP for Mill Products at Hoover & Strong, who will be sharing his recent experiences with fair mining gold practices in Peru.

The keynote address compliments the symposium’s customary topics of technology, design, business, and bench. The event will be held in downtown Portland, Oregon Oct. 2–3, 2016, at the historic Sentinel Hotel. The symposium provides education and networking opportunities designed to address the needs of manufacturing retailers and custom designers.

Other presentations feature Andrea Hill of the Hill Management Group on lean manufacturing principles, James Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts on successful casting of 3D printed acrylics, Lake Giles of Thinkspace on SEO and maximizing web presence, Chris Ploof of Chris Ploof Designs on techniques for creating mokume gane, and Teresa Frye of TechForm on critical bench aspects of precious metals metallurgy.

In addition to the talks, Phil Scott of Rio Grande will be hosting bench demonstrations with a focus on innovations in finishing, and Jim Tuttle of Greenlake Jewelry, Travis Issacson of Lashbrook, and Jennifer Dawes of Dawes Designs will speak on the panel Strategies for Selling Custom Jewelry, moderated by Gillian Frances of TechForm.

Sponsors for the event include TechForm, MJSA, Rio Grande, Santa Fe Symposium, Stuller, Gemological Institute of America, Platinum Guild International, Johnson Matthey, Solidscape, Instore Magazine, Metalsmith Magazine, Hoover & Strong, The Richline Group, Otto Frei, Jewelers of America, A3DM, United Precious Metals, Red Sky Plating, Superfit. Lashbrook, and Laminated Metals Technology.

For further information or press inquiries, contact Sarah Loveland, sloveland@techformcasting.com, 503-652-5224.

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.