(PRESS RELEASE) ORLANDO, FL – The seventh annual Forevermark Forum took place at the JW Marriott Orlando, FL, March 26-28, bringing together approximately 450 Forevermark retail jeweler, manufacturer and diamantaire partners. The theme of the conference, “Forevermark: The Next Chapter,” looked toward the future of the Forevermark brand and diamond industry at large.
“Over the past seven years, we have built a strong foundation rooted in Forevermark’s commitment to beauty, rarity and responsible sourcing and our diamond expertise as part of De Beers,” said Charles Stanley, president, Forevermark US, during his welcome address. “Building on the success of the Forevermark Tribute campaign launched late last year, we will continue to focus on insight-driven, emotionally charged product and marketing concepts and further emphasize the role of women through all stages of the diamond journey. We have a very clear vision for our next chapter, and together with our partners, we will ensure that we will continue to deliver a best-in-class product coupled with an authentic, rich brand story to our consumers.”
Over three days, the show floor buzzed with Forevermark partners conducting business with one another, sharing sales strategies and participating in seminars that focused key industry challenges and opportunities as well improving their overall diamond business.
The forum kicked off with a Tribute 5K run/walk where Forevermark employees and partners participated in honor of the most influential women in their lives and raised funds in support of Jewelers for Children. The run was organized by Forevermark’s newly formed Forevermark for Women, an internal initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging women and men to become involved in activities that develop their business and skills both within and outside the workplace.
The focus on women permeated the forum with a seminar delivered by Megan Van Someren and Lucy Moody of JWT’s Female Tribes Consulting offering insights into contemporary femininity and what motivates women today and exploring the implications for the retail jewelry space.
Rohit Bhargava, best-selling author and founder of the Non-Obvious Company, delivered the keynote address and shared valuable insights on the importance of storytelling in reaching today’s consumer. Other guest speakers included Sarah Quinlan, senior vice president of market insights for Mastercard, who addressed the changing dynamics of consumer spending at retail, as well as Chris Biggs from The Boston Consulting Group, who shared insights into the evolution of the digital retail landscape and the future of omnichannel.
In a session on responsible sourcing led by Mpumi Zikalala, deputy CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines, and Albert Milton, general manager of Jwaneng Mine, Forevermark jewelers learned first-hand about how the practices of De Beers and Forevermark are positively impacting the economies, environments and communities of Botswana and the entire region of Southern Africa.
Forevermark also celebrated the 2017 Carat Club winners during the Forum with a private dinner. The 2017 Carat Club achievers, a group of 20 top sales ambassadors who sold 35 carats or more of one-carat plus Forevermark diamonds in 2017, recently attended an exclusive trip Los Angeles to visit the Forevermark Diamond house leading up to the 2018 Academy Awards and attended a star-studded Oscars viewing party.
The 2018 Carat Club incentive was also announced at the forum and will run throughout the rest of the year. Sales associates must sell a minimum of 45 one-carat plus Forevermark diamonds to qualify, and the top 10 sales associates will be invited on a trip to Botswana in 2019 to tour one of the De Beers diamond mines, visit the De Beers sorting facilities, and see first-hand the good that Forevermark diamonds do in their producing communities.
Throughout the Forum, Forevermark conducted a series of fundraising activities including the Tribute 5K, raffle, and live auction, and raised a total of $75,000 in support of Jeweler’s for Children.