Is the end coming for jewelry trade shows? Some say their days are counted. I went to visit one of my very favorite trade shows: VicenzaOro and here is what I observed. Come with me!
VicenzaOro
It was, as usually, a little like coming home for me. Having lived in Italy for 10 years and having visited this particular trade fair for more than 20 years, I have, what you might call, a very deep connection with the country, the people on the fair and the jewelry itself.
My first day on the trade fair was Sunday. Traditionally, I would say, one of the best trade days for business as many jewelers choose this particular day to come to the fair and do their purchases for their stores. Meeting with the brands they carry and check out the latest trends and perhaps take on a new brand or two. It did however, occur to me that the trade floor had less visitors than usually.
VicenzaOro day 1
But let me start by saying that VicenzaOro outdid itself again. The booths were beautiful, the services to get to the trade fair were great, although if one uses, as one should be encouraged to, the free bus from the city centre to the trade fair, it’s a slightly less glamorous start and ending of the day. The busses are overcrowded and often the worst in people bubbles up, when feeling squeezed and so on. One diamond dealer thought it was appropriate to grab me even, preventing me to sit down as he ‘reserved’ another chair for his male friend. I mean, it’s not pretty.
But other than that, every time I visit the fair, things have improved and they never rest on their laurels.
New Features
There were some exciting new features on the fair. The Design Room is just an amazing idea and should be encouraged to grow. It deserves a better position and with even more brands that we never saw before here on Vicenza. It has always been an Italian party, but today I found more foreign brands and I thought it added to the value of the trade fair in general.
The other feature on the fair is the Look & Glamroom. Now, this is a jewelry trade fair. Gold, diamonds, gemstones and silver. But fashion jewelry brands are on the rise, big time. Not every fashion jewelry brand can make my heart beat a little faster but there are some great discoveries to be made and I loved Amlé, Sharra Pagano and many others that showed something exciting and new. I also met with Jennifer Diodati, originally from Nigeria and now living in London and trying to make a difference with her brand Eden Diodati, by working with women in Rwanda, a country known for its horrific genocide years ago, allowing them to create an income and future for themselves, whilst creating part of the jewelry Eden Diodati makes. The beading is from their hands. Soon on Bizzita, we tell you more about this project as it captured my heart.
What I do on trade fairs? Get the atmosphere!
I was on the fair for three whole days and still it was not enough. I had the pleasure to talk to many brands and great people. What I do on a trade fair like this, my friends ask me. Don’t you get enough of it after 3 days? Well, no. What do you do the whole day there? they ask me, slightly bewildered.
I walk around and breath in the atmosphere. I observe not just the jewelry, but also the attitude of the people. The people who are there to buy and the people who are there to sell.
I try to inhale or absorb what the sentiment is of my surroundings. Positive, negative and why?
I do, of course, also plan a lot of visits to the various booths. Taking pictures, getting stories, meeting with owners and brands alike. And I do my business meetings as my main work is being a consultant. So I met with organisations and futurists, magazine editors and marketing people, to get to know each other and perhaps do something together in the future.
I hear so many complain about declining visitors and declining sales on the trade fair. To be fair, they are a little expensive for visitors who have to take an airplane to visit it. ( although I argue that Vicenza is so convenient, flights are mostly inexpensive on Venice and your stay can be arranged in a wide area around the city, with enough options, nothing like the impossible, but ever so fascinating, Basel fair, which is ridiculously expensive to visit)
Why is there a decline in entusiams for jewelry trade fairs?
Still, it isn’t something just going on in jewelry. It is happening all around us in other businesses too. And how to engage people again? I am not sure if I have the right suggestions, although my head explodes with ideas :-) as usual.
As things are changing in jewelry retail and retail in general, and city centres are dealing with less stores and empty ones, as we are all at the beginning of a new era in which AI and AR will play huge roles, as we have all changed thanks to an incredible crisis of many years and Millennials arrived on the market with their different desires and habits, it is true that we need accepting the fact that perhaps trade shows in general will need to change dramatically too. Facing the music...
And as no one has the answers of how to, as we really cannot oversee the impact yet of all these developments aforementioned, we have to stay alert. Keep our eyes and especially our mind open, wide open. Thinking that things won’t need change, is foolish and dangerous. But it is only time that will help us to make the right step, each and every time, to the future of how trade shows will look. Changes are coming rapidly, but not overnight, so just take steps every time and you won’t need to catch up later and miss perhaps the boat completely.
Don't be a jeweler, be an entrepeneur!
In the meantime, should you work in jewelry, please continue visiting the trade shows. They are, and I am truly serious about this, an incredible source of inspiration. Talk to the people, listen even more, observe and open up your heart to new things. Step away from your own convictions and open up to brands with a strong story. Or to a designer from abroad. Step into one of the major producers of unbranded silver and create a strong own look. Create a jewelry store that will excite people, where you can tell stories about your collections.
Don’t be a jeweler, be an entrepreneur!
Ps. if you are just a jewelry enthusiast, but work, as many of our lovely readers do, in a completely different trade, please do visit the fairs of your trade as well. I am very curious to hear your stories about your trade fairs and what you think of them. And what you think should be improved so please do write me!
Three reasons why there is still hope for -jewelry- trade fairs
As I promised in the title, I do want to give my three reason why I think there is still hope for trade fairs.
1. Don't be a jeweler, be an entrepeneur. Although it's all about jewelry, many of the retailers think only about the jewelry. They don't always think like an entrepreneur. Before you disagree, please let me explain you why I say this. One should look at the store with, a can hardly believe it is coming from my mouth, but...a little less passion for being a jeweler and a little more about the entrepreneural part of the business. That doesn't mean that the jewelry does not matter, but that one should stop the micro management and think far more about the clients. What do they really want, what problem can I solve for them? How can I be of value to them? Do visit trade fairs, because you might get the inspiration needed. Go to the trendforecaster and talk with peers. Seek for new things, what is there that can really add something to my business. How can adding certain services or brands help me to gain more profit or turnover.
2. Trade fairs should and could be hub for inspiration and community. Are there hot topics to discuss, want to get some different ideas or perspectives? Why not create events where retailers etc. can get more information and exchange ideas in an interactive way. Or invite someone who can tell more about franchise ideas, or expanding online-and offline store to name a few. Conversation about problems in the business regarding safety, regulations, decline in sales with the guidance of an experienced host who knows how to turn the conversation into something that can actually inspire people to brainstorm together about possible solutions.
3.Get personal! Trade fairs should be the place to go to, to immerse yourself completely into your business. What if you could get a full service upfront and a recommended personal schedule, based upon your preferences, wishes, needs etc. What if it felt like you had a kind of personal assistant, available for anything. From your flight, or parking, your meals and invoices, your schedule, the people that you should meet and so forth. I know that steps are made, but what if it felt like they understood your very need instead of you arriving at the trade fair, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of exhibitors, standing in line to get your validation, standing again in line to get your coat in a safe place. And ending up spending too much time at the brands you already work with and too little on other affairs. What if you could have the feeling to have used your time truly to achieve the goals you had in mind? And gained inspiration, contacts and knowledge? Would you still consider it to be too expensive? Or a waste of time? I am sure you wouldn't.
Was my trip worth the effort?
Oh yes, visiting VicenzaOro was worth the effort.
It’s intense and I am always very excited meeting new people, old acquaintances and friends. And I love how in the evening, I take the bus ride, squeezed like a sardine again, back to the city centre. To be with my friends where I can take off the make up, put something comfy on and talk about life, family, pets and friends and nothing about jewelry. Very refreshing :-) And then turn to Skype to chat with my son and hubby, back home.
E-book coming out soon!
I do hope you enjoyed the photos. Aren’t they amazing? I mean, it’s mind blowing jewelry! I can still feel the passion in my heart, the enchantment of it all. I am deeply in love with the world of jewelry and I feel a huge desire to contribute to the future of jewelry. This is why, I came back with even more stories to share with you. My desire to do something for the jewelry world, is so big that I have started to write a book:-)
So bear with me! and drop me a line if you have any question about the book or the trade fair...
Flying home.....:-)
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