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INDUSTRY NEWS: VICENZAORO, ABOUT J FAIRS BOTH DEEMED SUCCESSFUL; GIA WINS EDUCATION AWARD; MORE September 19, 2012 (0 comments)
Vicenzaoro, About J Both Deemed Successful
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy—VICENZAORO About J drew to a close September 8 after a two-day event that both exhibitors and retailers proclaimed a success. About J is Fiera di Vicenza’s exclusive showcase of 23 top Italian and international brands presenting their collections to an audience of over 130 buyers from Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Central America, as well as top Italian retailers. It precedes the fall VICENZAORO event.
Journalists, guests, and exhibitors enjoyed a special exhibition titled “Buccellati: a Century of Creativity and Excellence,” which Maestro Gianmaria Buccellati organized especially for the event. It included the jeweler’s famous Rainbow Cup, together with other extraordinary items like the Millennium and Briolette Sapphire Sets, already exhibited in the Kremlin in Moscow, as part of the collection.
Maurizio Leo Placuzzi, president of SICIS Jewels, a first-time exhibitor, and Rodney Raynor, a British designer who’s participated in every About J event, both praised the event’s organization and selection of participants, while Eduardo Bruner, Marketing and creative director for the Brazilian brand Brumani praised the new location. "Cortina is a really nice town and the people here are more easy-going. Working and making contacts with the trade operators is so much more leisurely. We are very happy about the commercial results we achieved.”
American luxury jeweler Alfredo J. Molina said, "We have to concentrate on quality and the so-called ‘wow’ effect. We have to astound, dazzle, and make a reasonable profit as the same time. We have to transform the business into a sector that sells emotions, and emotions are priceless.”
Following the intimate About J event, jewelers and suppliers continued on to Vicenza for the opening of the fall edition of VICENZAORO, featuring 1,400 exhibitors from more than 30 countries. Attendance figures stayed steady; the event drew more than 20,000 buyers from 109 different countries.
The theme of this year’s event was “Creativity 5.0.” Corrado Facco, executive director of Fiera di Vicenza, said, “The incentives provided by Creativity 5.0, the theme of the exhibition, indicate how, in these times of global change, it is important to nurture our best assets with elements of quality and innovation, with updated creativity and excellent manufacture while still maintaining their own unmistakable personality. However, an in-depth knowledge of the international markets is absolutely necessary.”
“VICENZAORO, in its various interpretations, both in Italy and abroad, is a great opportunity for companies and brands,” says Roberto Ditri, president of Fiera di Vicenza.
AGTA Spectrum Award Entry Deadline is Friday
Dallas, TX—Entries to the 2013 American Gem Trade Association Spectrum Awards competition are due Friday, September 21. Product drop-off is October 2 in New York City. For information, click here.
GIA Receives ‘School of Excellence’ Award
CARLSBAD, CA—GIA (Gemological Institute of America) has been awarded the 2011-2012 School of Excellence award from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). GIA’s Carlsbad campus joins 17 other schools (out of 800 worldwide) in receiving the prestigious award this year.
The School of Excellence Award recognizes ACCSC-accredited schools for their commitment to the expectations and rigors of ACCSC accreditation, as well as the efforts made by the institution to achieve high-levels of achievement among their students. To qualify for the award, the majority of a school’s programs must meet or exceed a graduation rate of 92% for programs three months or less in length and 82% for programs from 4-to-6 months in length, and demonstrate an average employment rate of 82%.
“One of the critical metrics ACCSC examines is student accomplishment, demonstrated through graduation and employment rates,” said Donna Baker, GIA’s president and CEO. “Outstanding achievement by our students is a testament to their passion and drive, and to GIA’s global commitment to excellence, integrity and ensuring the public trust.”