This baffling story has emerged as the dust settles following the two trade shows that ran simultaneously in Sydney on the weekend: International Jewellery Fair (17-19 August) and the Jewellery Industry Fair (17-18 August).
Taking to social media, Richard Morgan, a director and national sales manager of Keda Konsulting, alleged that "JGBS has bastardised the other fair".
Morgan's comments appear on the Young Jewellers Group (YJG) Facebook page. The “other fair” refers to the International Jewellery Fair in Darling Harbour.
JGBS is an acronym for Jewellery & Gift Buying Service Pty Ltd, which trades under the name Nationwide Jewellers. This buying group represents more than 400 stores and 350 members throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Nationwide Jewellers is one of the 'founding exhibitors' and has been at the Sydney Fair since its start in 1992.
Morgan's business was an exhibitor at the rival Jewellery Industry Fair, and the discussion on YJG centred around confusion over the shuttle bus service between the two events.
He had posted an unsubstantiated allegation, by his own admission, that there was misconduct regarding the bus timetable and pick-up from the IJF event.
Morgan's Facebook comment reads: "Hi all. Someone mentioned to me that the Jewellery Industry Fair yesterday that someone at the other fair [IJF] was stopping the buses from leaving or attempting to, and telling the people visiting that other fair that the Jewellery Industry Fair was closed or cancelled as a supplier.
"As a supplier, this damages the businesses of 50 to 60+ plus suppliers. Can anyone confirm this, please?"
Back and forth
Another YJG member replied to Morgan’s outburst, saying, "What a stupid thing to do. Almost as stupid as having two fairs on in the same city at the same weekend".
Morgan responded by suggesting that both fairs cater to different audiences and specified that the Jewellery Industry Fair better supports Australian-based businesses.
He wasn’t finished there and subsequently added a second buying group to his criticism – the Independent Jewellers Collective (IJC) – which recently recruited its 100th Australian store.
He added to the commentary that "IJF caters for IJC and JGBS."
It’s a bizarre statement, given that the great majority of the 150 exhibitors at the International Jewellery Fair are Australian-based businesses.
Morgan’s claim that the Jewellery Industry Fair featured 50-60+ suppliers is also questionable. The Jewellery Industry Fair listed a little more than 30 industry suppliers on its website.
Additionally, it’s unclear why Morgan excluded Showcase Jewellers from his criticism, given that Australia’s second-largest buying group also participated in the three-day affair in Darling Harbour.
Please explain
Jeweller contacted Morgan seeking clarification about his outburst.
He was asked to explain what he meant by his startling claim that Nationwide Jewellers "has bastardised the other fair".
At the time of publication, Morgan had not responded.
Jeweller understands that Morgan's company was an exhibitor at the International Jewellery Fair as recently as 2022.
Keda Konsulting acts as brand agents for international companies. Its website boasts that it is not a distributor, and declares: "The distributor model is dead".
It adds: "They don't pay you on time. They don’t follow your strategies – it’s all about their cashflow not your brand objectives."
The company effectively acts as sales represesentives for three Swiss watch brands: Reservoir, Delma, and Delbana and the UK watch manufacturer, Duckworth Prestex.
It also works for three jewellery brands: Morganne Bello, Fope and Hearts on Fire.
Keda Konsulting is a relative newcomer to the local industry having only been formed in April 2021, which makes the allegations directed at Nationwide Jewellers even more intriguing.
Morgan worked with TAG Heuer in the early 2000s, and his fellow director is Mark Watson, the former general manager of Swatch Australia.
Watson is no stranger to controversy, either.
In November 2009, Watson was terminated from Swatch Australia and forced to leave the company. He launched a wrongful dismissal case against Swatch in the Victorian County Court.
The matter was finalised in August 2010, with Judge Maree Kennedy dismissing all but one of Watson's four claims. She stated that she found him an unreliable witness whose evidence appeared to be influenced by “considerable hostility” towards Swatch.
Watson then had a short stint at Pandora under Karin Adcock.
Since Jeweller approached Morgan for comment, the entire thread was deleted from the YJG Facebook page.
More reading
International Jewellery Fair 2024: Young jewellers shine in the spotlight
International Jewellery Fair 2024: Onwards and upwards
International Jewellery Fair 2024: Wrapping it up!
International Jewellery Fair 2024: Make new friends, but keep the old
Jewellery Trade Shows III: More facts and figures without ‘spin’
Jewellery Trade Shows II: Is all ‘fair’ in love and war?
Jewellery Trade Shows I: The facts and figures without puffery