The established International Jewellery Fair (17-19 August) and the newly formed Jewellery Industry Fair (17-18 August) were completed in Sydney over the weekend.
As previously reported, when two trade shows occur on the same weekend in the same city, it’s not uncommon for the smaller event to organise transport between the two venues.
This is sometimes seen as a form of guerrilla marketing between rival events – the new event using buses or shuttles between it and the usually larger, incumbent show to increase participation at the smaller show.
Jeweller recently reported on outlandish claims made by Richard Morgan of Keda Konsulting concerning the two jewellery fairs.
While attacking Australia’s largest jewellery buying group, Morgan also published unsubstantiated claims about possible misconduct at or around the International Jewellery Fair venue.
Commenting on the Jewellers Co. (formally Young Jewellers Group) Facebook page Morgan wrote: "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?"
First hand experience
In response to Morgan's allegation of possible misconduct with the shuttle bus service, Steven Adair from Combined Jewellery Services questioned the allegation.
"That didn’t happen Richard Morgan and tbh [to be honest] and all the rubbish that’s gone on could it be propaganda from JIF side? That’s about how ridiculous this whole situation [two fairs on the same weekend] is ending up unfortunately,” Adair wrote.
Another member who had first-hand experience attempting to catch the bus from the International Jewellery Fair to the Jewellery Industry Fair provided an observation that seems to support Adair’s comment.
“On Saturday another lady and I waited around 2pm for 20 minutes and no bus showed up at the supposed location at 2pm. She later encouraged me to take an Uber. Is this why there was no bus?” writes Tiffany Huang.
“Was this lady misleading me with the bus service? But she also complained about how no one at the ICC [International Convention Centre] knew where the bus was. So maybe she was legit waiting for the bus with me.
“But the main thing was from 1.55 to 2.15 no bus showed up at the Darling Drive location.”
Jeweller staff, while on the fair floor at the Darling Harbour event, received significant feedback from people who had attended the Jewellery Industry Fair; however, no issues were raised concerning confusion over transport.
Valuable background
It should be noted that the Jewellery Industry Fair was responsible for the shuttle bus service, not the International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICC) or the International Jewellery Fair.
The Jewellery Industry Fair website provided details about the bus timetable and location, along with a map and pictures showing the area; however, it didn’t specify that the pickup location was up to one kilometre from the ICC at another building.
It appears from the website that visitors were expected to make their way from the ICC to the rear of the Sydney Entertainment Centre to travel between the shows.
This may have contributed to the confusion.
Given that the Jewellery Industry Fair was responsible for managing the transport, Jeweller contacted Laura Moore, the managing director of the Jewellery Industry Network.
She was asked the following questions.
- Did JIF/JIN have its own staff at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICC) to assist people with the shuttle bus service?
- Did JIF/JIN organise any signage to direct people to the shuttle bus location?
At the time of publication, Moore had not responded.
Clear the air
Expertise Events owns and operates the International Jewellery Fair. Managing director Gary Fitz-Roy was asked to comment on the confusion surrounding the transport and, more specifically, Morgan’s claims about alleged misconduct.
He explained that he hadn’t paid attention to what was happening with transport between the events as he was focused on his own show.
“I find it amazing that some misinformed people have attempted to defame our show when it was not our responsibility to organise or manage this shuttle bus service,” he told Jeweller.
“After I was informed of Mr Morgan’s accusations, I looked at the Jewellery Industry Fair website. From what I can see, the confusion likely arose because the pick up point was nowhere near our venue.
“That criticism should be directed at the people organising the service and not my staff, who were focused on managing a sold-out jewellery fair.”
Since Jeweller approached Morgan for comment, his unsubstantiated allegations, along with the entire thread, were deleted from the YJG Facebook page.
• This story is the fourth in the Jewellery Trade Shows series dedicated to analysing the local jewellery industry’s competing trade events being held simultaneously in the same city on the same weekend. The purpose was to provide retail buyers and industry suppliers with clear expectations ahead of each event by rigorously analysing the respective exhibitor lists.
With suppliers having to choose between two events this year, the series aimed to ask an important question: Who really benefits from this arrangement?
With both jewellery fairs now completed, subsequent additions to the series will address this question with the benefit of hindsight.
FOOTNOTE: As a matter of transparency, readers should note that Jewellers Co. is a company owned by Brett Low and Ewen Ryley. It owns, and is responsible for, the Facebook page created in 2011, formally known as Young Jewellers Group. In additon, Low and Ryley were two of the four founding directors and shareholders of the Jewellery Industry Network. The Jewellery Industry Network is also the owner of the Jewellery Industry Fair. They both resigned from the Jewellery Industry Network on the same day - 1 May 2023, leaving Laura Moore and Angkham (Andy) Phanthapangna as directors and shareholders, as well as owners and organisers of the Jewellery Industry Fair. Moore, in turn, is currently, or has been, a moderator and administrator of the JewellersCo/Young Jewellers Group Facebook page, while, in turn, Jewellers Co. is part of the Jewellery Industry Network. Readers should also note that Jeweller produces the trade fair directory for the International Jewellery Fair. As part of this arrangement, the magazine has a stand at the event; however, following previous explanations about research methodology, Jeweller is not counted as a supplier exhibitor for any like-for-like comparison between events. |
More reading
Please explain: Industry supplier lashes out at buying group
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
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