STOP PRESS At the time of publication, it was announced that the Sydney Trade Days event had sold out. “We had to close it [bookings] yesterday at 47 tables. Unfortunately, we have had to turn suppliers away who did not act quickly to secure a place,” Fitz-Roy said. He explained, “One of my concerns has been to ensure we have a sensible buyer-to-seller ratio. Our aim is for all of our wholesalers to have a successful event and managing the numbers is a way to achieve that.” More than 500 retailers have registered for the Sydney event. |
David Paterson, director Paterson Fine Jewellery – which is also set to exhibit at the Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth Trade Days – told Jeweller that the sold-out event was “terrific”.
“There was a strong turn out of retailers who came to buy stock. The room had a positive energy – buyers were there to see the suppliers they needed to, and to get it done in a day.”
Daniel Jacuk, director DJ Diamond Designs, was equally enthusiastic, saying, “I thought the event was fantastic! It was professionally run from start to finish – [the organisers] did a fabulous job.
“This was my first ‘mini fair’ and we were very happy with the results. Not only did we meet new clients, we also made sales in excess of our expectations. We would be very happy to be a part of this event in the future, and also expand to other states,” he added.
Gary Fitz-Roy, director of Trade Days organiser Expertise Events, said approximately 400 retailers had pre-registered to attend the event.
“The Trade Days format is about reconnecting the industry and the community, and the Gold Coast event did that in spades,” Fitz-Roy said, adding, “It's underlined how much people want to get back to being face-to-face. To see people with smiling faces speaks volumes.”
Colin Pocklington, director Nationwide Jewellers, said 60 members of the buying group – representing 27 stores – attended the Gold Coast Trade Days, where they were able to spend special Nationwide Trade Days Dollars with preferred suppliers.
“As it has been over a year since the last industry event, both members and suppliers were very happy to be face to face again, and able to see and touch merchandise in person. From our observations and conversations with both members and suppliers, there is no doubt that the overall level of trading of the event exceeded expectations,” Pocklington said.
Background reading: August jewellery fair gets huge boost; COVID business grants applicable
That sentiment was echoed by Karen Ridikas, director of Couture Kingdom: “Overall there was a great vibe from both suppliers and buyers. The highlight was definitely being able to do business in person; we could connect on a better level with customers that are interstate [from us], and we were able to talk about some product features that just couldn’t be captured in imagery [online],” she explained.
Fitz-Roy said a number of exhibitors had mentioned that the quieter Monday had in fact allowed them to take more orders, as they were able to spend more time with individual retailers.
Gerri Maunder, director Gerrim, also had a “great result”, and praised the format of the event, which was held at the QT Hotel.
“I loved the layout and the relaxed style, which suited such a great location. In fact, it would be great to see this format on the Gold Coast again!" she added.
Paterson made a similar observation, telling Jeweller, “Every convenience was thought of by the Expertise team – hand sanitisers, free drinks, lunch provided for exhibitors, and happy hour drinks as well.
“We are very much looking forward to seeing all our customers this way across the country over the coming month,” he added.
Fitz-Roy said the positive results from the Gold Coast were building momentum for the future events, predicting that Adelaide and Perth would be particularly strong.
Summarising the response to the Trade Days across the industry, Fitz-Roy said, “Expertise Events has been out of action for 14 months [due to COVID-19] so we appreciate the support from the industry – both exhibitors and buyers. It was very rewarding for the industry to get back together.
He added, “Many suppliers don’t have representation in the different cities, so the Trade Days offers a cost-effective solution. And while some suppliers have had a good 12 months, the majority do have some reservations or concerns about what's going to happen once JobKeeper is phased out, so they are focused and committed to creating and maintaining those relationships [with retailers].”
The next Trade Days is scheduled to take place in Sydney this weekend (13–14 March), followed by Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth in the following weeks.
Nationwide Jewellers will be present at all the Trade Days, while Independent Jewellers Collective – which also had a presence at the Gold Coast event – and Leading Edge Jewellers will be present in Sydney. Showcase Jewellers has encouraged members to attend the Trade Days.
The International Jewellery & Watch Fair is also scheduled to take place at the ICC Sydney in Darling Harbour on 28–30 August.
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