Busy footfall, enquiries at Jewellery & Watch London
LONDON, June 22, 2014 – Exhibitors reported strong footfall and enquiries at Jewellery & Watch London, which brought together leading names across design, buying, retail and media within the jewellery and watch market on June 18-19, 2014.
Buyers at the show were in attendance from the likes of Beaverbrooks, Chisholm Hunter, F Hinds, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, Fraser Hart, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Historic Royal Palaces, Rox, and Swag.
Jewellery & Watch London’s relocation to the Saatchi Gallery provided a stunning and focused environment, commended by exhibitors and visitors.
Jake Sufrin, Sales Manager for first-time exhibitor Georgini UK, said, “We displayed the new Christmas range to retailers at this unique event in the heart of London for the first time and got tremendous feedback from many prominent buyers in the jewellery business, as well as making numerous contacts for future dealings.”
As well as those exhibiting at the show, the valuable seminar content and inspirational collections attracted a host of new and established buyers and retailers.
Nicola Chandler, Founder of soon-to-launch online jewellery store Serotinal Blighty, attended the show in search of new, exciting brands.
“This show is a great place to find interesting designers that you just won’t find elsewhere. I attended previous seasons with a retailer and decided to come back now launching my own store as there’s such an eclectic mix of brands, both in terms of price-point and style.”
Following the show’s busy first day, the evening saw the launch of the BERING Buyers Power List; an inaugural awards ceremony in place to recognise and celebrate the contributions made by individuals and organisations to the jewellery and watch industry.
Julie Driscoll, Portfolio Director for Jewellery & Watch London at i2i Events Group, and Richard Hill, UK Managing Director for the show’s partner BERING, hosted the exclusive champagne reception, which allowed for some of the most influential figures in the industry to network and celebrate the achievements of the finalists and worthy winners.
The Independent Retailer award kick-started the evening, commending the contributions of retailers with 5 or fewer outlets. The winner was Johnny Rocket Ltd, topping an impressive list of finalists including Green + Benz, Laing the Jeweller, Marmalade Jewellery, and W Bruford.
Director Johnny Rocket commented on his esteemed win; “There is no higher accolade in any vocation than being recognised by your peers and fellow professionals for your achievements. The public can have a certain perception of your creativity, but only members of your craft truly understand whether you are at the top of your game. Of all the awards I have won, the Bering buyers power list win means the most! The other buyers in the shortlist are my friends and to think that they voted for me is just wonderful.”
The second award of the evening was for Multiple Retailer, which saw the likes of Beaverbrooks, Chisholm Hunter, Mappin & Webb, ROX and Swag Jewellers in the running. The accolade was presented to Beaverbrooks, with representatives from the brand in attendance.
“We are over the moon with this award win and extremely flattered, especially as it was a result of recognition from our industry peers. We were among a really strong category of retailers that we respect, which makes it an even bigger honour.”
This award was followed by the Individual Buyer category, in place to recognise the efforts of buyers across a host of stores. The shortlist comprised of Adelle Thompson of Beaverbrooks, Danielle Fisher of Hallett Retail, Natalie Blagg of Fraser Hart, Bec Astley Clarke MBE of Astley Clarke, and Stuart Laing of Laings of Glasgow. The award was presented to Stuart Laing, who commented; “This is a real honour; any award is a recognition of a job well done, so it is humbling to know that worldwide some of my peers have voted me into this position in my 44th year in the industry.”
The Department Store category was closely fought, with some of the world’s most renowned stores in the shortlist, including: Bentalls, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, John Lewis, and Liberty.
The award was given to Fortnum & Mason. A spokesperson from the store commented on the win: “We are thrilled to be a part of the BERING Buyers Power List. This is the first award of this kind that we have received and are proud that in just one year, the Fortnum’s Jewellery Room is already being recognised as the destination for shoppers all over the country.”
The final award of the evening recognised the contributions made by galleries and museums to the jewellery and watch industry. This was awarded to the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, which triumphed over an impressive selection of finalists – Historic Royal Palaces, Museum of London, The British Museum, and The National Gallery.
Standout exhibitors at Jewellery & Watch London included Augustine Jewels, featuring exquisite handmade jewels, inspired by travels and its precious moments; Skanshage Sweden, which creates sterling silver jewellery with a minimalistic and stylish design; and REC Watches, whose concept involves recycling out-of-use iconic objects into brand new Danish designed watches.
REC Watches’ Mark I and Cooper collections feature dials made from recovered, recycled and reclaimed Mark I Mini cars.
