By David Brough
VICENZA, Italy – Vicenzaoro, the show owned by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), has manifested leadership in the global jewellery trade by staging the September 12-14 VOICE trade event and summit, the first physical industry gathering since before the lockdown.
VOICE, held under strict safety measures including wearing masks and provision of hand sanitiser to protect visitors and exhibitors, has attracted a strong turnout from the start, as well as vigorous feedback on social media, underscoring the vibrant interest in the initiative at a time when other trade fairs, from Istanbul to Bangkok, have been cancelled.
The enthusiastic participation by exhibitors, many of them Italian, as well as the strong footfall from visitors and buyers, emphasise the heightened interest of the trade in driving forward business.
A successful staging of VOICE will no doubt encourage other trade show organisers to stage their own events, under stringent safety guidelines to combat coronavirus risks, and combining physical and digital (“phygital”) trading opportunities.
While organisers and participants say privately that they have set expectations low on the volume of business that will be done, clearly orders were taking place at booths and brands were proud to show off their latest collections.
The trade show has coincided with a summit in which dozens of speakers have come together in a series of sessions talking about topical issues in the global jewellery trade.
Jewellery Outlook Editor David Brough looked forward to a discussion with Stephen Lussier, CEO of Forevermark, part of De Beers Group, starting at 3 pm Italy time on September 13, 2020, which will look at the outlook for the global diamond jewellery market during COVID-19.
VOICE will see the digital launch of the Trend Book 2022+ on Monday, September 14, 2020.
VOICE has also seen discussions organised by CIBJO-World Jewellery Confederation, featuring prominent speakers including Edward Asscher, President of the World Diamond Council (WDC), and Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council, among others.
