Virtual Jewels
Due to COVID-19, JCK Events moved its annual jewelry and watch trade show to a virtual format and, according to executives, the switch was a relative success.
“At a time when how our industry connects is not currently an option, JCK Events had a responsibility to quickly pivot to bring our industry together and facilitate vital business connections in a new way. The jewelry industry is based on relationships and a highly visual product mix and relies on JCK Las Vegas each year to accomplish the majority of their buying, so the challenge was to create an online platform that replicates the experience of in-person meetings and browsing a diverse mix of products and exhibitors on a show floor as best as possible,” explained Sarin Bachmann, group vice president of JCK’s organizer Reed Jewelry Group. “While our audience enjoyed feeling connected via the education, browsing product and meeting virtually — it was clear the digital experience cannot replace or fully replicate the experience of our inperson trade shows and events, where attendees can touch and feel the products as well as socialize and connect in person.”
Originally, the trade show was scheduled from June 2 to 5 in Las Vegas. The all virtual show, held
Aug. 10 to 14, offered the industry an opportunity to reconnect through virtual networking and appointments to discover the latest offerings. According to the organization, the show saw more than 5,000 jewelry industry professionals — with more than 3,400 attendees — including 2,400 buyers and 700 exhibiting companies.
Using chat feeds and video meetings to connect to virtual showrooms, the event saw 17 JCK talk sessions by sponsor Jewelers Mutual Group and 12 JCK talk trend panels, sponsored by the GIA. According to the organization, the exhibitor and product directories — the backbone of the event — received 43,000 page views as of the show close on Aug. 14, with visitors performing 142,000 search queries, nearly 60,000 product views, more than 35,000 virtual showroom views and “favorited” nearly 7,000 products.