JCK Readies to Reunite the Jewelry Industry
July 13, 2021
Sarin Bachmann, group vice president of Reed Jewelry Group, is ready to meet like it’s 2019. At JCK & Luxury, returning to The Venetian Resort & Sands Expo in Las Vegas this August, she’ll get close to her wish.
The dates are different than usual, and so the floor layouts have been redesigned, but Bachmann is keen to emphasize that it will pretty much be business as usual.
“After over a year without JCK in-person events, we are thrilled to welcome the jewelry industry back to JCK this summer,” Bachmann said.
It appears to be a big reunion. More than 1,500 exhibitors have registered for the general show, and another 150 for the luxury portion. Attendance is on pace for a strong number, but the status of international vendors and buyers remains in flux given the remaining COVID-19 protocols.
Masks will be optional for vaccinated attendees, and procedures to return in-person have been carefully considered, Bachmann noted.
“Our team has been diligently working since the shut down on planning for comprehensive health and safety protocols in addition to launching new digital initiatives, like JCK Pro, to connect the JCK community to our unmatched resources year-round,” she said.
Social media boot camps, on-site podcasts and other digital offerings will be present to engage would-be attendees unable to be in Las Vegas Aug. 26-29.
“We all learned in 2020 how to do things digitally way better than we ever thought we could and way quicker than we ever thought we could,” Bachmann said. “I think we've all realized webinars, video conferencing and selling and buying online is here to stay.”
Still, the tactile nature of jewelry is difficult to replicate, as evidenced by Reed’s ability to build a show of pre-pandemic size so soon after Las Vegas fully reopened.
Pushing back dates from last Spring to late Summer allowed Reed to secure better hotel room rates — $209 per night — and also is giving attendees more time to become fully vaccinated. And while the dates are different, the show flow will be similar to past years, only with some expanded opportunities.
Early signs point to the delay as being the right move. There will be more than 20 curated neighborhoods inside the properties, with the luxury lines residing on the fourth and fifth floors of The Venetian.
“We are really excited to bring this to the industry,” Bachmann said. “This is not just for the people at our shows, this is for everyone in the jewelry industry.”
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