June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair visitor attendance up 14 percent

August 2012

June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair visitor attendance up 14 percent

August 2012

The June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair concluded on a high note on 24 June at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with visitor attendance up 14 percent from 2011. One of Asia’s top three jewellery events, the June Fair welcomed 25,560 visitors from 117 countries and regions and 1,790 exhibitors from 36 countries and regions – both new records for the fair.

The fair’s 25th edition showcased a wide range of exquisite fine jewellery and jewellery-related materials in 64,000 square metres of exhibition space. “The June Fair’s continued growth is testament to the strong reputation the fair enjoys globally,” said Celine Lau, Director of Jewellery Fairs, UBM Asia. “The growth in exhibition space, exhibitor numbers and visitor numbers further confirms the June Fair’s important role as the choice of mid-year marketplace for the global jewellery trade.”

Hong Kong-based visitors totalled 10,544, accounting for about 40 percent of the total number of visitors. The rest of the visitors: 15,016, or about 60 percent of the overall total, were from overseas, a growth of 16 percent from last year. Buyers from China formed the biggest group of visitors from outside Hong Kong with 7,009, while buyers from India followed, with 854 visitors.

“The significant figures in visitor attendance from China and India highlight the continued strength of these two countries’ jewellery markets. What was even more encouraging was the growth in visitor attendance from Sri Lanka and South Africa of 76 and 71 percent, respectively. There was also notable growth in visitor numbers from Australia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States, which makes the June Fair’s buyers’ profile truly international,” said Ms Lau.

Quick facts about visitor numbers:

The total number of trade visitors at the June Fair reached a new record of 25,560, up 13.8 percent compared to 2011. These visitors came from 117 countries and regions.

The number of overseas visitors grew 16 percent from last year, with 15,016 in total. The top ten countries and regions with the highest increase in the number of visitors are:

The largest group of visitors from outside Hong Kong came from mainland China, the number recorded being 7,009. The mainland was followed by India, with 854; Taiwan, with 794; Philippines, 657; Japan, 586, the United States, 581; Thailand, 552; Korea, 405; Indonesia, 341; Singapore, 334 and Australia, 320.

Exhibitors’ Comments

“We have been participating in this fair for more than 15 years. Hong Kong is a good venue for such exhibitions; it brings us lots of business opportunities. We met target buyers from China, India, Taiwan and Indonesia, among others. We like the product sectorisation arrangement too. We will join again in 2013.”
Mr Rony Golan, representative of Ofer Mizrahi Diamonds Ltd/ M.G. Diamonds Ltd, a diamonds wholesaler from Israel.

“This is the first time we’ve taken part in the June Fair. We would like to explore the international market through this fair. We met a lot of buyers from Asia-Pacific and Europe. The venue is very nice, the staffs are helpful and the visitor traffic is excellent. We look forward to exhibiting again in the next show.”
Mr Siegler Ludovic, sales manager of Sakai Trading Co Ltd in Japan, a manufacturer of diamonds and gemstones jewellery.

“We joined this fair because Hong Kong is good for jewellery trading and the June Fair is an important mid-year marketplace. We met new buyers from Russia and other markets and we actually received orders onsite. The fair is professionally organised. We will join the next June edition.”
Mr Jonas Hjornered, manager of Yavorskyy Co Ltd in Thailand, an exhibitor of gemstones in the Grand Hall (Fine Design Pavilion).

“We’ve exhibited in the June Fair for more than 20 years, and become Hong Kong Premier Pavilion exhibitor since 2009. The elegant setting of the Hong Kong Premier Pavilion helps in brand building and is good for maintaining our company’s high-end image. We meet existing clients to keep good relationship, as well as look for potential business opportunities each year in the June Fair. Overall, we satisfied with the Fair and we will exhibit again next year.”
Mr Ringo Cheung, executive director of K T L Jewellery Manufacturer Ltd in Hong Kong, a manufacturer of fine finished jewellery.

“We’ve exhibited in the June Fair for five times. This edition is getting bigger. We joined the fair because it offers us a great opportunity to meet international buyers, especially the Chinese buyers from the robust China market. Definitely, the June Fair is an important fair to us. We will certainly participate again in the next edition.”

Ms Wimalaratne Opatha, managing director of Visaka Gems & Jewellery (Pvt) Ltd in Sri Lanka, a manufacturer and wholesaler of gemstones.

Buyers’ Comments

“This is my second visit to the fair. I found the quality of the exhibits very good and was impressed by the wide variety available. Products were competitively priced. I met some new suppliers too. I will visit again next year.”
Mr Ryan Hakimi, representative of Ch. Hakimi, Inc. in the United States.

“The scale of the June Fair impressed me most. I’m happy to see so many quality exhibitors here. The organiser provided good service. The fair enables me to meet new suppliers and provides me with a wide range of competitively priced products.”
Mr Alessio Caratelli, owner of Caratelli Gioielli Srl in Italy.

“I’ve visited this fair a few times now. I came here to replenish my inventory and look for new suppliers. I met a lot of new suppliers from Brazil, Germany and Thailand. The venue, organiser’s professionalism and the quality of exhibits were good. Certainly, I will attend the next edition.”
Mr Modirou Niangadou, managing director of Niangadou Co Ltd in Thailand.

“This is my first visit to this fair. I met many new suppliers here. The exhibits were varied and of high quality, and the fair was well-organised. It was easy to locate the products I need because they were grouped in specialty pavilions. The fair was satisfactory overall.”
Mr Leonid Pertsovskiy, an importer and exporter of diamonds and pearls in Russian Federation.

“I’ve visited this fair many times. I came here every year to source diamonds, gemstones and fine jewellery products. They are of high quality and very competitively priced. I like the idea of the Trade Buyer ID because of the convenience it brings visitors like me. I will visit again next year.”
Mr Shajahan, managing director of Gem Mines in Malaysia, a wholesaler of gemstone products.

Special Events

Final Judging of IU Awards

The final judging of the IU Awards, the world’s first international gem-cutting and jewellery design competition jointly organised by UBM Asia and the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), was held on 22 June. The winning entries in the competition were displayed at the Grand Foyer on 23 and 24 June. The Awards Presentation Ceremony together with a jewellery parade of the final entries will be held on 21 September 2012 at the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

Press Conference

A press conference was held on 21 June to update the media with the latest news of the JNA Awards, the first jewellery industry award that honours organisations or individuals from around the world who have achieved excellence in the jewellery and gemstone trade in Asia. JNA Award is organised by Jewellery News Asia. The Awards Presentation Ceremony will be held on 20 September 2012 at the Ritz-Calton Hotel, Hong Kong.

Seminars

The Tanzanite Foundation hosted a seminar on 23 June. Two topics – “Tanzanite in the global supply chain…Mine to market” and “History, Features and Benefits of Tanzanite” were presented at the seminar.

The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong (GAHK) hosted a seminar on “Kashmir sapphires: Potential and limitations of origin determination by chemical fingerprinting with LA ICP MS” on 23 June.

Workshops

Two hands-on workshops on “Digital Marketing for Jewellery Professionals,” covering the Internet and e-mail strategies for SMEs were organised by www.JewelleryNetAsia.com and were held on 22 and 23 June.

Pearl Auctions

Two world-class pearl auctions took place during the Fair: the 5th Gerdau Pearl Auction and the 55th Robert Wan Tahiti Perles Auction.

Industry Support

The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong
Gemological Institute of America (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong Gold & Silver Ornament Workers & Merchants General Union
The Kowloon Pearls, Precious Stones, Jade, Gold and Silver Ornament Merchants Association

Coming Fair Dates

September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2012

19 - 23 September 2012, AsiaWorld-Expo Exhibits profile: diamonds, pearls, gemstones, equipment & packaging

21 - 25 September 2012, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Exhibits profile: fine finished jewellery

The September edition of Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair will again be held in conjunction with the September Fair, running for four days at AsiaWorld-Expo from 19 to 22 September 2012.

June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2013

The next edition of the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair will be held from 20 to 23 June 2013 at HKCEC. The June edition of Asia’s Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair, the most professional fair of its kind in Asia, will run during the same period, 20 to 23 June, at HKCEC.

Treasures Hangzhou

UBM China expands its unique Treasures series of fairs with the launch of Treasures Hangzhou together with International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) and Jewelry Jade Industry Association of Zhejiang. Treasures Hangzhou will be held from 24 to 26 October 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou. The event will deliver to jewellery connoisseurs in Hangzhou and neighbouring cities high-quality jewellery from local and international suppliers.

China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fairs in Shanghai and Shenzhen

China’s key international jewellery fairs continue to provide the ideal marketing platforms for industry professionals. The next editions of the fairs will be held as follows: