September Fair delivers better-than-expected results as it attracts serious buyers

World's No. 1 jewellery marketplace connects global suppliers with quality visitors 

HONG KONG, Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More serious buying activity, better-quality visitor traffic and exclusive industry events were among the highlights of the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, which concluded yesterday.

The seven-day jewellery and gemstone marketplace opened its doors on September 16 at the AsiaWorld-Expo, where a wide selection of diamonds, coloured gemstones and pearls was showcased until September 20. Finished jewellery collections, tools and equipment, and industry-related technologies were presented at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre section of the fair from September 18 to 22.

"Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong remains the ultimate meeting place for the global jewellery industry," said David Bondi, Senior Vice President – Asia at Informa Markets. "What's happening in Hong Kong now and the uncertainties in the global economy are affecting us in a certain way. Visitor turnout was down but traffic quality was up. We did receive positive compliments from exhibitors and high-quality visitors who engaged in serious trading at the show."

Visitor numbers from China saw the biggest drop compared with year-ago figures while Japan, Israel and some markets recorded an increase in buyer turnout. Professional buyers also made the most out of their trip by spending more time at the show compared to previous editions.

As the biggest and the last global jewellery sourcing event of the year, the September Fair is an integral part of the industry and for many companies, Bondi continued.

"They use the fair as launch pads for their new collections, products and services, which account for a year's worth of work and promotions from our customers' side," he shared. "This only serves to reaffirm our strong commitment to deliver the September Fair to the industry."

Celine Lau, Director of Jewellery Fairs at Informa Markets, commented, "The positive feedback that we have received from buyers and exhibitors proves just how important the September Fair is to the jewellery trade. We deeply appreciate the confidence and trust that our industry partners and customers have placed in us, and we look forward to delivering an even more outstanding sourcing experience to the global jewellery community in the years to come."

The breadth and depth of products available at the fair left professional buyers genuinely impressed.

"I think this show is the biggest in the world. There is more product variety here compared to other fairs," shared first-time visitor Ludmila Placido of Brazil-based M. Frazao Atelier.

Professional buyer Nicolas Kriukov of Chile-based DELPHISK described the fair as "amazing."

"There are a lot of gemstones at this show, and I have never seen anything quite like it," Kriukov said.

The September Fair drew visitors from around the world, including buyer delegations from South America, China, Poland, Russia and Vietnam.

The 2019 edition of the fair drew the attendance of more serious buyers, according to exhibitors.

"People thought no one will come because of the [public incidents] but we've had buyers from Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia, Israel and India. There were also a few from mainland China," said Sanjay Shah of India-based J. B. And Brothers Pvt Ltd. "We consider the September Fair a very significant event in the trade because it is an effective platform for buyers and sellers to meet, inspect new inventories and get together as an industry."

To view some of our show highlights, check out our photo gallery. For high-resolution images for editorial use, contact pressjgf-hk@informa.com

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