JCK wraps 30th Anniversary Show in Las Vegas

Reading Time: 12 minutes (NORWALK, Conn.) – JCK successfully wrapped its 2022 edition exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 attendance numbers and reuniting the jewelry industry to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of JCK. 30,000 people from all facets of the jewelry industry joined JCK and Luxury for a week of product sourcing, education, and networking. Over 17,000 attendees from 130 countries conducted business with over 1,800 exhibiting companies in more than 20 different show floor neighborhoods. The industry gathered under one roof once again at The Venetian and The Venetian Expo for JCK from June 10-13, with the return of GEMS with AGTA Las Vegas opening a day early on June 9. Luxury welcomed retailers June 8 -13, and was open to invited retailers on June 8 and 9 “It was a celebratory and momentous year for the JCK community, which concluded with a round of loud applause from show exhibitors across all the neighborhoods, just like the first edition 30 years prior in 1992,” stated Sarin Bachmann, Group Vice President of RX Jewelry Group. “This edition came full circle with high energy, enthusiasm, and most importantly, connection and commerce. This year we saw an increase in attendance, quality lead generation, customer success on-site and amplified optimism for the future of innovation and trends in the jewelry industry as well as the importance of face-to-face events.” JCK 2022 not only celebrated 30 years, but was noted by many attendees and exhibitors to be the best JCK show to date. With a focus on ease of navigation and an enhanced show floor layout including activations and inspirational moments, JCK provided attendees and exhibitors everything they needed to make the most of the 2022 show and have a thoroughly enjoyable time while getting business done. “This was the best JCK I have been to yet and I have been to all but one! I found it very easy to navigate and find what I was looking for at all times, saving me many steps and much time,” says retailer, Cathy Calhoun of Calhoun Jewelers. “Between the way the floorplan was laid out and the mobile app allowing me to enter a booth number with step-by-step directions to find it. I loved the ease of the mobile app and the clearly marked aisles. I was able to be very productive and enjoyed myself as well, especially at the JCK Rocks event, both the show and the after party. Everyone I spoke to was extremely happy!” Exhibitors felt the energy and high foot traffic on the show floor as well, with attendance numbers exceeding those of 2019, JCK and Luxury’s first year back at The Venetian. “This year’s Luxury show brought retailers that were there to do business, including many new retailers. With our men’s collection by Marco Dal Maso alone, we opened more than 30 new accounts and had the opportunity to reconnect with many of our current partners,” said Mark Pasdon of Gioelli Group. JCK exhibitors had similar sentiments. “The turnout is insane, the new layout is absolutely amazing. We’ve been having a ton of new clients come over because of our marketing and JCK’s marketing, it worked. I really love the Design Collective. It differentiates us from the rest of the crowd which is super special. We’re busy and everyone is happy to see everyone’s face,” says, Stephanie Urbaetis, Urbaetis Fine Jewelry. JCK TALKS & EDUCATION The JCK Talks education program returned in a new format to arm attendees with relevant actionable tools, insights, and information necessary to succeed in the current retail climate. JCK Talks opened the day before the JCK show floor on Thursday, June 9 with special sessions located on the Level 1 meeting rooms. From June 10 – 12, JCK Talks sessions were held live on the Showcase Stage in the new Innovation Hub area from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM with expert speakers and panel discussions. This year, JCK Talks formatted the programming to allow for comprehensive tracks – creating a full, multi-session experience each day.  Track topics focused on: Trends: 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM – Design, Style, Consumer Shopping Trends Responsibility: 11:00 AM – Sourcing, Sustainability, DEI Sales: 1:00 PM – Team Building, Customer Loyalty, Storytelling Conversion Relevance: 3:00 PM – NFTs & Web3, Digital Fraud Prevention, Happening Now Retail Innovation: 4:00 PM – Technology, Clienteling, In-Store Experience Marketing: 5:00 PM – Social Media, Video Content Creation, Digital Marketing Many of the JCK Talks and Keynote sessions were recorded and available to watch on-demand for a limited time on JCK Pro. Learn more and subscribe to JCK Pro. JCK and Luxury once again welcomed Keynote speakers to open the show.

• Wednesday, June 8, the first Luxury Keynote featured Bill Benjamin, emotional intelligence, performance and leadership expert, The Art of Empathy: The Antidote to the Great Resignation.
• Thursday, June 9, the next Luxury Keynote featured Emmitt Smith, pro football Hall of Fame running back, businessman and entrepreneur in a compelling talk, A Championship Vision: How Your Achievements Start with your Vision and Dream
• On Friday, June 10, the JCK Opening Keynote was presented by Swan Sit, the former Global Head of Digital Marketing at Nike, Estée Lauder and Revlon, dubbed the Queen of Clubhouse. In Web3 is Coming – Navigating the Past, Present and Future of Retail, Swan Sit shared insights on innovative platforms and technologies like the Metaverse, NFTs and Web3 that are emerging and disrupting the way retailers engage with customers and tell a brand’s story. The JCK Opening Keynote was sponsored by Sarine.

EVENTS & ACTIVATIONS For its 30th Anniversary edition, JCK brought back popular entertainment like its JCK Rocks event on Saturday night, featuring Miguel Cervantes, who plays the current Alexander Hamilton role on Broadway and other past and current and former Hamilton cast members for a high-energy, exclusive performance of Hamilton Remix followed by a high energy after party that included cast members and a packed dance floor. To kickoff the evening, The Plumb Club hosted a 30th Anniversary Cocktail Party in its pavilion, where attendees toasted to three decades of JCK. New to JCK were the “Activations & Instagrammable Moments” on and off the show floor including:

1. Daily 30th Surprise Treats
2. JCK Magazine “You” On Cover – a photo booth to envision yourself on the cover of JCK Magazine
3. Vogue Vignette – live fashion sketching to capture the spirit and style in a one-of-a-kind fashion art keepsake
4. Social Mosaic – feeding all of the social content that is being posted live when using #JCKLasVegas and #LuxuryByJCK
5. NFT Art Exhibit – NFT artwork created by “Rozes” brought jewelry to life and were unveiled for the first time at Luxury
6. Ribbon Wall– A ribbon station to place on badges to showcase attendee history with JCK and take photos
7. JCK Commercial Video Booth – a sharable short video featuring attendees and teams
8. Diamond Balloon Ring – picture moment sponsored by Diamonds Do Good
9. Diamond Hologram – a diamond hologram photo moment sponsored by SRK
10. JCK’s 30th Anniversary Tribute Video

More new areas include the “Innovation Hub” where attendees could stop by for expert-led education and discovery from the people and brands that are revolutionizing the industry. “The Shoppe” debuted on the show floor featuring both a gift JCK show swag made by artist KicksbySammy and various designer products available to sell. DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSION The cultivation of inclusion and diversity was celebrated at JCK through an increased presence of emerging BIPOC designers, discussion, brand features, and education. For the first time ever, JCK sponsored the Black in Jewelry Coalition (BIJC) with booths in JCK’s Design Collective featuring various collections from six BIJC members: Adore Adorn. Christian Stone, Jam + Rico, JNCY Jewelers, Made by Malyia and The Personal Jeweler. “History was made at this JCK event,” says Adrianne Sanogo, Co-Founder of BIJC. “I want to personally thank you for being a visionary and being committed to changing the narrative. This will always be a part of your legacy and ours, for bringing about change and ensuring that everyone in the industry shines together.” “It truly was a spectacular show and in my three years of attending JCK, there was a noticeable difference this year in the amount of diversity and level of camaraderie among the exhibitors. It was spectacular to see and be a part of…this is just the beginning,” added Nellie Barnett, BIJC Board Member. Natural Diamond Council and Lorraine Schwartz also hosted six emerging designers through the Emerging Designers Diamond Initiative. Their collections were seen at Luxury. On Sunday, June 12 a JCK Talks session featured a panel discussion called “Attract and Reach New Customers Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” which led attendees through a discussion on developing awareness in DEI – a highly attended session in the JCK Talks 2022 lineup. Partners of JCK, the Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) held a breakfast on Saturday, June 11 called “Generating Impact Community Breakfast” featuring a presentation by Karine Bah Tahé, Founder and CEO of Blue Level Training, a Black woman-owned enterprise focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training and special remarks from Latoya Boyd, WJA’s 2020 Veteran Grant winner, sponsored by Jewelers Mutual Group. Boyd commented on being impressed with the diversity she saw in the room and on the show floor. CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH AGTA The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and JCK are pleased to announce that AGTA GemFair Las Vegas has extended their partnership with JCK through at least 2025. “This is exciting news for AGTA and our members, especially after such a successful show for us at JCK,” said Kimberly Collins, AGTA President.  AGTA GemFair Las Vegas will be located on the main floor next to the Luxury and Plumb Club Pavilions at the Venetian Expo. Bachmann added, “We are thrilled to bring an important partner such as AGTA back into the fold with an expanded long-term commitment. We received great feedback on having AGTA back at JCK and are excited to let the industry know they can count on finding AGTA at JCK in Las Vegas for many more years ahead.” DATES FOR JCK 2023 JCK: June 2 – 5, 2023 GEMS & JCK Talks: June 1 – 5, 2023 Luxury: May 31 – June 5, 2023, By Invitation Only May 31 & June 1 The Venetian Expo & The Venetian