(ATLANTA) – In addition to fresh new product finds, jewelers will be able to choose from a full selection of educational sessions filled with new ideas, marketing strategies and sales tips during the February 27-29, 2016 Atlanta Jewelry Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre. From creating ‘Authentic Happiness’ in the workplace to new merchandising strategies to attract Millennials, the AJS U educational line-up brings together some of the industry’s best speakers to share and spark new ideas that promise to get the new year off to a strong start.
Further strengthening the AJS U educational offerings, the Atlanta Jewelry Show will once again offer a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Lab class in conjunction with the Spring show. The GIA Diamond Grading Lab will be held Tuesday – Saturday, February 23-27. Session hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day. Bringing together a unique combination of hands-on training, one-on-one coaching and integrated multimedia presentations, the lab can be credited towards the GIA’s Graduate Gemologist and Graduate Diamonds diplomas. To register or receive more information, contact Judy Lince at jlince@atlantajewelryshow.com, 800-241-0399 or 404-634-3434.
Registration is also recommended for all AJS U sessions. Jewelers can register online at www.atlantajewelryshow.com. The full program includes:
Saturday, February 27
Appraising Antique Jewelry
Speaker: Gail Brett Levine, GIA, GG, Executive Director, NAJA
9:45 – 10:45 a.m., Room 102
The valuing essentials of antique jewelry are directly correlated to the appropriate gemstones and the integrity of the era, styles and motifs. One can never value antique jewelry based on the cost breakdown of the elements alone. Rather, the process depends on selecting the right comparables. For example, contemporary stylistic examples are often used inappropriately when iconic era and style motifs are the key components to coming to the right answer needed for the appraisal assignment. Common mistakes in seeking valuation conclusions by use of auction market examples, and more, will all be explored during this important program.
2016 Shopper Trends & How You Can Profit From Them
Speaker: Kate Peterson, President, Performance Concepts, Inc.
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Room 103
Today, much as throughout retail history, some businesses are staring into the abyss, while others are reaching for the stars. The difference between the two groups may well be the willingness of the latter to look beyond day to day operations to the essentials of consumer behavior, and to respond in ways that actually meet and exceed expectations. Experts around the world agree that the luxury consumer is back in the spending game, and there are more opportunities than ever for creative brands and entrepreneurs to meet changing consumer needs. Don’t miss this overview of the top, must-know consumer trends on which you and your team can capitalize in the coming months. Learn what’s on the horizon and see how you can best prepare your product, your brand and your team to be where the spending customer is.
Refining 101: There Could Be Gold In Your Carpet
David Siminski, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, United Precious Metals & Refining, Inc.
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Room 102
From floor and bench sweeps to general scrap, you could be standing on (or in) an untapped revenue stream! Understanding the refining process can help you improve what you do and, most important, increase your store’s profitability. With more than 20 years in the refining industry, Dave will share everything you need to know to maximize your metal recovery through refining, including the process itself, methods used for testing, best practices for segregation and more. Be sure to bring your own questions and Dave will answer those, too!
Engagements: A Collaborative Retail Experience
Moderator: Kathy Beall, K. Beall Associates, will be joined by the Atlanta Jewelry Show’s panel of industry experts
12:45 – 2 p.m., Room 103
Back by popular demand, this is your chance to turn business challenges and obstacles into solutions and possibilities. It’s so popular, in fact, that the session will be featured twice – on Saturday and Sunday! Between the AJS’ knowledgeable, experienced panelists and an audience of your peers, there’s much to learn by engaging with each other. Whether you prefer to listen in or actively share, topics covered will range from merchandising and customer relationships to social media to bench repair and topics you and others bring to the session. The collaborative efforts will deliver an engaging experience and provide ways to increase profitability and innovation, build better customer relationships, improve productivity and work smarter, not harder, in your business.
Give Me 30 Minutes: Running A Successful Social Media Strategy In 1800 Seconds A Day
Speaker: Lynn Switanowski, Creative Business Consulting Group
2 – 3:15 p.m., Room 102
Social media is a way to connect with your customers in real time. To be most effective, you need to participate in social media on a daily basis and continue to engage and educate your community with new information regularly. In this seminar, you’ll learn how to create and leverage content while minimizing your time involved with social media; how to create a planning guide for a week of social media interactions on Facebook and Twitter; what creates good content for customer engagement on your social media sites; how to use other sites, like Pinterest, to integrate with your current social media sites; and how to utilize time saving tools to improve your time spent on social media.
Visual Merchandising Work-shop: Your Brand & Store Experience, How You Can Connect With Millennials & Compete In A Changing Marketplace
Speaker: Emily R. Graffagnino, Senior Product Manager for Packaging and Visual Merchandising, Stuller
3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Room 103
How do you build a brand? Do your displays and cases show your jewelry to its best advantage? Does your packaging tell your unique story? Are you attracting attention, interest and business from today’s Millennials? Emily Graffagnino has the answers! And she’ll share them during this idea-packed program and hands-on demonstration. You’ll learn simple yet effective tips and tricks that will help you sell your store’s brand through enticing visual merchandising.
Sunday, February 28
What’s Your ROH – Return On Happiness?
Speaker: Joanna Brandi, Joanna Brandi & Company
9 – 10:30 a.m., Room 103
Every company has an ROH. The Return On Happiness that comes as a result of how well you care, inspire, engage and empower your workforce. And, it shows up in a number of places, including higher customer and employee loyalty, repeat business and abundant referrals. It also shows up in positive word of mouth in social media sites. But most important, it’s showing up in the lives of those who work for us. When we provide a positive, healthy and happy place to work, people go home at night with the energy to enjoy their kids. In fact, when you have employees who are happily engaged in their work – and in the real work of the business – they get to spread the good feelings they leave work with to a whole lot of people. Join Joanna Brandi, popular speaker, author and consultant for this inspiring and entertaining presentation. She will leave you with 21 questions you can ask the people that work for your company to help them create “Authentic Happiness.”
Store Security: The Most Costly & Most Dangerous Security Mistakes
Presented by: Jason Johnson, Loss Prevention Specialist, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company
10:45 – 11:45 a.m., Room 104
Learn about effective security as Jewelers Mutual Loss Prevention Specialist Jason Johnson outlines the ten most costly security mistakes and the five most dangerous security mistakes jewelers often make. During this insightful and practical program, Jason will help you understand more about these common mistakes and provide sound advice to help you avoid them!
Engagements: A Collaborative Retail Experience
Moderator: Kathy Beall, K. Beall Associates, will be joined by the AJS panel of industry experts
12:15 – 1:30 p.m., Room 103 (see description above)
Vine, Snapchat & 5 Other New Social Media Tools: What They Do & Why You Should Know About Them
Speaker: Lynn Switanowski, Creative Business Consulting Group
1:45 – 2:45 p.m., Room 104
New marketing tools are making it easier and easier to connect with your customers – wherever they are. The key is to assess the tools based on the needs of your target market so you can determine which ones you should invest your time (and sometimes money) into growing. This seminar will explore some of the latest social media tools that are being used by consumers today. Learn the key retail applications for those tools so you can determine if they are right for your business. Take this time to learn what’s new so you can prepare what’s next for your retail business.
Visual Merchandising Workshop: Your Brand & Store Experience, How You Can Connect With Millennials & Compete In A Changing Marketplace
Speaker: Emily R. Graffagnino, Senior Product Manager for Packaging and Visual Merchandising, Stuller
3 – 4 p.m., Room 103 (see description above)
About SJTA
Now entering its 66th year, the Southern Jewelry Travelers Association is the nation’s oldest association for independent jewelry representatives and the official sponsor and producer of the Atlanta Jewelry Show. For more information visit www.atlantajewelryshow.com, e-mail info@atlantajewelryshow.com or call 800-241-0399 or 404-634-3434.
