Jewelry buyers and sellers won’t want to miss the largest independent jewelry tradeshow in the Americas, Jewelry International Showcase (JIS), October 4 through 7. The event, running since 1979, will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The Convention Center, only minutes from Miami International Airport, is next to the Art Deco and South Beach Districts. It is a short walk to one of America’s most spectacular beaches. JIS expects to attract around 1,200 exhibitors and 12,000 buyers representing 4,000 businesses from 50 countries of the Caribbean, Latin America and the US. Typically, 55 percent of buyers are from Florida, 38 percent are out of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the remainder are from 44 other U.S. states, according to show producer Michael Breslow, CEM.
“What makes our show unique is that exhibitors must have product suitable for a jewelry store and buyers must meet our credential requirements,” Breslow explains. Although the show caters only to the jewelry community, jewelry businesses of all sizes and shapes, including Internet retailers, brick and mortar stores, and home businesses, are welcome as long as they can substantiate that they have sufficient buying power. “We have the fine jewelry stores that only carry brand names, 18k merchandise and diamonds, and we have jewelry retailers that may be in a flea market or beauty salon. It’s very popular right now to have jewelry departments in beauty salons and in mixed product retail stores.” JIS serves all jewelry trade members who can provide proper JIS-required credentials for free admission to the show floor. Please visit the JIS website at www.jisshow.com for full show details including buyer credential requirements, a video tour of a prior JIS show and interactive exhibitor and product cross listings that are updated daily.
Accordingly, JIS attendees are treated to a broad product mix, says Breslow. The show’s massive selection of products range from the highest price points to
everyday popular inventory items, with the majority of items towards middle and higher price points. Jewelry can be purchased right on the showroom floor, eliminating shipment or delivery costs. “We were the pioneer in allowing delivery at the jewelry shows,” Breslow reports. “Exhibitors come in with gigantic inventories and buyers can purchase merchandise on the showroom floor and take it with them. Many of the internationals attend our show so they can take the inventory back to their countries with them. This has made us very successful. We also have exhibitors that only do factory shipment.” Many sellers offer special deals and discounts as well.
100 Aisle Becomes Fashion Row
Beginning with the October show, JIS is renaming and rebranding the 100 aisle, which has become a collecting point of sellers of fashion jewelry from the most economical to totally exotic fashion jewelry merchandise. Now known as “Fashion Row,” the aisle will feature a unique color scheme, specific identification and clearly visible overhead signage to guide buyers to the area. “Many of these sellers like the bounce of being in an area of like merchandise,” Breslow states. “But there are still many fashion sellers scattered throughout the show. Some, who have been occupying the same booths for decades, prefer to stay where they are.”
The October Jewelry International Showcase, comprising 600,000 square feet, is 16 percent larger than last year’s show. “We’re back to the size we used to be before the recession,” Breslow notes. “This year has been a good healing year although we weathered the down economy better than many other industries. A lot of that comes from the buying strength of the Caribbean and Latin America,” he continues. “Those countries didn’t have the economic problems the U.S. was facing and they do massive purchasing at JIS shows.”
To learn more about the show, or to register as a buyer or exhibitor, visit the JIS website. All necessary forms, buyer registration requirements, exhibitor information, a video tour of a recent JIS show and interactive exhibitor and product cross listings that are updated daily.
For more information:
Jewelry International Showcase
6421 Congress Avenue, Suite 105
Boca Raton, FL 33487
Tel.: 561-998-0205
Website: www.jisshow.com