Jewellery, Gem & Technology Dubai (JGT Dubai), the first international in-person B2B show of the year, kicked off the industry’s recovery drive with its inaugural edition from February 22 to 24.

According to show organisers Informa Markets Jewellery and Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), JGT Dubai has hit its stride as one of the industry’s top B2B sourcing destinations following its three-day run at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Fuelled by the excitement of in-person product sourcing, JGT Dubai drew 4,244 visitors who made 6,001 visits throughout the show period. International buyers had a significant presence at the fair, accounting for 46.2 per cent of unique attendees from close to 100 countries and regions. Among them were over 200 hosted wholesalers, retailers and brands from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, South America and South Asia.
 
JGT Dubai presented a curated selection of exhibitors comprising more than 300 quality suppliers from 23 countries and regions covering the finished jewellery, loose gemstones and technology categories. 

Positive start

The buzz on the show floor was unmistakable, especially among buyers who were attending their first international in-person event since the start of the pandemic, said David Bondi, senior vice president of Informa Markets in Asia. 

“As the first international in-person B2B sourcing event of the year, JGT Dubai has given our industry unprecedented momentum as we head into the important selling seasons of 2022,” Bondi said. “In-person attendance exceeded our expectations, and the level of energy and enthusiasm on the show floor was exceptional. By joining forces with IEG in Dubai – one of the greatest places in the world to do business – we have helped ignite the start of our industry rebuilding, which will carry our community forward throughout the year. We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to the Government of Dubai and our event partners – DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) and the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group (DGJG) – for joining us on our JGT Dubai journey. Together, we are taking the lead into the future by creating it.”

Commenting on JGT Dubai’s well-received launch, Corrado Peraboni, CEO of Italian Exhibition Group, said, “We are particularly proud to have inaugurated the international gold and jewellery trade show calendar with the first edition of JGT Dubai. The satisfaction expressed over the last few days by international exhibitors and visitors has confirmed the value of the project generated by the collaboration between IEG and Informa Markets Jewellery. The clear positioning as a sourcing event and the choice of a hub such as Dubai – with the precious support of the Dubai Government, DMCC and DGJG – have been rewarded by professional operators coming from strategic jewellery markets, and allowed us to look forward with confidence to future developments, heralding new opportunities for sector companies and business development.”

Buyers: Diverse resources

Visitors said the thrill of product discovery, the warmth of spontaneous interactions and the excitement of finding inspiration on the show floor were the key highlights of their JGT Dubai experience.

“JGT Dubai presented us with a good opportunity to speak directly with our existing suppliers and new vendors. I found new companies offering interesting products and discovered a wide variety of goods, especially within the diamond product category. Participating in this exhibition was also very useful when it came to coloured gemstone purchasing since you could not buy these goods without seeing and touching them first. We cannot wait for the next edition of JGT Dubai,” said Farog Giligrian of Egypt-based Varouj Jewelry.
            
To Larissa Apollaro of Brazilian jewellery retail chain, VIVARA, the fair was a “big surprise.” 

“JGT Dubai was a great opportunity to meet new suppliers of fine jewellery from Italy and Turkey, and buy coloured stones,” Apollaro said.

Michel A. Zeidan of Ruwi Jewellers LLC from Oman said he was delighted with the quality of gemstones offered at the show. 

“This first edition of JGT Dubai was great,” Zeidan said. “I think Dubai will be the future hub in the region for the jewellery industry, and it is very important to build connections among all the major jewellery and gemstone centres, from India and Israel to Europe. It was good to be back in a B2B show such as JGT Dubai.”

Exhibitors: Personal connections

Meeting buyers face to face at engaging live events like JGT Dubai is a vital part of the customer relationship-building process, exhibitors said.

“We are very happy about our performance at JGT Dubai. We met with so many new customers from South America, Europe and Russia. We will continue to exhibit here,” said Mehemet Diribas of Turkey’s ZEN Diamond.

JGT Dubai’s first edition was “amazing and outstanding,” shared Alice Alessi of Italy-based Alessi Domenico. “We had new customers coming from all over the world, and our customers reached us here in Dubai,” Alessi said.

Paolo Bettinardi of Italy’s Better Silver said the fair was perfectly timed for buyers who needed to fulfil their product sourcing requirements for the coming peak selling seasons and beyond. “We have very positive feedback for JGT Dubai. We saw customers from Russia, Israel, Turkey, Dubai and India,” said Bettinardi. “Dubai is also the perfect place to meet customers who are no more than a three-hour flight away from the city. The show’s timing is also ideal since it allows buyers to replenish their stocks at the beginning of the year.”

Ashish Garg of Dubai-based KGK Diamonds & Jewellery DMCC said his team was “very pleased to be a part of JGT Dubai.”

“We strongly believe in this show. We met a lot of customers from different countries, particularly from the US, Europe and the Middle East,” said Garg.

Further enhancing the JGT Dubai experience were the sold-out Dubai Diamond Conference organised by DMCC, and Informa Markets Jewellery’s Jewellery World Awards and JWA Dubai awards presentation ceremony, which were both held on February 21. Recordings of these events will be available online.

JGT Dubai will be returning for its second edition from February 12 to 14, 2023 in Saeed Halls 1 – 3 of DWTC.

To relive the highlights of JGT Dubai 2022, visit jgtdubaijewelleryshow.com to view event images and videos, read news releases and industry news, and more.

Click here to view JNA’s coverage of JGT Dubai 2022.