Jewellery, Gem & Technology in Dubai Roars Back with 20% Growth in Buyer Numbers

DUBAI — Jewellery, Gem & Technology in Dubai (JGTD) saw a year-over-year 20% boost in buyer attendance throughout its three-day run, driven by an influx of new and returning buyers from 95 countries and regions.

Held from 12 to 14 February at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the B2B show is poised to live up to its boundless potential as one of the top jewelry sourcing destinations in the world, event organizers Informa Markets Jewellery and Italian Exhibition Group SPA (IEG) said.

The fair hosted close to 350 suppliers from 25 countries and regions spread across an expanded show floor that was 46 percent bigger than the inaugural edition. Among the exhibitors were industry-leading companies representing finished and semi-finished jewelry, loose gemstones, jewelry-related technologies and other key product categories. The B2B event was powered by DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) and Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group (DGJG) – the fair’s Official and Industry Partners, respectively.

Buyers were at JGTD in force, with 5,093 unique visitors from 95 countries and regions in attendance. Year-on-year, visitor traffic was up 20%. International representation remained strong, with overseas buyers making up 40% of overall attendance.

Show attendees made a total of 7,210 visits to the fair, up 20% over 2022.

By region, the largest number of visitors came from the Middle East (71.9%), Asia (15.5%) and Europe (7.6%).

“The energy was positive on the show floor, and the opportunities to do business were incredible. Participants came away with renewed energy and purpose for the year ahead,” said David Bondi, senior vice president of Informa Markets in Asia.

“Challenges and uncertainties are here to stay, but so are opportunities for growth and expansion. The need for powerful marketplaces like JGTD has never been more evident or more important than today. I have mentioned before that our partnership with IEG works because we are committed to the same goal – to deliver real value to the jewelry community. With the full backing of DMCC and DGJG, we will continue to bring the full weight of our resources, industry expertise, global reach and local knowledge to Dubai in the years to come.”

JGTD has opened up opportunities for trade members to connect, collaborate and learn.

“The market appreciation for the second edition already consolidates the role of IEG and IM’s joint initiative as a central sourcing event for the industry, focused on development, technology and innovation,” said Corrado Peraboni, Chief Executive Officer of Italian Exhibition Group.

“The numbers and the level of internationalization – factors that are growing on both the exhibitor and visitor sides – urge us to look with even greater interest on the future developments of this destination event. Together with our strategic partners, we are glad to contribute on a global scale to the growth of the jewelry community and offer, as leading trade show organisers, increasingly qualified business opportunities like JGTD, which is able to attract visitors from 95 countries and regions to a primary hub such as Dubai, the City of Gold.”

JGTD’s timing could not have been more ideal as the industry enters a new phase of growth and transformation, according to Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and chief executive officer of DMCC.

“It’s an exciting time for all of us. This is a sourcing event where you can actually feel and see the future of the jewelry industry,” Bin Sulayem said. “People participate in JGTD, not only to sell or buy goods, but to learn, adapt and understand what our industry is going to be like one, two or three years from now. Every category is represented here, from diamond polishers and finished jewellery suppliers to new players in the technology and lab-grown diamond fields, which was unheard of 10-15 years ago. We expect to see even greater diversity in JGTD’s third edition next year.”

The B2B show reinforces Dubai’s standing as the “jewelry destination of the world,” added DGJG Chairman Tawhid Abdullah.

“I believe the partnership between Informa and IEG has led to the creation of a promising B2B jewellery sourcing platform for professional buyers in the Middle East and beyond. Our inaugural show in 2022 was successful, but even more so this year,” Abdullah said. “We will have challenges along the way but I think we are in the right direction. We are more optimistic than ever. We are confident that JGTD will fortify Dubai’s standing as the ‘City of Gold and Jewellery,’ create business opportunities for the global industry, and further drive innovation in the marketplace.”

Further enriching the JGTD sourcing experience was the 2023 JWA Dubai Special Edition Awards Presentation Ceremony, which celebrated the achievements of four industry stars, namely Dhamani Jewels, Brand of the Year – Retail; Pure Gold Jewellers, Outstanding Enterprise of the Year; Belmont Emeralds, Outstanding Coloured Gemstone Enterprise of the Year, and Kobi Sevdermish of Advanced Quality ACC Ltd, Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The event was complemented by a panel discussion on “Inspired Leadership In A Post-Pandemic World,” featuring JWA Dubai Special Edition Honourees, DMCC’s Bin Sulayem, and DGJG’s Abdullah, who was also the recipient of JWA Dubai 2022’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Also adding excitement to the show was a session on “THE JEWELLERY TRENDBOOK 2024+ – From Consumer Culture to New Market Opportunities” by Paola De Luca, creative director and founder of Trendvision Jewellery + Forecasting.

JGTD will return for its third edition from 6 to 8 February 2024 at DWTC.

What the buyers say

“This fair is very well-organized. I have discovered a broad assortment of jewellery collections, and I have met suppliers from all over the world, including Italy, India, Spain and Turkey. The fair is also quite easy to navigate since there are distinct sections, from Diamonds and Colored Gemstones to Fine Jewelry and Technology.” – Elias El-Sayegh of Sayegh Jeweller (Since 1935), Lebanon

“It’s an amazing show. I have seen mostly modern designs, which I could actually introduce back home. I have four stores in Botswana where I also offer custom design services to my clients. I am looking for suppliers who can make whatever my customers want. Botswana has quite a big market for finished jewellery.” – Alyson Lucia Mazai of Velucia Jewelry, Botswana

“The fair is easy to explore and clearly segmented into different sections. I discovered a wide range of jewellery collections curated from around the globe, from Turkey, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong to name a few. More importantly, not only was I able to meet with my favourite suppliers, I also connected with new ones.” – Blanca Luzia Do Amaral Soares of Blanca Leone Jewelry, São Paulo, Brazil

“JGTD met all of my expectations! This was exactly the show that I needed. As a buyer, I would say that my Dubai trip was a success since I found two new suppliers from whom I purchased good-value products at fair prices.” – Savvas Samourakis of Savvas Samourakis Jewellery, Greece

“I was impressed with the size of the show. It was the perfect size for a three-day fair. I found new exhibitors who offered their latest collections and I met with old suppliers who presented new things that I could try. It was a good experience once again. I was looking for coloured gemstones, diamonds and other precious materials, and some chains and gold products.” – Varouj Chilinguirian of Varouj Jewelry, Cairo, Egypt

“I am impressed with the gemstone showcases and the latest jewellery-making technologies. I also connected with chain-makers from Italy. Obviously, as a designer and an independent brand, I have my niche in terms of the type of products that I create, but to see what else is out there and what other options I can consider is very important. The fair is rich with that.” – Yolanda Yara Miguel Cunjuca of By Yara, Luanda, Angola

“This show has been a total success for me. I discovered new suppliers and new product lines that I have been looking forward to getting into, so it’s been very interesting. We are wholesalers and I aim to incorporate new products into our portfolio. I am searching for diamonds and gems, and the fair has all that.” – Mateo Rafael Barba Da Silva of JD Medallas, Guayaquil, Ecuador

What the exhibitors say

“Dubai surprised us yet again this year. These days, the aim of trade shows is for us to meet new customers and understand other areas and markets that we do not usually deal with. At JGTD, we came into contact with buyers from countries that we rarely reach, such as different parts of Africa, like Angola and Tunisia; Southeast Asia, and even Australia and New Zealand. We gathered interest in particular types of products, which also gave us the impetus to develop new references.” – Alice Alessi, Board Member at Alessi Domenico Spa, Italy

“The show for us is good. At the exhibition, our strategy is not to make sales but to do networking and marketing, showcase our products and then take potential future orders. We met with buyers from Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia and Israel, among others.” – Shreyans Dholakia, entrepreneur and brand custodian at Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), India

“We met with serious buyers and they like our coloured gemstone layouts. We have our own mine for Paraiba tourmaline and we source other coloured gemstones from our associate mines. In terms of production, we cut the material direct from the mine to our company.” – Jose Miranda da Costa Jr and Cam Li Miranda of Miranda Gems e Mine Ltda, Brazil

“I am very happy that I joined JGTD. I met a lot of interesting people who are interested in buying my collections. No photography, no video-recording – just people who have their own shops and who came to the show to buy. They are B2B buyers.” – Ioannis Alexandris, founder and CEO of Gemolithos Group GmbH, Germany

“This is the second time that we are in this show. We did very well the first year, and we did better this year. The clientele is very serious here. Everybody has a purpose and they are fulfilling it. We are one of the larger buyers of rough emerald in the market today and we are cutting a wide variety of items. We make everything from singles, matched pairs and layouts, and we have a very deep stock. We also have sapphires, and we have set up a cutting factory in Sri Lanka as well.” – Tousif Ausaf, CEO of Precious Pebbles Inc, US

“This market has a lot of potential for Colombian emeralds. People are looking for different types of goods in different qualities. Since the customers are coming from different places, they all have different preferences. We also introduced at the show the Colombian emerald industry’s Butterfly Conservation Project, which aims to conserve and protect Colombia’s beautiful butterflies and their habitat.” – Guillermo Galvis, president of ACODES (Colombian Emeralds Exporters Association), Colombia.

Courtesy: Instore