This year’s China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair – Shanghai (Shanghai Jewellery Fair) promises yet another exciting edition that’s highlighted by stronger crossover elements between traditional or conventional jewellers and the wider applied arts and lifestyle-related sectors. The event is organized by UBM China (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
The fascinating mingling of jewellery with other fashion products, including bags, beauty elements, apparel, artworks and other accessories, will be on elaborate display at Jewellery Life Pavilion 2.0.
“Jewellery Life Pavilion 2.0 was embraced by our clients and guests at its launch in 2017,” says Teddy Tan, Event Manager, China Jewellery Fairs, UBM China (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. “It was a winning proposition for all. It resulted to increased awareness about the brands and products of our exhibitors, whilst our buyers had valuable ‘face time’ with current or potential suppliers and an opportunity to preview and review the products right there.”
Bringing a signature style all their own to the pavilion are several notable jewellers, including Kelly Xie Fine Jewelry, Chic Chu Fine Jewelry, designer brand Alice, and international precious gems supplier P.N. Gems. Joining them are overseas fashion brands, including Gdesignare (Philippines), KeCapunG (Indonesia), Nature SIAM (Thailand), PERA (Singapore), TSAR (Malaysia), WannaSuvarnamani Co., Ltd (Thailand) and Gem (Singapore).
What’s more, the cooperation between the Shanghai International Brand Jewelry Center and Shanghai Jewellery Fair is instrumental in providing the unifying thread between various lifestyle elements, such as clothing, handbags, leather, cosmetics, home furnishings and artworks. Carrying these elements through to everyday life unlocks a whole new way of living for the Chinese high-end consumer. This is particularly true for millennial consumers, aged 20 to 34, who are major drivers of China’s lifestyle market. According to consultancy Bain & Co’s 2017 China Luxury Report, cosmetics, women’s wear and jewellery were the top categories for this age group, helping boost their sales by 20% annually.
Knowing what resonates with consumers, what next? This is where the Shanghai Jewellery Fair comes in. Launching the “Crossover·Shining Your Life” programme, experts in their field are at hand to showcase snippets of an exquisite lifestyle: jewellery designers, apparel designers and makeup artists transform the looks of the models; a fitness trainer advises the models on their postures, and an interior designer sets up the backdrop for the scenes. All these are aimed to encourage and inspire.
A summit during the fair sets the stage for brainstorming for more crossover ideas; the kinds that would spark innovations and perhaps alliances that will open up business opportunities for all involved. Speakers renowned in their field will provide insights on the promising future of crossover collaboration and how the jewellery business can harness such alliance. They are:
- SHIRLEY HOU, JEWELLERY DESIGNER. Shirley is the president of Inchee Jewelry, a promising independent designer brand that got the nod of esteemed publications BAZAAR Jewelry and Jewellery News Asia. She has graced a CCTV programme as a special jewellery entrepreneur guest.
- MICHELLE MA, JEWELLERY DESIGNER. Michelle is the Design Director and CEO of Inchee Jewelry. She holds a Polished Diamond Grader certificate, a Colored Stones Grader certificate and a Pearl Grader certificate from the International Gemological Institute.
- ECHO YU, INTERIOR DESIGNER. Echo is the Executive Director of HFS|BE Design (China Division). She finds pleasure in creating the home her clients want.
- JOY HUO, MAKEUP ARTIST. Joy’s creativity and a keen sense of fashion have led to her successful time at Paris Wedding Photography, where she worked as a stylist, and at Shanghai Disney Resort for several years.
- SOFIYA LIN, MAKEUP ARTIST. One of the 10 stylists at CCTV2010, Sofiya sharpened her skills by working with several well-known brands earlier in her career, including LINING, GAP, JEE and Huatai Jewelry.
- CHEN GURONG, FITNESS TRAINER. Ten years of teaching yoga has led Chen to establish her own studio, Flame Yoga.
- FIONA TAM, APPAREL DESIGNER. Fiona got her start in the costume design profession following studies at Donghua University and Bunka Fashion College. She specialises in designing wedding dresses, and gowns for all occasions.
- SUMMER LIU, APPAREL DESIGNER. Summer launched her own apparel brand, MixVintage. She delivers her vintage style clothing to the US and Israel market.
Mr Tan of UBM China (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd says reinventing the jewellery exhibitions landscape by injecting crossover elements such as these is the Shanghai Jewellery Fair’s contribution in supporting and further advancing China’sjewellery market. “It’s no secret that it contracted in recent years, but it’s been recovering slowly but surely since 2017,” he says. “Jewellers’ efforts to improve the design and respond to the needs of today’s consumers through astute market research are starting to bear fruit.”
Asia-Pacific Jewellery & Watch Expo
Another exciting feature buyers should watch out for at the Shanghai Jewellery Fair is the third annual Asia-Pacific Jewellery & Watch Expo. The result of UBM Asia’s strategic alliance with the Shanghai NIU International Exhibition Co., Ltd, this classic feature transmits the different life philosophies and attitudes of designers through their works. Each jewellery and timepiece has as much a story to tell as the artworks that will also grace the expo.
Chinese Culture Pavilion
An innovation making its debut this year is the Chinese Culture Pavilion. Exhibitors in this pavilion will explore connections between jewellery characteristics and the five elements that are central to the Chinese culture – metal, wood, water, fire and earth. “We believe these represent the five kinds of energy that make up the universe,” says Tan. “Each one of them provides a guiding direction for the works of the artists exhibiting in this pavilion.” Exhibitors will showcase related products in booths under the corresponding five themes, thus allowing buyers to find products easily.
Host City
It will be remiss not to mention the host city of Shanghai as a “fair highlight” itself.
“Chinese luxury shoppers account for over CNY500 billion (USD73 billion) in annual spending, representing almost a third of the global luxury market,” consulting firm McKinsey says in its latest report. Shanghai leads Chinese cities in terms of purchasing power – CNY 567 billion or USD88.5 billion in the first half of 2017.
“The city is the most ideal host for our fair,” says Tan. “It offers jewellers a springboard to establish or expand their presence not only in the City of Chic that is Shanghai, but also its neighbouring cities.”
Learning and Networking
Tan adds, “We designed the fair to enable buyers to see products in person, as well as enable them to network with other industry players through various social-business events. Through our series of informative seminars, buyers will get a first-hand look at upcoming trends in the marketplace.”
Equally important perhaps it the visual feast that is the backdrop of the exhibition, which not only looks good but also feels good. “We conceptualised the fair so buyers and our 400 exhibitors can do transactions in a business-friendly yet sophisticated environment,” Tan says. “Good design creates good business.”
The China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair – Shanghai 2018 will run from 7 to 10 December at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center.
Pre-registration now open
Online pre-registration is now open at https://www.shanghaijewelleryfair.com/en-us/Visiting/Visitor-Registration. Avoid the long lines at the fair. Register now and get your visitor’s badge in advance. Pre-registration ends on 23 November 2018.
