Vicenza, Italy–In what its new show director described as "open warfare" within the international jewelry trade show business, Vicenza Fiera, producer of Italy`s most important international fine-jewelry shows, announced it will launch two new events in 2008, adding to its traditional three–winter, spring and fall–editions.
The first of the new shows, scheduled for March 2-4 in Milan, will focus specifically on the high end of the market. According to Maurizio Castro, Vicenza Fiera SpA director general, the show will launch with 80 exhibitors and expects to draw 300 by-invitation-only retailers. Castro forecasts these numbers to grow to 120 exhibitors and 400 buyers by year three.
Retailers will be selected from the "aristocracy of international retail," he said. Exhibitors will also represent the elite of the world`s brands. While Vicenza would not release exhibitor company names at this point, Castro said the best and most recognizable design companies are expressing interest.
In its participant bases, the model is similar to existing shows within the world show market, most notably Couture, the high-end designer show produced by Nielsen Business Media, National Jeweler Network`s`s parent company. In a private interview, Castro said Vicenza has used such shows as examples, since the U.S. show market, in particular, has proven itself to be highly dynamic in business development in comparison to more tradition-bound European events.
The main target of Vicenza`s new level of aggressiveness, however, appears to be BaselWorld, its main European rival for fine-jewelry trade show primacy both on the continent and in terms of international reputation and value. It was BaselWorld, specifically, to which Castro was referring when he equated the level of business competition to battlefield conditions.
While BaselWorld is firmly positioned as the world`s top luxury watch show, he explained, Vicenza`s reputation has traditionally been positioned within fine jewelry. With this next luxury event, Vicenza intends to compete directly with BaselWorld`s high-end jewelry pavilions for the title of "designer-brand world-champion show."
Vicenza`s second show launch is tentatively scheduled for November 2008, but details for this event are much sketchier. Show organizers are describing it as a "bread-and-butter" event, but even Castro admits that the term is a misnomer and confusing. It will actually be an event to showcase the "avant garde" in young and upcoming fine-jewelry designers, he said.
Its purpose will be to support Italy`s position as the cradle of global fine-jewelry design. But apart from this rough concept, no specific date or location have been determined.
Vicenza`s new level of competitiveness follows on the heels of sweeping management changes made in the spring of this year. It also comes when the Italian jewelry sector is suffering significant decline, stemming from high prices resulting from the combined influences of currency inflation vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar, escalated gold prices and growing competition from jewelry-manufacturing centers–primarily in Asia–with much cheaper labor costs.
Castro, appointed to his position in May, has a résumé including chief management positions at several prominent Italian industrial companies, in addition to serving in high-level business associations and governmental commissions.
The "new Vicenza," he said, will go well beyond the show`s traditional role as a promoter of the country`s jewelry-manufacturing sector to be much more profit-oriented. Under his leadership, the show has developed a detailed strategic plan focusing on "exporting [the show] brand outside the city of Vicenza, building a fertile close-knit network of alliances, contaminations and integrations with fashion and design."