Diamonds Aren't Reed Expo's Best Friend
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 8/28/2006
Reed Exhibitions has canceled Diamonds by JCK, which focused on suppliers of loose diamonds and featured about 255 exhibitors. It had been scheduled for Oct. 17–19 at Pier 94 in New York.
Dave Bonaparte, vice president of JCK Events, said the industry could not support this kind of niche event. Also canceled was Bridal by JCK, a new show focusing on finished bridal jewelry that was intended to collocate with Diamonds by JCK.
Created in 2004, the show came about in response to what appeared to be interest from the worldwide loose diamond industry, which did not have its own industry show, Bonaparte said.
"It did OK," he said, "but we found the loose diamond niche just wasn't going to be successful. They're commodity items, and you can get them anywhere."
Bonaparte said the show may resurface at some point in the future if there is renewed interest, but that appears unlikely.
"The industry has spoken. We're not in the business of wasting people's time," he said. "We're doing the right thing for the industry by canceling."
Robert Kolinek, president and CEO of Helen Brett Enterprises and the producer of several jewelry shows, noted that the diamond industry has undergone a tremendous downturn.
Kolinek said, "If a show's not successful by its third year, that's usually when you pull the plug."
The JCK Show — Las Vegas, which spun off Diamonds by JCK and other jewelry related shows, was No. 28 on the most recent Tradeshow Week 200 with 563,541 net square feet, 2,932 exhibitors and 16,049 attendees.
