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Luxury jewelry show goes to Goa

By Teresa Novellino
September 04, 2007

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Goa, India—Swaying palm trees, lotus flowers, the crash of the Arabian Sea, fresh mangoes, fish curry, massages, Hindu temples and vibrant Portuguese colonial architecture. And, oh yes: luxury jewelry.

If any or all of the above appeal to luxury jewelry retailers, then the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) should have a hit on its hands with the launch a new luxury show called IIJS Signature Goa, set for Feb. 29-March 3, 2008. The show will take place in the Indian resort area of Goa, popular with Europeans and Middle Easterners and known for its laid-back vibe, lush scenery and lovely beaches.

Journalists invited on an overnight trip to Goa during the IIJS show in Mumbai received a preview of the event venue, the Kala Academy, a seaside cultural and educational center near the heart of Goa.

The luxury, invitation-only event is a purposeful departure from IIJS' sprawling Mumbai show, which offers everything from mass-produced goods and loose gemstones to luxury diamond and gemstone jewelry, all in several buildings that are part of one sprawling 50,000-square-meter venue with nearly 1,600 booths and 740 exhibitors.

Over the years, the IIJS show in Mumbai—which touts itself as Asia's second largest jewelry exhibition—has been growing but drawing more and more regional buyers rather than foreigners, according to its organizers, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC).

For the Goa show, the goal will be to have no more than 200 to 250 Indian-only exhibitors and 1,000 high-end buyers, culled primarily from the United States (India's biggest importer of jewelry), as well as from growing markets such as Russia and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

"It's going to be an extremely high-end, a premium niche event. Everybody knows what old India is like, with palaces, elephants, snake charmers," said India's National Institute of Design's Shimul Vyas, who is handling the design of the show for the GJEPC. "Now, we have a vibrant, growing economy, so we want to show the new face of India."

The design motif will be one of "understated luxury," and the event will be outdoors, under luxurious, air-conditioned tents. Guests may arrive by vehicle or by boat, as the academy has its own dock. Elegantly designed canopied walkways will lead to the event.

A cafe that encourages mingling and business discussions will be part of the venue, which will also feature massages and evening performances, including music, dance and light shows.

Among the show's biggest challenges, however, may be attracting buyers during a busy show season in Asia, with events being held in Hong Kong, Bangkok and elsewhere around the same time. The GJEPC says its scheduling was designed to make it easy for jewelers to attend multiple shows.
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