WFDB mark presented to Dubai traders

DDE event educates retailers on consumer confidence

Post By : Diamond World News Service On 15 January 2007 12:00 AM
India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) 2006 kicked off with an inauguration ceremony at the hands of Union Minister for Textiles, Shankar Singh Vaghela. He promised government help for the gem and jewellery industry as it sought to turn India into a global trading hub. The industry, he noted, was unique in that though the product was not something that involved the common man, it was the largest provider of livelihoods for the common man. He lauded the industry’s efforts at seeking to turn itself into a global trading hub and said the government’s help was needed if it were to successfully compete against other entrants such as China.%% IIJS 2006 ran from May 4-8, 2006 with steady visitor’s traffic with Domestic Visitors being 17,000 and 2,000 International Visitors. A number of launches and better infrastructure with change in dates made IIJS conclude on a bitter- sweet note this year. Almost 90% exhibitors were happy with the arrangements, security and updated infrastructure provided by the GJEPC. However low visitor turnout ticked off a lot of exhibitors concluding that the changed dates were not much favored More then 70% exhibitors opined that May wasn’t a great time to hold such exhibitions. However the exhibition still fails to meet global expectations in eyes of many.
However the IIJS 2006 proved many things. It proved the incredible determination and can-do attitude of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) in overcoming the setbacks of last year and putting together an international show of this magnitude. So positive has it been that a vast majority of those taking part said they could actually feel the difference and that the show was a huge step better than the previous one. So good was the disaster planning this year that the show ran on the last three days blissfully unaware that it had lost 50 per cent of its high-tension electric power as a whole fleet of generators kicked in and smoothly picked up the load.%%While overall visitor traffic was perceived as being lower this year, many observers noted that serious trade enquiries were much more in evidence. Having assessed the situation, however, the GJEPC has decided that with infrastructure development at the venue positively slated for completion by next year, the show could well be shifted to its original calendar slot of July for 2007. Navin Jashnani, Convenor IIJS, said, “We’ve been fortunate in that we’ve learnt lessons over the past few years. We have fallen on occasion and fallen hard, but we have always bounced back, improvised and improved and gone on to new heights. Sabyasachi Ray, the GJEPC’s Director, Exhibitions, says, “I think it has been great from a variety of stand points. The look of the show is great, but the highlight is the infrastructure. For the first time, we have a backup for every possible hitch that can take place.”

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