Hong Kong: Informa Markets Jewellery and Atelier Technology jointly launched today Jewellery & Gem Digital World (J&G Digital World), the first in a series of virtual events that will bring the global jewellery marketplace right to your home.

Scheduled for 27 – 29 October, J&G Digital World will be live 24 hours a day during the event period with exhibitors’ individual team members having the flexibility of setting the time when they will be available to serve buyers. The platform is in English for the pilot event, with the Chinese-language interface and other enhanced features slated for release next year.

Trade buyer registration has commenced and will remain open until 29 October. A strict validation process is in place to ensure that only qualified and motivated buyers gain access to the virtual show, enhancing participants’ chances of networking success. Thousands of buyers and more than 800 jewellery suppliers are anticipated to participate in the pilot programme.

The result of a strategic cooperation between the world’s biggest jewellery fairs organiser and the leading technology provider in the jewellery supply chain, J&G Digital World serves as a digital extension of Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) 2020 and is focused on capturing the real value of in-person events in a virtual setting. The Informa Markets Jewellery – Atelier collaboration will further gain momentum in 2021 with the launch of four more digital events in 2021, each with their own salient features and unique benefits for exhibitors and buyers.

“As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and the outlook for physical international trade shows remains uncertain, Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong 2020, the world’s biggest B2B jewellery marketplace, is pivoting to an online format this year through J&G Digital World. This digital event is optimised to spark genuine conversations, facilitate efficient digital product meetings, and ultimately, build business relationships, regardless of time zones and distance,” said David Bondi, Senior Vice President of Informa Markets in Asia.

“This is why we have zeroed in on what’s really important, which is to deliver a digital event that empowers attendees to have better product meetings via video, and create a digital experience that will remain valuable in a post-pandemic world.”

Dominic Hill, Founder and CEO of Atelier Technology, added, “Until today, matchmaking services in virtual events have been simplistic and not very effective to either buyer or vendor. Now with our intelligent wishlists and walk-the-show features, we are raising the bar, giving buyers and vendors a genuine reason to expect more from digital networking tools.”

Technology woven into the attendee journey allows J&G Digital World to offer a more personalised experience. Some of the interactive platform’s powerful features include:

• Targeted finished jewellery product meetings, which are ignited by an image-driven matching system based on machine learning. This enables buyers to create wishlists of styles and ideas they would like to source. The platform’s machine learning capability –currently exclusive to the finished jewellery product category– will then identify vendors who have exact or most similar styles loaded to their showrooms
• Trend Walls where exhibitors can highlight jewellery trends they have identified and created samples for. A visual presentation similar to the pinboards of photo-sharing platform, Pinterest, this tool is designed to make an impact on attendees instantly
• A Dynamic Show Guide that allows buyers to identify the vendors they would like to engage with – geographically, by product type and existing relationships – and keep track of their activities during the event
• A new presentation mode that enables salespeople to present sample lines elegantly in front of clients, with easy navigation and the flexibility required to ensure they can trust the tool to handle the pressure of a real-world buyer meeting

Further enriching the J&G Digital World experience is an exclusive programme of on-demand and live content from 9 September, which culminates with theme-focused sessions during the virtual event’s live days. Powered by Informa Markets Jewellery’s Jewellery & Gem Knowledge Community (J&G Knowledge Community), the programme consists of at least 40 sessions including the virtual event’s signature “Return & Recovery” webinars, practical gemmology sessions and trade discussions highlighting the latest developments in the gemstone world.

The full schedule of J&G Knowledge Community’s programme, including its confirmed roster of speakers and interviewees, will be announced soon.