WDMHong Kong: The presentations of the World Diamond Mark (WDM) given during the biennial 37th World Diamond Congress gave participating officials and delegates plenty to talk about in the meeting rooms and the corridors of the three-day event that was held in Dubai’s Almas Tower, the home of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and the Dubai Diamond Exchange. Here, it became clear that there is across-the board consensus in the diamond industry and trade that generic diamond promotion and advertising must become an integral part of the industry’s joint efforts and investments.
During the event’s opening session, WDM Chairman Alex Popov highlighted the past year’s achievements and showed examples of a very successful social media campaign in the Asian and North American markets, indicating that these would be a backbone of the WDM’s promotional efforts with the emphasis on diamond retailers’ benefits and participation. While calling upon the industry to support its own, in-house generic promotional efforts, he pledged the WDM would gladly cooperate and coordinate its activities with the Diamond Producers Association, inviting Jean-Marc Lieberherr, chief executive officer, of the DPA, to do so.
During the working sessions, the WDM Programme Director Krisztina Kalman Schueler presented the WDM 2017-2019 business plan to the WDMF Board of Directors on May 15th, and later to the WFDB and IDMA. At the IDMA session, newly elected IDMA Vice President Philippe Roolant said he would gladly fill the seat on the WDM Board of Directors vacated by outgoing IDMA President Maxim Shkadov, as he has a great interest in helping the WDM further its causes, in the interest of the industry and trade at large. “There is no other, industry driven, initiative of its kind, and I am excited to be getting involved,” Roolant said.
Many of the questions asked by delegates in the various forums, revolved around the WDM’s future plans and programmes. There was consensus that the USA consumer market should be a focal point. Popov agreed, indicating that once the DPA had announced its plans and campaigns at the JCK Show in Las Vegas, the WDM would decide upon its own trajectory. “We are intent on creating initiatives that complement one another, and not run in parallel. As I said during the opening session: ‘One plus one is three, and one plus one plus one is eleven.’ We believe that with the WDM playing the role of catalyst, together we can do great things and bring consumer desire for diamonds and diamond jewellery to new heights,” Popov concluded.
