New York, NY – Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, has announced their second annual Jewelers of America National Convention, an education-focused executive forum open to jewelry professionals, will be held virtually. The JA Virtual National Convention will take place on May 26-28, 2020.
“COVID-19 has completely shifted the way our industry is having to operate,” says David J. Bonaparte, JA President & CEO. “The decision to transition our National Convention to virtual was not an easy one to make. However, the education we had planned is extremely important for our members and we felt it was best to push the Convention up to May with the hopes that business will be in full swing as soon as possible and retailers can focus entirely on their clients and stores."
The Jewelers of America Virtual National Convention will feature many of the information-rich presentations that were already set for the National Convention, previously scheduled to take place in New York in July. Sessions will be addressing the top issues shaping the jewelry industry including: omni-channel marketing, social media, security, investment trends, and keeping up with retail evolution.
Jewelers of America is proud to welcome back to the stage – albeit virtually – iconic political forecaster Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report. Called “the Picasso of election analysis” by the Wall Street Journal’s Al Hunt, Cook will share his non-partisan and expert take on what may be one of the most critical – and contentious – election seasons ever, with control of the Presidency and Congress in play.
Cook is one of eight sessions that will be taking place during the three-day Convention. The full schedule and registration details will be announced shortly. The JA Virtual National Convention will be free for Jewelers of America members – including all personnel and staff – to attend. Non-members can take advantage of Jewelers of America’s limited time free membership offer to gain access to the Virtual National Convention.
“We were really hoping to bring the industry back together this July. However, we look forward to learning from valuable sessions and having some fun through this digital platform,” added Bonaparte. “We are grateful for the support from our partners at Synchrony, DeBeers Group Industry Services and Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group.”
JA in the News
Jewelers of America National Convention Goes Virtual
May 5, 2020