MARCH 28, 2014, BASEL

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“The Link Jewelry Talk was a very good follow-up, in a compact format, to the Link Summit which I attended last year. It is a platform for meeting and understanding industry trends and continuing conversations, thoughts and ideas into various facets that matter to the industry.” SUNJEWELS

“A very interesting event and a good occasion. Great to hear different opinions on the market and to exchange ideas with people in different areas. Very happy.”FOLLIE FOLLIE GROUP

“Very good event. The panelists were excellent and great to hear from. The audience was also very good.”

FIERA DI VICENZA

“Enjoyed it! Insightful.”MIGLIO

“A good talk”

VOGUE GIOIELLO

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At a thought-provoking LINK Jewelry Talk, a unique blend of panellists shared their thoughts on the jewelry market, and specifically, the language of jewelry.

If you attended, we hope you enjoyed the LINK Jewelry Talk, and found it a worthwhile evening. And for those of you who were not able to join us, please take a look at selected highlights online.

Our speakers addressed some of the most challenging issues facing the global jewelry industry: craftsmanship, technology, the consumer, and emotion. They enlightened us, they inspired us, and for a brief moment, they brought us together – precisely the aim and mission of LINK: to provide the world’s leading jewelry industry players with an opportunity to Learn, Imagine, Network and Know.

We now look forward to the future, and to the next LINK event. We hope you do too.

Markus Langes-Swarovski Stephen Dunbar-Johnson

A NOTE FROM THE HOST AND THE ORGANIZER:

Stephen Dunbar-JohnsonMarkus Langes-Swarovski

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OUTLINE

The language of jewelry: Adornment, Acquisition, or Artifact? Bringing together those who represent the jewelry wearer, the collector, the designer, the investor and the brand, this discussion examined the range of motivations behind the desire to possess and wear jewelry. What does jewelry mean to each of the different players in the world of jewelry?

How is the language of jewelry evolving?

Jewelry as a functional object

Jewelry as art

Jewelry as an investment

Jewelry as a storytelling element

How are the different jewel motivations reflected in the creativity and production of jewelry?

PANELAlberto Baldan, CEO, la RinascenteCarmen Busquets, Investor and Co-Founder, NET-A-PORTER; Founder, CoutureLabShaun Leane, Jewelry DesignerAndrea Morante, CEO, PomellatoModerated by Rita Clifton, Branding Expert and former Chair, Interbrand

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2013 saw the inaugural LINK Jewelry Summit conference, a two-day production in Vienna, and a convention of similar size and ambition will be held in 2015. This year the Basel event was designed to build on what was started in 2013, maintaining and propagating the debate, discussion and analysis that is common in other industries through conferences and seminar programmes, but which seems, strangely, to have been comparatively neglected when it comes to jewelry.

The event was introduced by its two distinguished hosts, Markus Langes-Swarovski, Executive Board Member of Swarovski, and

THE JEWELRY INDUSTRY FINDS ITS VOICEThe 2014 LINK Talk at BaselWorld acted, in a serendipitous double meaning, as a link with the 2013 and 2015 LINK Jewelry Summits organized by the International New York Times and hosted by Swarovski.

Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, President, International, The New York Times Company. Mr. Langes-Swarovski was confident that although the discussion was on a much smaller scale than the Summits, there would be no less excitement and insight from the eloquent and powerful panel. Mr. Dunbar-Johnson spoke of the long record of conferences organized by the International New York Times (formerly the International Herald Tribune) for the luxury industry generally, and expressed both surprise that the 2013 Summit was the first time that the jewelry industry specifically had been convened, and delight at the Basel event’s “great and rich cocktail of speakers.”

A full house for the LINK Jewelry Talk at Baselworld

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It was a powerful panel indeed that gathered to discuss the overall theme: “The Language of Jewelry: Adornment, Acquisition, or Artifact?” Hosted by Rita Clifton, former chief executive and chair of Interbrand and one of the world’s leading branding experts, the speaker line-up brought together the finest business and creative minds in an industry which is changing at dizzying speed. Carmen Busquets, the visionary nonpareil of luxury online retailing, whose sale of her stake in Net-a-Porter to Richemont for £350m has spurred her new ventures such as CoutureLab and now GiftLab; Andrea Morante, renowned for hiring Tom Ford when he was at Gucci and now CEO of Italian jewelry brand Pomellato, where he masterminded last year’s sale of a majority stake in the company to giant luxury brand portfolio holder Kering; Alberto Baldan, CEO of premium Italian department store chain la Rinascente; and renowned artist-designer-craftsman jeweller Shaun Leane, long-time collaborator of Alexander McQueen, whose eponymous studio has been hailed as the origin of jewelry’s “antiques of the future.” (Matthew Girling, jewelry auctioneer par excellence, CEO Europe & Head of Jewelry at Bonhams, was sadly kept in London by fog at the airport and was unable to join.)

The professed aim of the discussion was to uncover the emotional, psychological, social, cultural and commercial factors at work that motivate people to desire, wear, collect and invest in jewelry. The key themes that emerged and to which the debate returned were: brand and its adoption, to a greater or lesser extent, in the different sectors of the industry – design, manufacture and distribution; the changing nature of the jewelry consumer and the increasing significance of men in this market; the impact of online retailing for high-value luxury items; and the search for innovation in the experience of buying jewelry that would go at least some way to

reflect the value – in both personal and financial terms – of the product itself.

Ms. Clifton started by putting the key question from the talk’s title to each of her distinguished panel in turn: “What language does jewelry speak to you?” Alberto Baldan was decisive and emphatic: “The language of jewelry is the language of the customer.” He went on to describe the changes in customer profile for jewelry at la Rinascente; “50 percent of luxury jewelry items are bought as gifts, and 70 percent of those buyers are men. In fact, the percentage of

L-R: Rita Clifton, Andrea Morante, Shaun Leane, Carmen Busquets, Alberto Baldan

A STORY ALWAYS COMES WITH A BELOVED PIECE OF JEWELRY. IT’S A CONVERSATION STARTER.

Carmen Busquets

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men buying jewelry overall has risen from ten to 22 percent.” For Sig. Baldan, it became apparent the language of la Rinascente itself is the driving factor in any transaction; 50 percent of his customers are tourists, looking for the authentic experience of not just general Italian luxury products, but even those from the specific city where a given store is located.

Shaun Leane turned the question round, preferring to describe the language in which his own studio’s work speaks: “It’s how it makes you feel,” he said. “Our language is refined and delicate yet powerful. It has the subtlety and strength to reflect the power of a woman, yet retain her femininity. Jewelry is the finishing touch, the statement that she makes.” Carmen Busquets mused that for her, “Jewelry is a gift to myself. When we acquire it, we acquire a story to tell – a story always comes with a beloved piece of jewelry. It’s a conversation starter.”

For Andrea Morante, “at least one of the languages” of jewelry affords “the privilege of talking exclusively to women. When we design, when we create, when we advertise – we have women in mind. We have to understand their mindset, their motivation.”

Observing that she can feel the emotion that goes into Mr. Leane’s work, Ms. Clifton commented that perhaps the experience of buying jewelry fell short in emotional terms from the process of designing, creating, and wearing it. Sig. Baldan’s response was to explain the “global” experience of la Rinascente, where the luxury customer is very much attuned to the place – the container, if you like – of the whole shopping journey.

This led neatly to Ms. Clifton’s question for Carmen Busquets, who as a pioneer of online retailing for luxury fashion items, would have insight into how consumers bought jewelry online. “Jewelry goes with fashion more and more,” was Ms. Busquets’ answer. “The internet is the place for the next great retail interface. It can deliver multi-sensory experiences, it’s a great place for telling stories. You can show

Ms. Clifton’s next question, to Shaun Leane, was one familiar to many creatives: “Where do you get your ideas from?” Mr. Leane quoted a wide range of inspirations from the natural world, literature, art and poetry, but it was when he was describing his ‘Tear-Catcher’ collaboration with artist Sam Taylor-Wood, a ring accompanied by a beautifully crafted set of glass vials, that he got to the heart of the matter: “It’s human emotion. We build emotions in jewelry by building a relationship with the customer; we come to understand their colorways, their memories, their families; we create for them something that we know they will connect with.”

Top: Andrea MoranteBottom: Audience at the LINK Jewelry Talk

WHEN WE DESIGN, WHEN WE CREATE, WHEN WE ADVERTISE – WE HAVE WOMEN IN MIND. Andrea Morante

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video, make cultural references; it can be more exciting and better on the net than actually having someone there in person.”

The big commercial question was, of course: “What do you see as the single most powerful trend in jewelry today?” All three business minds spoke with one voice: “Brand.”

“More and more jewelry is branded now,” said Sig. Morante. “The mega trend is bringing in brands, both specific to jewelry, and also all the big players in fashion will try and get into it.”

“Brand portfolio” owner Sig. Baldan emphasised the importance of finding the brands that speak to his new Asian and Russian customers, while Ms. Busquets added the grail of “exclusivity,” explaining that, under the influence of younger consumers, jewelry was becoming more “tribal, like tattoos.” Shaun Leane, the creator of a very powerful brand himself, sees those same younger people experimenting with jewelry worn on hitherto unadorned parts of the body, and brought the brand issue into personal and psychological relief by equating the self expression that creators and wearers of jewelry seek with their own “personal brand.”

Questions from the floor led to more discussion of the role of men in buying jewelry, and indeed the role of jewelry when it is bought by men: “There is a bigger demand for men’s jewelry,” explained Shaun Leane, “but it is slower than women’s. When a man buys a piece of jewelry, that’s it. He’ll wear it for years. But we always return to the watch as the man’s best toy – watches are jewelry for men.”

A question about the Chinese market brought the evening to a thought-provoking close. “Our Chinese customers are growing in number by 40-45 percent per annum,’ explained Sig. Baldan; to

which Sig. Morante, in typically provocative mode, answered: “Our experience tells us that for us, the Chinese are not relevant. You can take that as a positive or a negative. It’s negative because if we were more balanced, we would expose ourselves to this enormous and growing market. But at the same time, it’s positive. Because we are not dependent on the Chinese market, that gives us freedom and a lot of potential. The Chinese are not interested in Pomellato because they are more interested in statements, and Pomellato is understated. We know that the Chinese consumer is changing rapidly, and as soon as they know that traditional brands are not necessarily the right thing to go for, then that will turn into an opportunity not only for our brands but also for a host of brands not yet known in China.”

A fitting observation to top off a fascinating, stimulating and challenging evening. No one would disagree that the LINK Talk had achieved its aims as expressed in each letter of the title: Learn, Imagine, Network and Know. The industry is already holding its breath for the next Summit in Vienna in 2015.

Shuan Leane and Carmen Busquets

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON THE CHINESE MARKET, THAT GIVES US FREEDOM AND A LOT OF POTENTIAL.

Andrea Morante

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WHAT DOES JEWELRY MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY?I’m not a big jewelry wearer, although one of my daughters is. I recently asked myself why this is, and realized there have been phases when I have been more interested in jewelry. It was at moments where I either changed my makeup, my hair or my clothing designer – favourite moments of change or renewal. That is interesting in its own right because these are personal

AN INTERVIEW WITH RITA

CLIFTON

moments when you can get someone into a market if they’re not already there.

WHAT DEFINES THE WAY BRANDS WORK IN THE JEWELRY MARKET?It’s an unusual picture. At most levels, and with the exception of some of the world’s best known brands – Cartier, Tiffany, Fabergé – there can be a blur between the manufacturing brand, the retailing brand and the designer brand. What interests

Rita Clifton, one of the world’s leading branding experts

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me at the moment is the way that jewelry is presented and merchandised feels very same-y. If you covered up the fascias of the jewelry shops in a premium mall, it would be difficult to really recognize where you are, because the experience of a lot of jewelry retailers and brands tends not to be distinctive. You need to be distinctive in how you talk to customers, in creating the experience of customers relating to you, to the collections and to the pieces themselves.

WHAT DOES ONLINE FASHION RETAILING HAVE TO TEACH THE JEWELRY MARKET?People said that fashion retailing, especially at the luxury end, would not work online. It took so many luxury brands years to accept that online is really happening. Net-a-Porter broke that mould, and it happened quickly after that. Most markets are now amenable to online experience, but Net-a-Porter blended retail, media and editorial in a way

THERE’S ALL SORTS OF POTENTIAL FOR GROWING THE JEWELRY MARKET, BUT IT NEEDS A DIFFERENT MINDSET ABOUT HOW TO ENGAGE PEOPLE.that could be very powerful for jewelry. There are real people modelling clothes in Net-a-Porter; you could have real people showing how what jewelry would work with what outfit, making suggestions – this can be done extremely well online, you can’t always have the right knowledge or people instore. There’s all sorts of potential for growing the jewelry market, but it needs a different mindset about how to engage people.

IS THE “LANGUAGE OF JEWELRY” EVOLVING, AND IF SO, HOW? It’s evolving subtly, and in some cases a lot of people are not noticing. It’s a gorgeous market that could be taken to a lot more people with better and more innovative marketing and retailing, and in that sense there is still a way to go to renew the way

jewelry reaches the market. There’s a lot of room for innovation on this front. The people are passionate about the pieces, the brands, the craftsmanship, and this is why it needs a strong experience at retail. I’ve always felt as I got more interested and engaged in jewelry, I need someone giving me personal style advice on a new look or a new feel. An ideal for me is if someone else is in the mix, making suggestions. I’m not sure that personal styling element is used as much as it might be in the jewelry sector. Plus you have to have the right people to use and be identified with your brand.

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WHAT DOES THE LANGUAGE OF JEWELRY MEAN TO YOU, AND TO LA RINASCENTE?My experience is that the language of jewelry is the language of the la Rinascente customer. They are involved in a mix of luxury brands, just like the store itself. They come to this location exclusively for type of product. There is a social element; they meet, have coffee. But it is the brands they are here for.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER FOR LUXURY ITEMS, PARTICULARLY JEWELRY.50 percent of our customers are tourists. I have 10 million visitors, and 4.8 million customers. They come because Italy is the most important country for luxury products – fashion, design, and particularly jewelry. Customers come to Italy to see jewelry and get the whole la Rinascente experience.Women make up 60 percent of my customers and men 40 percent. And 50 percent of the luxury jewelry sold in the

AN INTERVIEW WITH ALBERTO

BALDAN

stores is bought as a gift. Out of that, 70 percent of all jewelry items bought as gifts are bought by men.

WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MOVES IN THE JEWELRY MARKET FOR YOU?Well, sales of jewelry to men have increased from 10 percent to 22 percent in the last five years, so there is a major cultural shift. And overall, jewelry sales in the stores have risen from 9 percent of our total revenues to 12 percent, which indicates the wider accessibility of jewelry and also a greater readiness of people to spend money on jewelry.Then in the last 10 years, what we might

call ‘travel retail’ – the tourist factor – has increased dramatically. 58 percent of our overseas customers are Russian and 28 percent are Chinese, but the Chinese element is growing by 40–45 percent a year.

WHAT IS YOUR ONLINE STRATEGY?It’s simple. Our strategy is that la Rinascente is the destination, and since business increased by seven percent last year, it is still working! You have to go in person. It’s possible to see products on the internet, but we want people to come in-store. The language of la Rinascente as the destination point relies not only on the product but on the store itself.

Alberto Baldan, CEO of Italy’s leading premium department store chain

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HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERISE ShAun LEAnE’S LAnguAgE Of JEWELRY?Refined, delicate, but balanced with a powerful, confident style. I use the term “subtle strength.” I want to create piecesthat reflect the power of a woman and her femininity. We decorate pieces with flowers, for example, or soft pearls, but we create a strong silhouette. That is the more powerful side. It’s a fine balance. We recognise the language of the women that wear Shaun

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHAUN LEANE

Leane; they are successful, powerful women in leadership roles. They want to wear something that portrays that, but they also want to portray themselves as women with a gentle side. We have a different approach to other jewellers – that balance for us is really important.

WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAD THAT IDEA OF YOUR WORK FROM THE BEGINNING OR ONCE YOU GOT YOUR OWN STUDIO?

It developed when I started working with Alexander McQueen. When I was training I worked with a company that produced beautiful diamond pieces for the high-end jewellers in Bond Street. The craftsmanship, the classic design and wealth of materials, the size of the diamonds – that was the defining feature of the pieces. I believe that we have a different approach, where we reflect power in shape, style and silhouette. When I started working with McQueen,

Based in London’s jewelry heartland, Hatton Garden, Shaun Leane fuses tradition with a modern design approach

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the way he structured his clothes with a powerful silhouette influenced me. I liked a refined, delicate form and decoration, but a powerful silhouette. This is where I discovered my identity.

A JEWELLER IS THREE THINGS: A CRAFTSMAN, A DESIGNER AND AN ARTIST. WHICH DO YOU PRIMARILY SEE YOURSELF AS? Hmm, difficult question. Of course there’s an element of all three, but first and foremost I see myself as a craftsman. As for the old debate about whether jewelry is art, I see pieces sometimes as small, personalised sculptures. We take inspiration from art, from poetry, from elements of

nature, and put our interpretations into a sculpture which is jewelry. But one of the most important things for me has been my craft, which has helped me translate my ideas. I always return to that. Simply and plainly, I am a jeweller – just that.

WHAT IS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF JEWELRY? I always believe that we should look back at past, respect the old techniques and craftsmanship, but you have to use modern technology, and if you can fuse the two you’re achieving a much more beautiful product. We use computer aided design – we were the first jewelry company to buy what is now known as a 3D printer, a rapid prototyping machine, and the third company of any sort in the UK to buy one. We have a traditional atelier, where we practise all the goldsmithing skills and methods, then another all-digital department for CAD design. Modern technology speeds up the

process, and we use it for proportion and composition, to get forms. We use it as a canvas for the craftspeople to fine tune by hand.

It’S CLEAR thAt EmOtIOn dRIvES YOUR WORK. DO YOU INJECT IT FROM YOUR PERSONALITY OR DOES IT COME FROM AN ORIGINAL IDEA?You can see this from a number of angles. Yes, I do inject my own emotions into my work, but emotional inspiration and influence comes from elsewhere as well, for example I have always been fascinated and inspired by Victorian mourning jewelry. The celebration of the birth or death of a loved one as a memoir, a memory, fascinated me. We try and inject that timeless, romantic element into our work. If you compliment someone’s jewelry they will start telling you a story. They’re re-living that moment of joy or grief; it’s not the carats or the cost. Jewelry is emotion and what it brings to our lives.

THEY’RE RE-LIVING THAT MOMENT OF JOY OR GRIEF; IT’S NOT THE CARATS OR THE COST. JEWELRY IS EMOTION AND WHAT IT BRINGS TO OUR LIVES.

Andrea Morante and Shaun Leane in conversation at the LINK Jewelry Talk

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MEMORIES

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WHAT LANGUAGE DOES JEWELRY SPEAK TO YOU?The language of creativity and individuality – jewelry always has a story to tell. I always joke that I wear lots of jewelry because I am shy and it gives me a point of conversation – jewelry always says something about us but also the person who is appreciating it. WHAT IS IT ABOUT JEWELRY THAT FASCINATES YOU?You can express your creative individuality with it and you can send a message to someone with it too, as a gift. WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR YOU – JEWELRY AS ADORNMENT, AS INVESTMENT OR AS ARTIFACT?For me jewelry is a little bit of all three, but definitely adornment. This is the area that most interests me as it highlights individual style. Jewelry adds another layer to expressing individuality through fashion. But it’s definitely an investment too. I always joke that I have enough jewelry to get me a plane ticket or a long boat ride back home, should there be trouble, or a war. DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL CONSUMER, AND WHAT LANGUAGE YOU THINK THE JEWELRY THAT YOU SELL SPEAKS TO HER OR HIM.My customer is like me – they want originality, quality and individuality above anything else. ASSUMING YOUR MODEL CUSTOMER IS A WOMAN, AND GIVEN THAT NOW MORE MEN ARE BUYING JEWELRY, WHAT LANGUAGE DOES JEWELRY SPEAK TO MEN, AND HOW DO MEN RELATE TO JEWELRY DIFFERENTLY FROM WOMEN?

AN INTERVIEW WITH CARMEN

BUSQUETSMen like to hear the story behind the craftsmanship more than women usually, I guess this relates to their inherent interest in watches and mechanical things, so they tend to ask more questions about how it’s made, what material, or what stone. But if they are buying for a woman, then their questions start to be more complex: her style is like such-and-such…would she like it, would she use it, etc. They want to make sure that the piece is worth their money, but also they really want to make sure that they buy the right thing for their women. When they don’t ask many questions, we assume they either know her very well or just don’t care much. WHAT TREND CAN YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE FOR LUXURY JEWELRY?More creativity, individuality, a more bespoke approach, more intercultural exchange, authenticity, transparency, a more intelligent way of trading. An exciting shift towards the unknown in creativity – big brands and small brands are being more comfortable with technology and the many different outcomes that the internet and social media can bring us. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN BETTER CONVEY THE STORIES BEHIND JEWELRY ON A SCREEN THAN IN A STORE? Well online you have videos and tools to show not only the story of the designer, but also the story of the craftsmanship behind the piece. You also have audio, pictures, and you can zoom in to see details of jewelry to levels that the human eye cannot see. All this brings transparency and authenticity to the experience, and it educates both consumers and salespeople about the product.

YOU ARE A COMMITTED MEDITATOR WITH A HIGHLY DEVELOPED SPIRITUAL AWARENESS. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THIS WITH YOUR LIFE IN BUSINESS, WHICH IS AFTER ALL THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH AND PROFIT?Spirituality and mind discipline is “who I really am.” I am free and strong to face anything precisely because of the strength I get from my commitment to my spirituality and learning. My courage for the quest for the unknown comes from this. Everything else about me that people can see and talk about, is just “what I do” in order to make sure I keep learning and make money from the lessons that come from having my own companies and by supporting amazing teams, entrepreneurs and ideas. I guess you can call it a modern-day monk, with a personal life and a job. Contrary to what people think, worldly success and spirituality are not mutually exclusive.

Carmen Busquets, online retail visionary

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA MORANTE

YOUR VERY CONSIDERABLE REPUTATION IS FROM THE WORLD OF CORPORATE BANKING AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCE. WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO BECOME CEO OF A JEWELRY COMPANY?While my professional experience has been mostly spent working in the field of corporate finance, I was always particularly intrigued by the luxury industry. In the early nineties, I masterminded and executed the acquisition of Gucci by Investcorp which, still today, ranks as one of the most successful transactions in the luxury sector.

THE TITLE OF THE DISCUSSION WAS “THE LANGUAGE OF JEWELRY: ADORNMENT, ACQUISITION OR

ARTIFACT?” TWO QUESTIONS ARISE FROM THIS: DOES JEWELRY SPEAK TO YOU PERSONALLY, AND IF SO, IN WHAT LANGUAGE? AND: HOW WOULD YOU ChARACtERISE POmELLAtO’S Own JEWELRY LANGUAGE? Pomellato’s language can be best characterized as the language of innovation within the jewelry industry. Innovation when it came to breaking with the past by introducing the concept of prêt-à-porter jewelry. Innovation in materials when we pioneered the usage of coloured semi-precious stones, or when we launched a totally new jewelry brand, Dodo, which turned into one of the most successful jewelry stories in Italy in the last 20 years.

THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REPRESENTED BY THE SWITCH FROM PURCHASING NON-BRANDED TO BRANDED JEWELRY.

Andrea Morante is CEO of Pomellato, the Kering-owned Italian jewelry house famed for its colors, stones and craftsmanship

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DO YOUR CUSTOMERS BUY POMELLATO AS ADORNMENT, ACQUISITION OR ARTIFACT?Our customers buy Pomellato jewelry as an understated and elegant adornment which they also enjoy collecting.

WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT YOU ARE SEEING IN THE JEWELRY INDUSTRY, AND HOW WILL IT SHAPE THE InduStRy’S futuRE?The most important development will be represented by the switch from purchasing non-branded to branded jewelry. When this will happen in a more forceful way, it will be transformational for the industry.

APART FROM COMPUTER-BASED DESIGN TECHNIQUES, WHERE, IF AT ALL, DO YOU SEE DIGITAL tEChnOLOgy’S InfLuEnCE In thE INDUSTRY? Digital technology is already a “must” today

as a means to enhance and complete your jewelry sales offer and presentation. If you do not embrace digital, you will simply be left behind. But then, you have to know how to best embrace it.

THE DISCUSSION TOUCHED ON THE POINT THAT ALTHOUGH THE JEWELRY INDUSTRY EMBRACES INNOVATION IN DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT RETAIL COULD BE MUCH IMPROVED. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE DONE?The retail customer experience can always be improved. The three key magic words could be: (a) become more user-friendly, (b) be more digital and (c) make sure that the post-purchasing service is as elegant as your design.

PROVOCATIVELY, YOU ANSWERED A QUESTION ABOUT CHINA BY SAYING THAT FORTUNATELY, POMELLATO IS NOT DEPENDENT ON THE CHINESE

MARKET, AND CHINESE CONSUMERS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN POMELLATO BECAUSE “THEY WANT STATEMENTS” AND POMELLATO IS “UNDERSTATED.” DOES THIS MEAN THAT OPENING YOUR THIRD STORE IN SHANGHAI WAS A MISTAKE? OR ARE YOU PLANNING TO ADJUST YOUR PRODUCT RANGE TO ATTRACT THE CHINESE CONSUMER?Good question! The Chinese consumers are, in many respects, relatively new clients within the jewelry sector. Especially if they purchase in or travel from what are called second and third tier cities in China. As a consequence (and as it has been the case for other nationalities) these new customers prefer acquiring well-established brands that also portray an element of status. This has already partially started to change in cities like Shanghai and Beijing, and these are the only two cities where you can find a Pomellato boutique and a Pomellato piece of jewelry.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS ALREADY A “MUST” TODAY AS A MEANS TO ENHANCE AND COMPLETE YOUR JEWELRY SALES OFFER AND PRESENTATION.

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MEMORIES

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After the unequivocal success of the LINK Jewelry Summit in April 2013, attended by 300 of the international jewelry industry’s key movers and shakers, the next one is set to take place in Vienna in March 2015, just before Baselworld. One thing everyone learned from the 2013 experience is that they can expect a gathering of truly exceptional individuals with the collective ability to make a difference. There will be plenty of sparks and surprises from forthright speakers not known to hold back when it comes to making their opinions heard.

Join us as a premium link partner The goal of the International New York Times and Swarovski is to broaden the Summit’s sponsorship base. This strong network of long-term partners is fully committed to the pursuit of knowledge, promotion of powerful ideas, and discussion of the big issues facing our industry. There are many advantages to becoming a LINK partner: You join a select and limited group in a first-ever global debate, which is playing a key role in the critical conversations that shape our industry.

Contributing in this way is affirmative and rewarding—a bit like underwriting the future of our industry. To find out how to become a LINK partner and help keep the debate going, please get in touch with the following contacts:

For current sponsors: Amber Smart asmart@nytimes.com Direct line: +44 20 7061 3524

For new sponsors:Achilles Tsaltasatsaltas@nytimes.comDirect line: +44 20 7061 3542

GEARING UP FOR THE LINK JEWELRY SUMMIT 2015

LEARN WHAT IT ISLearn about the critical factors that are shaping the global jewelry industry and driving the evolution of consumer behavior. Follow the creative trends that continually adapt in response to changing demand, and find out about the resulting opportunities unfolding across the world‘s markets.

IMAGINE GETTING INSPIREDThink the unthinkable. Break through boundaries. Unleash your creativity, and voice what you believe. Immerse yourself in an exchange of ideas with other inspirational leaders, creative thinkers, and incisive intellects. Enjoy a conversation in an atmosphere of trust with a common objective. Imagine how strong we can be if we are smart together.

NETWORK WITH YOUR INDUSTRY PEERSNetwork with the brightest commercial and creative brains, the most influential leaders, and the most charismatic speakers from the worldwide jewelry industry.

KNOW WHAT WILL BEKnow the direction of the road ahead – it's essential to getting there. Identify milestones to gauge progress along the way. Together with world jewelry industry’s most visionary leaders, map out a plan for the future of the sector.

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PRESS INQUIRIES

Swarovski is the world’s leading producer of precision-cut crystal. Foundedin 1895 by Daniel Swarovski, the company is family-owned and run by fifth generationfamily members, with a presence in 120 countries.Throughout its long history, Swarovski has been the designers’ choice acrossfashion, jewelry, and accessories, as well as interiors, lighting, and architecture.Leading the way with groundbreaking innovations, Swarovski has raised the barwith its industrial research and development.SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS is the premium brand for the finest crystal elementsmanufactured by Swarovski. The designers’ choice since the founding of thecompany in 1895, the brand provides creative talents from fashion, jewelry,and accessories, as well as interiors, lighting, and architecture, with a palette ofinspiration and on-trend innovation.

For press enquiries, contact Katharina Pretzl at:katharina.pretzl@swarovski.com

For general enquiries, email link.jewelrysummit@swarovski.com

The International New York Times (formerly the International Herald Tribune) has been organizing market-leading events for over thirty years. Conference agendas are developed with input from the newspaper’s award-winningeditorial team and in consultation with industry experts and respected partner organizations, around balanced, thought-provoking, and intellectually rigorous formats. Distinguished speakers have included heads of government, CEOs,senior policy-makers, leading academics and global thought-leaders.

For press enquiries, contact Vicky Taylor at:vtaylor@nytimes.comTel: +44 (0) 2070 613 520

Text: Aidan WalkerDesign: Marcus Ludewig

© International New York Times and Swarovski, 2014

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