(PRESS RELEASE) As we enter what for many is a second month of economic lockdown and social isolation caused by COVID-19, jewelry businesses throughout the supply chain are looking for immediate solutions. There is a growing realization that that the industry as we knew will be inexorably changed when the pandemic ends, but first it is necessary to keep one’s head above water.
CIBJO’s “Jewelry Industry Voices” webinar series, which premieres on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, will look at the impact and implications of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis on the business from the perspective of industry figures. With each webinar focusing on a specific topic, the first will tackle the existential challenge of surviving the lockdown, which for many has involved shuttering store and offices, little to no cashflow and the agony of having to lay off or furlough members of staff, while still being expected to honor rental contracts and financing agreements.
Navigating through the stormy waters of this unprecedented predicament is not a simple task. This virus did not come with a script, as one pundit in the UK has opined. No-one has a crystal ball, and none of us can see into the future. But there are signs of hope. China is starting to come out of lockdown and Chow Tai Fook, Asia’s largest retail jeweler, has seen positive reactions from its customers as it reopens stores. How can jewelry retailers both large and small, survive today and be best prepared for the day when business returns?
Entitled “Surviving the COVID-19 Lockdown” the first Jewelry Industry Voices webinar features three leading industry exports – Tiffany Stevens, president and CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC), a New York-based organization that provides legal services for the jewelry trade and represents the industry before U.S. government bodies; Erik Jens, CEO of LuxuryFintech.com, who formerly headed the diamond and jewelry group at ABN AMRO, the industry’s largest financier; and Amit Dhamani, CEO and president of the Dhamani Jewels Group, a major jewelry manufacturer and retailer headquartered in Dubai.
CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri will introduce the series, and the webinar will be moderated by Ed Johnson and Steven Benson.
