In This EpisodeIn this edition of The Jewelry District you’ll hear JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates interview two guests from Reed Exhibitions, group vice president Sarin Bachmann and special events and education director Kate Youngstrom. They’ll be discussing the upcoming JCK Virtual 2020 show. Listen in to find out how the show was planned, how it will work, and what you should wear (spoiler: Pajama bottoms are okay).

Show Notes

00:33 Victoria introduces today’s guests, Sarin Bachmann and Kate Youngstrom04:09 Sarin and Kate explain the decision to move the JCK Las Vegas show to a virtual space08:23 Everyone discusses what you can expect at the JCK Virtual show12:19 Rob asks how to still stay social and network at this virtual event14:47 Sarin and Kate discuss the development of the show19:22 What to wear to the show—and a look ahead toward 2021

Episode CreditsHosts: Rob Bates and Victoria GomelskyEditor: Olivia BrileyProducer and engineer: Katey Clifford and Kathy PasseroPlugs: jckonline.com, @jckmagazine

Show Recap

Introducing Sarin Bachman and Kate YoungstromVictoria begins by introducing today’s guests from Reed Exhibitions, Sarin Bachmann, group vice president, and Kate Youngstrom, special events and education director. Sarin started out running the Luxury show for many years and had a start-up retail business before hopping back into Luxury. Sarin is head honcho at the JCK Las Vegas show, and Victoria and Rob will be discussing the upcoming JCK Virtual, the first event of its kind for JCK.

Canceling the Show and Going VirtualThe decision to cancel JCK Las Vegas wasn’t one that came easy. The show has never been canceled in its history—but it was the right decision to make. There was a need to pivot to an online version, and the Las Vegas team immediately got to work on it. They’ll explain how they’ve worked hard to stay true to their live Vegas event as much as possible, providing the same top-notch education from the industry experts they always have.

What to ExpectTo get the most out of the week, you should start looking at the schedule of events in advance and begin creating appointments with others just as you would in person. Trends will be grouped together, too, so you can easily find what you’re looking for. There will be four keynotes during the weeklong event, one on each day, Monday through Thursday. Exhibitors will also be loading up photos and videos of their products, so you’ll be able to see them virtually.

Staying Social and Networking VirtuallyRob asks how social events will operate in this virtual world without everyone being in the same room, and Sarin explains how people are getting creative. There will be two networking events: Drunk Yoga sponsored by Luvente, and a special guest chef from someone in the industry offering a cooking class. Wednesday afternoon will offer a fashion show. Thursday’s event will be a secret—but stay tuned to find out!

Why Now?JCK’s goal is to educate exhibitors and retailers and keep them up-to-date on what’s new and what’s next—and they’ve been getting positive feedback on the show planning so far. Rob asks if people will be in the buying mood, and according to JCK's 2020 State of the Jewelry Industry Report, July/August was the time that people preferred. Sarin also discusses their matchmaking program for retailers and exhibitors.

Wardrobes, Backgrounds, and Looking Ahead to 2021Rob asks the all-important question of what people should wear to JCK Virtual. You can dress how you would for any other working-from-home event. Rob then asks what should your background look like. Sarin and Kate note to make sure there’s light in front of you, not behind you, and to make sure you’re in a place where you can have the volume up and speak as you normally would. They then discuss what the JCK Industry Fund has contributed this year. Finally, Victoria talks about JCK Las Vegas 2021 since we’re all missing being in person. It's scheduled to take place June 4–7, 2021, with Luxury running on June 2–3.