Industry News

It’s back! Jewellery & Watch returns to its NEC home, now firmly ensconced in Moda at Spring Fair. Belinda Morris spoke to Julie Driscoll, MD Retail, Fashion & Digital Marketing at Hyve Group, who happily declares that “trade is returning!”

Jewellery & Watch at Moda, Spring Fair

It seems a very long time ago that retailers and suppliers got together at the Jewellery & Watch show in Birmingham – it was February 2020, and we could not have imagined how the next 18 months would pan out. But that was then – we’re now looking forward to 6th to 9th February 2022, when Jewellery & Watch will kick off the

UK jewellery trade calendar with renewed vigour, enthusiasm and optimism. The team is brimming with positivity following Hyve’s

Autumn Show in September, which has been declared as “incredibly successful, the best ever” by exhibitors, visitors and organiser alike, with “more money taken on the first

Sunday than at any trade show ever.”

Once a stand-alone show, Jewellery & Watch is now a subsection of Moda, which is one of four destinations in the UK’s largest and most definitive wholesale marketplace for the B2B home and gift retail industry – Spring Fair. With its own distinct edit, Jewellery & Watch gives jewellery and fashion buyers the chance to see a wide collection of new season pieces across price points, as well as explore crossover buying opportunities – all in the one location.

“We’re back and actively engaging with the jewellery industry,” says Julie Driscoll, who heads up a team that organiser Hyve Group built post-pandemic. “We have worked very, very hard – and will continue to do so – to make sure the show is a great showcase for suppliers and for buyers, worth their while to attend. We’ve spent a great deal of time talking to exhibitors and visitors; we know buyers are searching for products in different ways these days, and we’re making sure everyone across the supply chain has a home at the show. Naturally, we want as many NAJ members to join us.” Among the suppliers confirmed for February’s show are Lesley Donn, Perfection Jewellery, Lido Pearls, Kali Ma and Scream Pretty.

A key part of the drive to ensure a great turn-out of visitors is Spring Fair’s Curated Meetings programme. The show is supporting around 600 retailers with £250 each for accommodation and travel as a way to encourage matchmaking between buyers and suppliers. “The more we can do to bring buyers to the show the better,” says Driscoll, “and as many retailers are diversifying, Spring Fair gives them the opportunity to buy other products, such as silver items, gifts and cards."

Spring Fair offers the perfect chance for potential exhibitors to engage with buyers from across the retail sector… not solely jewellery retailers. Heritage sites, museums, farm shops and garden centres (“the new department stores”), for instance, are increasingly key places for consumers to shop

for jewellery. “The V&A spent four days at the show; we received more of those trade visitors than any other trade show,” confirms Driscoll. The show will also see the reactivation of The Power of One programme, with its aim to lead all industries towards a more sustainable future.

Helping to put Jewellery & Watch back on the map, Driscoll’s team is actively targeting jewellery designers and core NAJ members. Ben Massey, NAJ’s director of marketing said, “For a number of years, Spring Fair and NAJ have worked collaboratively to bring some of the most exciting and successful jewellery businesses together. We’re delighted to be continuing our relationship into 2022 as we approach the February show, eagerly anticipating the chance to see and celebrate new collections and network with NAJ members and supporters.”

Scream Pretty

Lido Pearls