Cover The Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong is set to take place online this year (Photo: Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair/Facebook)

The world's biggest B2B jewellery marketplace will take place online from 27–29 October

Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong (JGW) joins the number of major Hong Kong events affected by the coronavirus resorting to online events.

Organisers, Informa Markets Jewellery announced today that the fair will go virtual, with the launch of Jewellery & Gem Digital World (J&G Digital World), an online show experience that seamlessly integrates digital product meetings with a rich programme of industry forums, discussions, and practical gemmology workshops.

This year's fair is scheduled for 27–29 October and is the first edition of a series of virtual events anchored in digital product meetings strengthened by custom digital catalogues, assortment management solutions, and personalised showroom technology.

There are several new online initiatives as well including an Asian jewellery industry webinar series, and Jewellery & Gem Knowledge Community's online gemstone education program will be launched as a prelude to the online event.

"We are embracing the hybrid future of B2B jewellery commerce. In the coming months, we will introduce even more exciting opportunities for industry stakeholders by optimising our best-in-class physical shows with our new digital capabilities," said David Bondi, Senior Vice President of Informa Markets in Asia.

"We know how important our Jewellery & Gem fairs are as powerful platforms where our community can come together, create strong business relationships and discover leads to drive up sales," he adds.

Additionally, the JNA Awards 2020 will reveal its recipients in a virtual presentation scheduled for 27 October, the first day of the J&G Digital World. The award is the most prestigious of its kind in the international jewellery and gemstone industry. It champions best business practices by honouring companies and individuals that demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovative thinking, and sustainable and socially responsible strategies. The event is open for registered participants of J&G World and the JNA Awards.

JGW2020 was previously known as the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair and was originally scheduled for September this year, at two venues—AsiaWorld Expo for loose precious materials and at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre for finished jewellery and other related products.

"Our overriding priority has always been to provide our stakeholders with a safe, secure and the highest-quality sourcing experience possible, which is simply not feasible given the current circumstances. New challenges, however, afforded us new opportunities to work for creative solutions that will bring our community together in a new way," says Bondi.

The fair is set to make its physical return in September 2021, hoping to accelerate its transformation into a sourcing event that fuses the best of both the offline and online worlds.

See also: Hong Kong Literary Festival Will Be Held Online This November 2020