“First” In Numbers, Content and Centrality: Vicenzaoro January Closes a Record Edition with Over 35,000 Visitors

Interconnections with the world market, strategic cultural content, creativity, innovation, training, design, territory: a total of 1,500 exhibitors, over 35,000 visitors (the highest number in the last 10 years) and over 40 events with the participation of leading jewellery institutions and the most well-known global brands. 

 This is the snapshot of VOJ - Vicenzaoro January 2020 “The Jewellery Boutique Show®” and T.GOLD, the international show for jewellery machinery and technologies applied to gold and jewellery processing, taken on the last day of the two shows. Running alongside VOJ and T.GOLD was VO Vintage, the new exclusive marketplace for vintage watches and jewellery, which made its debut, meeting with the satisfied consent of the traditional public and the community of enthusiasts and collectors.

 Organized by IEG - Italian Exhibition Group at the Expo Centre in Vicenza, the centrality of VOJ20 and T.GOLD in terms of business and overall promotional appeal was appreciated by the global jewellery sector: not only new ideas and trends in terms of style and creation by top brands but also in terms of technological, sales and distribution services and digitalization. 

 The increase in the number of visitors confirmed the positive trend of foreign incoming from over 126 countries worldwide, covering an overall 60% of the total. And Italy’s figure was also positive, taking on renewed shine with +12%.

To be precise, the United States headed the chart of the most represented foreign states with an extraordinary +30% compared to 2019. Japan (+22%) confirmed the growing interest of the strategic markets for Made in Italy manufacture, as did the Middle East (+6% overall).

Asia and the Far East recorded +4% combined. The macro-region of Africa stood at +7%. Russia also began to increase with +6%.

 The number of visitors from Europe, which amounts to about 50% of the foreign attendance at Vicenzaoro, was up +9% more than the double figure increase of 2019, with particular increases from German-speaking countries.

 Vicenzaoro, despite market turbulence, confirmed its appeal for world traders and its strategic relevance due to its ability to offer the sector all types of technological innovation and design, connect the entire supply chain, provide inspiration and the tools to develop business.     

 The partnerships with ICE – the Agency that promotes Italian companies and their internationalization abroad – and the Ministy of Foreign Affairs for the “Prima” project, sponsored by Confindustria Federorafi, Confartigianato, Confimi Industria gold and silver division and CNA, contributed enormously to the success of the show. Agenzia ICE also promoted specific activities on the United States’ market which were triggered by 120 B2B meetings at Vicenzaoro between buyers from large-scale retail in America and Italian companies, as well as the presence of start-up companies through the StartUp&Carats project.

Collaborations with Federpreziosi Confcommercio, AFEMO (Italian Association of Jewellery Machinery Manufacturers and Exporters ), Assocoral – Association of Coral, Cameo and Jewellery Producers in  Torre del Greco, and IGI – Italian Gemmological Institute led to setting up  Digital Talks, Gem Talks and other fundamental meetings with the aim of bringing the world of vocational training closer to that of industry.

Priority topics for IEG were sustainability, creativity and innovation, which opened the calendar of events with the VISIO.NEXT focus entitled “The future of jewellery”, which took place thanks to collaboration with Club degli Orafi Italy and was attended by Confindustria Moda and brands of such calibre as Bulgari, De Beers and Vhernier. The conference organized by CJBIO – the World Jewellery Confederation then took an in-depth look at the ability of SMEs to introduce sustainable processes and procedures.

The territory played an essential role in making the international buyers happy: the hospitality that the city of Vicenza reserved for its guests with VIOFF “The Golden Factor”, the VicenzaOro Off Show event devised by Vicenza Council together with IEG and the involvement of economic categories, received unanimous approval, upholding the value of our Italian patrimony of beauty and know-how as well as putting students into contact with sector companies at training encounters and school and career orientation meetings.