Christopher S. Nelson 
Jewelery & Gem World (JGW) show organizers have revealed that this year’s show will be held in Singapore, not Hong Kong.
The expo is set to take place September 23-27, with organizers seeking a more “accessible” in-person experience.
The change of venue is expected to be a one-time arrangement, with the decision to change venue being made taking into account pandemic restrictions on travel, according to organizer Informa Markets.
Celine Lau, Director of Jewelry Shows at Informa Markets, said, “Even in the midst of a pandemic, Singapore has the capacity to safely and efficiently host the most iconic jewelry show in the world.
“Suppliers who are serious about business will be at JGW Singapore, and we’re confident global buyers in decision-making positions will make the trip to the city-state to join us at the show,” she said.
Hong Kong has been plagued by another COVID outbreak in recent months and restrictions on travel and public gatherings remain in place.
At the same time, Singapore has eased travel and social distancing restrictions, making the city-state an attractive destination for the in-person event.
“As the long-time home of the world’s most important jewelery fair, Hong Kong is almost always mentioned in the same breath as JGW. In fact, it has become an annual tradition for thousands of suppliers and buyers. to visit Hong Kong every September,” Lau said.
“Our community can be assured that Hong Kong will be ready to offer the full JGW experience in 2023 when conditions allow for safe and responsible in-person interactions and restrictions on international travel are lifted.”
David Bondi, Senior Vice President at Informa Markets, said: “The past two years have been extremely challenging for everyone, and we as an industry have done our best to not only keep businesses going , but also to move forward.
“Industry stakeholders have overwhelmingly told us they want safe and secure physical trade shows they can attend, and Informa Markets has delivered on that promise by successfully hosting large-scale in-person events in the United States, across Europe, the Middle East and Asia over the past few months, with many more firmly planned for 2022 and beyond,” he said.
Bondi also noted that the recently concluded Jewellery, Gem & Technology Dubai has attracted buyers from over 100 countries and demonstrated the need for face-to-face interactions.
Informa Markets has also scheduled special edition shows such as the Jewelery & Gem Asia Hong Kong event from June 16-19, Jewelery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong from September 16-19, and Jewelery & Gem ASEAN Bangkok from November 2-5.
More reading
Second Hong Kong fair goes online for 2020
