MJSA ConFab 2013 - Profit Lessons for Jewelry Designers

Are you registered?  2013 MJSA ConFab looks like THE event for Designers!

Get ready to be ConFabulous! MJSA will present its second annual MJSA ConFab conference Nov. 3 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Offering a full-day of "profit lessons" for jewelry makers and designers, this year's event will feature some of the industry's top designers, marketers, contractors, and consultants, offering insights that get to the heart of what it takes to run a successful business.

Topics include targeting niche markets, creating a digital marketing plan, developing sales skills (even if you're selling challenged), working with subcontractors, and maintaining margins with low-cost metals. Presenters range from business gurus Andrea Hill and Cindy Edelstein to such acclaimed designers as Alex Woo and Lisa Jenks. (Actually, we have a dozen experts who will share what they know; while we can't list them all here, you can read all about them by clicking here. Believe us, you'll be amazed at how much talent we've assembled.)

Attendees will also be able to access the ConFab Online Extras, a collection of articles, videos, and other resources that extend the ConFab experience. As a special preview, we're offering a video flashback of last year's ConFab: Watch Andrea Hill, Cindy Edelstein, Bree Richey, and Malak Atut discuss what it takes to run a successful business. Just click here to get started.

MJSA New “conFab” to Help Designers Profit

MJSA Launches New “conFab” 

to Help Designers Profit

ATTLEBORO FALLS, MA—MJSA, the association dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, will this fall present the first MJSA conFab, a one-day event focused on “profit lessons” for jewelry makers and designers. Sponsored by the MJSA Education Foundation, it will take place Oct. 14 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

The MJSA conFab will feature a range of sessions covering such key areas as strategy and planning, digital marketing, inventory control, and pricing. In addition, attendees will be able to access special password-protected pages on the MJSA website (mjsa.org), where they can find additional information. New articles, videos, and other resources will continue to be posted to the pages following the event, creating a digital extension of conFab.

“Our goal is to help jewelry makers and designers make a better living doing what they love,” says MJSA president/CEO David W. Cochran. “The event will offer best business practices in a way that’s memorable, rewarding, and even fun. We’ll present pricing strategies by staging a game show—our own version of ‘The Price Is Right’—and invite attendees to submit their own jewelry creations for the contestants to review. They can also submit their websites for critique during the ‘Websites That Work for You’ session, or post their favorite ‘words of wisdom’ on our Board of Best Advice. It truly will be an event to which everyone can contribute.”

The scheduled conFab presenters include:

Andrea Hill, owner of StrategyWerx, a consulting firm focused on helping small business owners succeed and prosper.

Arthur Skuratowicz, co-founder of the Jewelry Training Center (JTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he serves as director of education.

Gary Dawson, owner of Gary Dawson Designs, an internet-only business that was recently named among the “Best of the Best” by Instore magazine.

Lee Krombholz, owner of Cincinnati-based Krombholz Jewelers and Just Like You Designs, which specializes in personalized jewelry.

Eugene Brill, online marketing manager with industry supplier Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico; he has more than 20 years of experience and expertise in internet marketing communications (search engine optimization, search engine marketing, social media, etc.).

Tina Snyder, editor in chief of MJSA Journal and MJSA Journal Online.

The event’s registration fee of $125 includes unlimited access to the online conFab pages. To learn more or to register, go to mjsa.org.