On Sunday, March 14, the MJSA Expo will open its doors at 10 a.m.. It will feature not only the latest tools, supplies, and technologies that can easily take a design from concept to creation, but also free seminars focusing on how to navigate in this changing environment. (Click here for a full lineup of Sunday's seminars.) In addition, there are two special events on Sunday and Tuesday you'll want to attend.
Designer CEO Summit
Also on Sunday, jewelry designers will have access to some of the best advice available on how to grow their businesses at the Designer CEO Summit, a full-daybusiness conference presented by Cindy Edelstein of the Jewelers Resource Bureau. Sessions will be geared to taking a designer's sales and marketing to the next level, regardless of where they are currently.
The conference, which will take place at the Fashion Institute of Technology, centers around four key speakers and a luncheon panel in which experts give 75 tips in 75 minutes. The first presenter will be Andrea Hill, former CEO of Rio Grande, who will explain in detail how designers of all size companies can add CEO-level strategy for growth. The day will also feature:
· Meeling Wong, who has been an insider at several wildly successful designer brands; she will explain how to create and implement a branding campaign.
· Lisa Jenks, a designer who grew her business for more than 20 years before dropping out to focus on other design projects, only to decide three years later that she wanted to get back to jewelry design. She will explain how she managed to keep growing for so many years, and how she stage-managed her return with an immediate success.
· Kate Peterson, a widely respected expert on retailing, will wind up the day's presentations with a unique twist to her usual approach to retailing. Instead of telling retailers how to improve their businesses, she will tell designers how retailers think and make choices, and how designers can influence those processes to their benefit.
The cost for the day, including lunch, is $319, although an early-bird discount is in effect until midnight of Sunday, March 7. The discounted price is $287. Other discounts are available, including one for MJSA members. Type "MJSA" in the discount portion of the registration page at www.DesignerCEOsummit.com. All sales must be in advance of the conference, since no tickets can be sold on site.
MJSA and AJDC: Profiting by Design
Another special day for designers will be Tuesday, March 15, when MJSA and theAmerican Jewelry Design Council (AJDC) team up for the special two-hourProfiting by Design session. A panel of AJDC members -- Jose Hess (moderator),Michael Bondanza, Barbara Heinrich, William Schraft, and Diana Vincent -- will share how they've overcome design challenges, responded to market trends, and achieved business success. Additional advice and insights will be offered byMarlene Richey, Cindy Edelstein, and Philip Crangi.
The free session will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Expo presentation area on the show floor. Just prior to the session, the MJSA Vision Award winners will be honored.
Click here for more information about MJSA Expo New York, including a full schedule of all seminars and special events.
