ADTF Draws Praise From Visitors and Exhibitors Alike!

Visitors and exhibitors full of praise as third edition 

of Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair concludes

Antwerp, Belgium, January 31, 2012 - Organisers of the third edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF), which ended today, received praise from both visitors and exhibitors. The three-day show was the largest held so far, with some 350 exclusively invited buyers conducting business at the booths of some 70 Antwerp diamonds firms. The by-invitation only event jointly organized by Antwerp's two largest diamond exchanges, the Antwerp Diamond Bourse and the Diamond Club of Antwerp, attracted visitors from Europe, the Middle East, Thailand and Turkey.

"The fair's performance exceeded that of the two previous editions, in particular due to the high quality of the buyers who attended this year's fair," said exhibitor Joris Vets of Emiel Vets & Zonen [Sons]. "We were very happy with the format and focus of this fair and we're looking forward to next year's event."

Meanwhile, Dinesh Ahuja of Gembel European Sales said: "The buyers were serious, focussed business people who came here to do business, and that was good news for us and for the fair. We will definitely want to take part in the fourth edition of ADTF in 2013."

Exhibitor Bert Jan Schatz of Benelux Diamonds NV said he was impressed with the smooth and solid organization of the event. "It was very well organized, and the buyers were highly motivated and keen on doing business," he stated. He said that proof of the fair's uniqueness could be seen from the origin of the buyers "We saw buyers from Spain and Italy, in spite of the economic difficulties in those countries, who did not want to miss out on this exclusive opportunity to source diamonds in Antwerp," Schatz noted.

Lotta Torstesson, a retail jeweller from Stockholm, Sweden, said she was impressed with the format of the fair. "It's a great way to make dozens of new contacts, see a very wide range of diamonds and, ultimately, also to find what you are looking for. On top of all that, this was all available in the two trading halls," she said.