Hong Kong March 2021 Shows Postponed

RAPAPORT... The organizers of the Hong Kong diamond and jewelry shows scheduled for March 2021 have pushed the events back to later in the year, citing continued travel restrictions.The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which was due to take place from March 1 to 5, and the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show - scheduled for March 3 to 7 - will now run concurrently from July 2 to 6, 2021, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) said Monday in a notice seen by Rapaport News. Both events will happen at the city's AsiaWorld-Expo.Hong Kong requires incoming travelers to quarantine for two weeks, with limited exceptions. While the coronavirus outbreak in the municipality has been relatively mild, infections have spiked in the past three weeks, prompting authorities to tighten social-distancing rules."With many pandemic-related travel restrictions remaining in place, exhibitors and buyers may have difficulty joining the [shows]," the note read. "We will continue to make every effort to help the industry capture business opportunities through multiple channels and platforms."The HKTDC canceled the March 2020 shows altogether after initially postponing them to August because of the pandemic. The September Hong Kong jewelry fairs, organized by Informa Markets, switched to an online event.However, Informa's Jewellery & Gem Asia Hong Kong show, a more locally focused event, took place in November at AsiaWorld-Expo after the company postponed it from its original June date. Traffic was slow as overseas buyers could not attend, market sources said.An HKTDC spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.Image: A scene from the March 2018 show. (Lesley Cheung/HKTDC)