IIJS Signature Show to Take Place in April

RAPAPORT... The India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) Signature exhibition will run next month in Mumbai, marking the sector's first large trade fair since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, organizers said.The annual event will take place from April 7 to 12 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in the Goregaon neighborhood, India's Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) announced Monday. It will span three halls, with the GJEPC expecting more than 750 exhibitors to participate across 1,365 booths."It has been more than a year since the industry witnessed a physical show of the magnitude of IIJS Signature," said GJEPC chairman Colin Shah. "It is the need of the hour that the entire jewelry community comes together to boost the jewelry business."The show will happen over six days instead of the usual four to spread people out. Companies beginning with the letters A to J will attend on days one to two; K to R on days three to four; and S to Z on days five to six.Attendees will be required to produce a negative Covid-19 test result from the past 72 hours, the council added. The number of exhibitors and visitors will be capped, with each company receiving no more than two entry badges, or 10 for businesses with 25 or more stores. Registration will be online only, with attendees receiving digital, contactless badges. Other measures will include temperature checks and hand sanitization at entry, frequent disinfection within the venue, rapid virus-testing facilities and a special Covid-19 response team.A large number of people in India will have received their coronavirus vaccinations by the end of March, Shah predicted. He also forecast a surge in demand for gems and jewelry in the coming months, as the wedding season continues and the Akshaya Tritiya spring festival - a popular occasion for buying gold - is around the corner in May."IIJS Signature will be an opportunity for our visitors and buyers to restock their inventory for the upcoming demand for the season," he added.Image: The 2020 IIJS Signature show. (GJEPC)