Plumb Club Forum to Address Technology and Fashion in Retail Jewelry

Carly Fiorina, former chairperson and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, will be among the featured speakers to appear at the first Plumb Club Forum, to be held in New York City at the Fashion Institute of Technology in March 2008.

The invitation-only event is set to have in attendance executives and buyers from U.S. jewelry retailers from mass merchants to independents, as well as leading industry stakeholders such as miners and gem lab representatives.

Fiorina will speak about maintaining change in the age of technology – a subject she is familiar with, having carried HP through one of the technology industry’s deepest and most prolonged downturn, from 1999 to 2005. She led the company’s successful acquisition of Compaq and oversaw a period of innovation and increased profitability. 

“The forum will provide a unique opportunity for jewelry industry leaders to learn from each other and a roster of high-level speakers so that we can better adapt to the rapid technological and business changes we face today,” said event organizer Ofer Azrielant. “Ultimately it’s about creating a sustainable future in all aspects.”

The conference will focus on four issues:

• Decoding Web 2.0 – Taking the success of social networking and the lessons of Web 2.0 into every area of business and finding creative ways for the retail sector to keep in step with the technological innovation;
• The Fashion Connection – How the jewelry industry can take lessons from the world of fashion about unifying and reinventing itself to create trends and products to gain a larger share of the luxury market;
• Diamonds and Gemstones – New retail challenges due to changes in the diamond and gemstone pipelines (such as diamond miners who compete with their customers); and
• Corporate Social Responsibility – How the jewelry industry can ensure the social and ethical responsibility of jewelry products throughout the pipeline and the serious implications of non-action.