Tucson to Stage Second Jewelry Industry Summit in 2017

(IDEX Online) – The Jewelry Industry Summit, an open forum on sustainability and responsible sourcing, announced its second meeting would take place from January 29 to 30 at the Tucson Convention Center.

An updated website and information about registering for the event is located at http://www.jewelryindustrysummit.com where interested parties can also review the outcomes of the March 2016 summit, learn more about plans for the 2017 event, and discover resources and information related to sustainable business practices and responsible sourcing.

"I can’t think of a better place to discuss responsible sourcing than at the Summit, which is just prior to the AGTA GemFair in Tucson," says Jeffrey Bilgore, president of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and a member of the second summit's planning committee. AGTA is also the official host of the second event.

The Tucson Summit will pick up where the first summit, held in March 2016 in New York, left off. That sold-out event concluded with a list of projects that various attendees committed to continue beyond the Summit. The projects included: aligning and coordinating various existing standards; researching consumer attitudes; educating sales associates; and communicating industry accomplishments to the wider public. There was also a commitment to tackle specific supply chain issues, such as helping gem cutters in developing countries who need education and equipment to avoid silicosis, a disease that occurs from inhaling stone dust.

The 2017 Jewelry Industry Summit will once again be an interactive, working meeting, with large and small discussion groups assisted by professional facilitators – rather than a full agenda of speakers. This format contrasts with many conferences, in that its central driver is attendee participation. The summit says its purpose is "to maintain an industry-wide conversation that invites all stakeholders to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and possibilities related to responsible sourcing in the jewelry industry supply chain."

The summit's goals are to:

• Generate broad-based awareness of facts related to the jewelry industry supply chain and responsible sourcing, and explore what works and what does not.
• Learn about and review progress on current industry-wide initiatives and developments related to sustainable business practices and responsible sourcing. 
• Develop shared visions for key stages of the jewelry industry supply chain that support the broader industry vision for sustainable business and responsible sourcing.     
• Design prototypes of tools and strategies that enable businesses in the supply chain to make progress through continuous improvement.

Attendees are expected to include both larger and smaller companies that have already made significant commitments to responsible sourcing and sustainability. But the summit also enthusiastically welcomes industry members who are new to the topic of sustainability and responsible sourcing, from miners, cutters, and manufacturers to wholesalers, designers, and retailers. It will also invite representatives from banks, accountants, insurers, consultancies, governments, associations, media, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to attend.

The planning committee for the second summit includes Jeff Bilgore – AGTA; Cecilia Gardner, JVC; Doug Hucker, AGTA; Christina Miller; Richard Nehls, LA Rocks; Mike Pace, Diamond Producers Association; Sam Shiroff, Signet Jewelers; Barbara Wheat, Gemalytics LLC / Natural Colored Diamond Association; and Cleo Zancope Gnatek, Jane Taylor Jewelry.