I welcome you to join me on the journey of my last day at the VICENZAORO jewelry show through a timeline of events ending with my final thoughts on the show and my experiences. Let’s go!
5:30 A.M.
Alarm sounds. There are days when I really think about cutting my hair short just because I feel like I’d be able to grab an extra hour or more of sleep. I must be crazy to go out in Italy the night before and think that I’ll just pop up out of bed, fresh as a daisy, ready to hit the ground running. Yeah, at the ripe age of 45, that’s not happening. (Hits snooze).
5:40 A.M.
Alarm sounds. Again. Ooooookay, it’s now or never. Rise and shine, self.
8:35 A.M.
The ten-minute walk to the shuttle stop every morning is the perfect way to start a day that will largely be spent indoors at the Fiera di Vicenza expo center. The temperature is roughly 20 degrees here in Vicenza, and the neighborhood I’m staying in makes for a lovely scenic route, although on my first day headed to show, I asked a random Italian woman for directions to the hotel where the shuttle picks up, and she sent me in the complete opposite direction, causing me – with no Wi-Fi service – to momentarily get lost. But hey, if you’re going to be lost anywhere in the world, it may as well be lost in Italy!
9:00 A.M.
My arrival at VICENZAORO always feels special. One look at the incoming attendees will convince anyone just how diverse a show this one is. There are people here from all over the world, speaking all sorts of languages and wearing jewelry styles as different as their countries of origin.
9:10 A.M.
After a quick check-in, I head to the VIP lounge for a much-needed espresso and croissant.
9:30 A.M.
The Jewelry Technology Forum Conference is happening over in Hall 7, but instead, I opt to do some last-minute jewelry hunting before having to leave home for the States tomorrow morning.
A gorgeous ring by Fernando Jorge
9:50 A.M.
I stop in to see the wonderful people at Roberto Coin and speak at length to them about their “Animalier” collection, particularly their ram’s head which I’m totally smitten with.
10:20 A.M.
I run into Jennifer Ewah, founder of the Eden Diodati jewelry line, which is a line of jewelry created by an extraordinary cooperative of women who survived the genocide in Rwanda. According to the brand, “Employing centuries old artisanal heritage and craftsmanship, their skill, courage, fortitude and faith inspires Eden Diodati’s creative direction, whilst challenging preconceptions of ‘Made in Africa.’” Jennifer and I discuss future initiatives and trade our personal experiences as women in the jewelry industry, and I find in her another powerhouse leader to move us forward in a world that so often tries to hold us back.
10:50 A.M.
A quick stop at the booth of Marco Dal Maso for our obligatory “Italians with Good Hair” picture. What can I say? It’s our tradition.
11:45 A.M.
After hours of going aisle by aisle, visiting brands and ogling jewels, it’s nearly my favorite time of day, so I head toward the escalator to the buyer’s lounge on the 2nd floor to visit my favorite bartender, Umberto.
The Design Room
12:20 P.M.
Lunch is served and that means PROSECCO! Not too much prosecco, of course, or else I won’t be able to pronounce my own blog name, which most people struggle with to begin with, even when sober.
1:30 P.M.
Time for one last visit to The Design Room in Hall 7, which houses such extraordinary jewelry designers and brands such as Fernando Jorge, Federica Rettore, Qayten, Aida Bergsen, and others. Upon taking my final images, saying my farewells, and giving double kisses to the Europeans, I bid my jewelry friends a fond arrivaderci and head toward the booths in Hall 6.
2:25 P.M.
I take my seat in the VO Square Room in Hall 6 to take in the seminar on sustainable gold and why it’s an opportunity for both investors and manufacturers in the jewelry industry. Sustainability is a topic that more and more businesses and trade shows are putting focus on, so this is important to a lot of people as one can see based on the standing-room-only crowd.
3:50 P.M.
I head to the press room to take full advantage of the Wi-Fi which I know I won’t have once I get back to my flat for the evening. There, I go over my notes, delete some less-than-stellar product shots from my camera, and put one final double-espresso into my body as I prepare for my final night in Italy. What is it about espresso? It’s like magic in a tiny cup and I thank the coffee bean gods that it exists in my world.
5:30 P.M.
The VICENZAORO daily happy hour is now in full swing in Hall 8, and the Italians and I are tossing back wine like there’s a soon to be a grape shortage (full disclosure: there isn’t). It’s my final opportunity to spend time with friends old and new, with colleagues and fellow journalists, and with people from all over the jewelry community. The daily happy hour allows for both vendors and clients to release some of their stresses, have a drink, a couple of laughs, and toast the industry that we all call home. I finish my final glass, say farewell to my hosts, and head out into the cold night to hail a taxi into town.
A beautiful evening in Vicenza, Italy
7:00 P.M.
After having spent nine days in Europe – first in Geneva for the SIHH and then here in Vicenza for VICENZAORO – what I desperately needed for my own mental health was a night to focus on all that transpired over the last week and a half. So after a brisk walk through this beautiful and often underrated city, I stopped into Bar Borsa for a meal of whole wheat tagliatelle with rabbit and artichoke ragu, and two glasses of a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. The atmosphere was quintessentially Italian: couples on dates, friends laughing in their native language, and show attendees looking for a little bit of the local fare. It was exactly where I wanted to be at that moment, and it allowed me to take in just how lucky I am that I get to do these things for a living.
The show was a success from all that I gathered and after speaking with many of the show’s exhibitors and attendees. It’s the first major jewelry show of the year and gives us great perspective as to what we need to look out for, trend wise, in the weeks and months to come. To those who made this trip happen, and to my friends at the IEG, VO, and LBG, I bid you all CIAO! (For now.)