Held annually just after Memorial Day Weekend, the Couture show in Las Vegas has become an important stop on the calendar for jewelers to display their latest wares. We caught up with Yves Spinelli of Spinelli Kilcollin, Coomi Bhasin of Coomi, Stephen Dweck, Paul Morelli and Eva Fehren on advice for a successful show experience – hydrate! – and the best dives to check out in Vegas.
How does the Couture show impact your business the most?
Yves: We built our business with fashion stores that carry fine jewelry. In Vegas, there are lot of jewelry-centric stores that don’t attend the Paris collections. We wouldn’t find these stores and start working with them if we didn’t do this show.
Stephen: It exposes you to the world and puts you straight in the middle of everything. You work the whole year thinking about Vegas and who goes in and out of these show doors. Leading up to it makes you focus.
Coomi: The large trade show is important for meeting your peers, and industry colleagues exchanging ideas, exchanging values, different business aspects and understanding how others work, because you don’t get to meet your peers at any other time. And the buyers can pick up anything they want. It allows you to show everything at once here.
What are the pros and cons of exhibiting at a large tradeshow?
Paul: Pros: Most of my business is through fashion stores and not traditional jewelry shoes so there may be stores we would like to be in that come to these things. Cons: Doesn’t anyone not know who I am? For that aspect, it is becoming less and less important. For a fledgling business, it might be more important to be show here.
Eva: Pros: “Visibility is still very important as a young brand so I think the pros are getting face-time with our stores. Spending time with the other designers is also a huge pro for me. It is amazing to see what everyone else is working on and I mean that in the most positive of ways. The show consolidates that ability to easily share our work. Cons: I think trade shows are always a bit tough on designers not used to the interaction and stimulation of it. As a creative person to be on for this many days in a row is tricky but not enough of a con to not participate.
What aspects of the fine jewelry community do you enjoy about showing at a trade show?
Yves: We aren’t really a competitive community. We are collaborative and supportive of one another, as I think everyone has a specific and unique point of view. My peers and me are in the same stores sharing the same clients. It’s like a bonding experience. We save the competition for the Black Jack tables.
Eva: I have so many friends in the business and I do love to walk by their booth and see them. It gives us a chance to catch up and talk about what is going on in the business – trends in the way people do business or other things affecting the industry.
What advice would you give a new designer or brand for their first trade show?
Stephen: Be Yourself, Over-prepare, Watch expenses. Do set-ups of exactly of how you want it to look in your space. Get it super organized. Dress-rehearse your booth beforehand. And pack a nice wardrobe.
Paul: What would I advise if my daughter if she was going to start in this business? Capture the retail business because that is what is going to be, according the younger people who work for me. I’ve been in Bergdorf’s since 1981 and a lot of my collectors buy there, but I’ve noticed traffic is down. In my own stores, my business is up 22 percent.”
Coomi: Have a ton of patience because it takes a few years. Make sure you have the finances to do it – even if you don’t get a new account.
What is your favorite thing to do outside of the show in Vegas?
Eva: I’m always trying to get outside and explore. I really want to go on that crazy roller coaster. I’m not a huge gambler but I do try to get out and experience the other casinos.
Stephen: I’m such a foodie! I love a white tablecloth but on this trip, I want the deep fried pickles at Todd English Pub – with a tuna burger.
Coomi: Vegas? Eating… I love Hot and Juicy. It’s a dive. It’s fabulous. Vegas has the best dives anywhere. They bring you a plastic bag full of shrimp, or crab or clams with 6 different sauces, and they dump the bag on the table. I put a bib on. I don’t care, I just eat.
