In order to bring the Canadian jewelry community together, the Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA) will organize an Industry Summit in Toronto this fall. After the first successful and fruitful event in Vancouver in October 2023, the second annual summit is expected to bring more opportunities for jewelers to share their expertise and experience, as well as participate in educational sessions. CJA office manager Carla Adams said that the whole “team has been hard at work” crafting the program of the event for the attendees to get the most out of the day.
The organizers of the CJA Summit aimed to make the event accessible to as many participants as possible, so this year, they selected a conveniently located city. Toronto is a large transport hub and is easy to reach. The St. Regis Toronto, a five-star hotel and business venue downtown, will host the event.
Traveling across Canada can be really expensive, so from a long-term perspective, the initiators of the Summit are planning to change locations each year. This move will make it possible for jewelers of all sizes from different regions of Canada to attend.
The previous CJA Summit was a resounding success, with two of its most popular events being the cocktail hour and the awards dinner. These highly anticipated events will be a part of this year’s daylong Summit as well. The organizers welcome professionals from all corners of the globe to join because their goal is to create conditions where national and international jewelry businessmen can socialize and exchange best practices.
The first meeting was an incredible success with an impressive turnout of over 100 attendees. The event was marked by engaging discussions led by four esteemed speakers and a visit to the CJA’s annual general meeting, making it a truly unique experience for jewelry professionals. This success has firmly established the Industry Summit as the association’s flagship event.
In February 2024, WJA launched its first Canadian chapter through cooperation between CJA and the Women’s Jewelry Association, which has its roots in the Summit. The two co-presidents became Alanna Campbell, owner of AC Appraisals in the Ottawa area and CJA membership coordinator, and Shelbey Dodds, a Toronto-based jeweler and partner in the metal casting company Triocast.
Although the full program of the Industry Summit will be announced later in the summer, it is already known that the schedule has been expanded compared to the first year to ensure more possibilities for connecting jewelry business owners. The Summit 2024 aims to create a safe environment for lively discussions that analyze real cases, boost sales, and address current industry problems. Adams shared that participants should await some “hidden gems” connected with the 2023 triumphant retail panel because they will get twice as much excitement.
