Long Jewelers Reveals Industry Knowledge From Exclusive Forevermark Forum Event

With over 400 jewelry retailers and manufacturers in attendance every year, Forevermark Forum offers authorized jewelers an opportunity to get insider knowledge of their industry and network with other retailers and diamantaires. On March 26-29, 2018, the seventh annual conference took place at the JW Marriott Orlando Grand Lakes.

Jon Walp, the general manager of Long Jewelers in Virginia Beach, flew in for the Orlando event for the second year in a row. One of the biggest insights he gleaned from the forum was how quickly technology was changing the world of retail — and how the future of the jewelry industry would change along with it.

“Retail is changing across the board thanks to companies like Amazon and Alibaba, and technology like blockchain and omnichannel,” Walp said. “It’s much different from what it was ten years ago… The future is coming faster than we all believed; it’s wonderful, enlightening, and a little scary.”

Another topic that was discussed heavily at the Forevermark Forum was the huge part women’s spending habits play in the jewelry industry and in the U.S. economy.

Sarah Quinlan, the Senior Vice President of Market Insights at Mastercard, delivered a seminar called “Female Tribes and the Forevermark Tribute Collection.” During her presentation, she explained that today women control 75 percent of the buying decisions in their households, but they also influence the other 25 percent as well.

Recalling her talk, Walp noted, “Women really hold the purse strings when it comes to purchasing. So it’s not Wall Street that’s bringing us out of the recession, but consumer spending.”

This year, Forevermark Forum put together a robust program to enrich the attendees’ jewelry businesses in every way. In addition to seminars to help retailers build trust with their customers, there were presentations on Forevermark’s blockchain initiative and their commitment to responsibly-sourced diamonds.

Although the event was only three days long, it left Walp with a lot to think on. “The seminars provided me with a lot of direction moving forward,” he said.

For more information on Walp’s experience at Forevermark Forum, or to learn more about the brand’s collection of fine jewelry at Long Jewelers, visit their website or stop by their showroom in Virginia Beach.

About Long Jewelers

For over 30 years, Long Jewelers has been a retailer of designer wedding bands, engagement rings, Swiss timepieces, and fine jewelry items for customers in the Virginia Beach area. Under the leadership of founder and president David Long, Long Jewelers has come to boast the largest jewelry showroom in Virginia, has been featured in magazines such as Town & Country and InStyle, and has even been voted the “Best of the Beach” more than 20 times.

For questions concerning products, sales, services, or on-site jewelry repair, visit their website or call (757)-498-1186 for more information.

Images courtesy of Forevermark Forum

(Source: Newswire)