BIG sat down with one of the main creators of Jewellery Arabia. A lavish affair for all to partake, Fawzi Al Shehabi shares with us the humble beginnings of what it is today seen as one of Bahrain’s most prominent and prestigious exhibitions. He is the Director of Sales and Marketing at UBM AEM, and a businessman of hard work and determination.
Tell us a little bit about UBM AEM.
UBM AEM (formerly Arabian Exhibition Management) has been organising trade and consumer shows in the Middle East for over 40 years and has a proven track record of success.
The company was established in Bahrain in 1977 and we began by organising shows in temporary structures on what is now known as ‘Exhibition Avenue.’
Internationally, our parent organisation UBM organises some of the world’s leading jewellery exhibitions. Its portfolio of 16 jewellery events span the Middle East, mainland China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, Singapore, Taiwan, and Russia and collectively attracts over 100,000 trade buyers and 10,000 plus exhibitors from around the globe.
In what ways has Jewellery Arabia influenced the market since it first began?
Jewellery Arabia is amongst the world’s top five jewellery shows and has a highly positive reputation within the industry. From Switzerland to Italy and Hong Kong – jewellers mark it down in their calendars!
Jewellery Arabia is also seen as an essential buying event for trade and consumers alike visiting the show. The exhibition’s size, quality and variety are unmatched within the Middle East region.
Why was Bahrain chosen to host Jewellery Arabia?
Bahrain is a natural choice for exhibitions thanks to its friendly people, great hospitality and open business culture. It also has the geographic fortune of being physically connected to the largest market in the GCC – Saudi Arabia. Over 30% of our customers at Jewellery Arabia are from Saudi Arabia.
Jewellery Arabia is what it is today thanks to the support of three things; the generous patronage of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of Bahrain Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the support of the Bahrain government and last but not least the people of Bahrain itself. These elements have contributed towards the success of the exhibition.
How many exhibitors are you expecting this year?
On an annual basis we welcome over 600 exhibitors from more than 30 countries. Demand for space grows every year. To meet demand we build two temporary structures at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre. One structure houses a group of 49 exhibitors from Hong Kong in a specially themed zone, the other structure at the entrance to the exhibition functions as visitor registration and showcases a mixture of companies from Bahrain, Lebanon, India and China amongst others.
Many of our longstanding exhibitors never miss an opportunity to rebook their spot, and will make sure to sign for the next year’s exhibition at least a year in advance.
As a result of direct customer feedback, we are introducing a new value based pricing model for exhibitors in 2018. This exciting new innovation will offer our customers a choice of stand locations that matches their brand strategy and budget.
Are there many local exhibitors participating this year?
We have a large number of Bahraini exhibitors joining us this year. Amongst them are some of the biggest jewellers in Bahrain including Bahrain Jewellery Centre, Asia Jewellers, Al Zain and Kooheji amongst many others. These companies have been loyal and supportive of Jewellery Arabia for many years and take pride of place within the show. This year we are also introducing a Bahraini gold pavilion, coordinated by the GCC Gold and Jewellery Association.
What do you think buyers & traders look for in participating in such an elaborate event?
It really depends upon the customers’ budget and if they are interested in purchasing a particular piece or collection. The choice at Jewellery Arabia is vast.
What are the ways in which the jewellery business in Bahrain has had to adapt in order to maintain its presence within the Kingdom’s economic sector?
It is up to the jewellers to choose to develop. They need to keep up with market trends. Watch makers for example are always producing unique pieces, sometimes with only a variation in size but this helps in sustaining themselves in the market.
When was Jewellery Arabia first set up?
It first began in 1992. This is the 26th edition. My colleagues and myself came up with the concept together. At that time there was a big demand with the younger population for jewellery. It took a lot of hard work and research, and involved a lot of travelling and networking. It’s an investment and Jewellery Arabia is what it is today because of everything that went into it. It’s very close to my heart.
Could you tell BIG about what lessons you took away from the first exhibition?
This exhibition combines two important elements: business to business and business to consumer. When we first started, it was a very small event. The main hall was barely half filled! It took time to develop the show. It came from hard work. For the first five years, we did suffer financial loss, but we kept going. We started visiting international shows and invested in strong marketing strategies and slowly it started to gain some recognition. Jewellers such as Bahrain Jewellery Centre and Asia Jewellers were amongst several who greatly benefited from their continued participation in the exhibition.
Could you elaborate for us on how the digital world has improved or limited the significance of jewellery trade in the Gulf?
The digital world has certainly opened up many doors for the jewellery business, however, people still want to see for themselves exactly what they’re buying. From a marketing perspective it has been very successful because people often do ask after certain pieces they have come across online. It’s a source of media and we have to adapt.
Are they any foreseeable changes expected for Jewellery Arabia in the near future? Any new investments perhaps?
We are very optimistic and are looking forward to the opening of the new exhibition centre, which we have been told will be built near the Bahrain International Circuit. It is a 100,000 square metre centre and will provide us with exciting opportunities for future growth and innovations. It will be an incredible venue for the variety of events and exhibitions held in Bahrain.
We have also hosted a couple of shows in Kuwait and are currently preparing for the next one. This has encouraged many local jewellers to grow their businesses.
Can you share some of the highlights of this year’s event?
We are hoping for a successful and entertaining exhibition, we would also like to thank the government authorities for their support and His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Seeing that jewellery is one of the most important industries we have in Bahrain, did you attempt to attract such institutes such as GIA or GIE (Gemmological Institute of America or Gemmology Institute of Europe) to the exhibition.
There will be free seminars hosted by the GIA (the world’s foremost authority in gemmology) during Jewellery Arabia that are open to all visitors.
This year we also welcome a new Bahraini company called Danat, part of Mumtalakat. It’s an institute for gem stones and pearls, they help with certification of, for example diamonds. They are one of our main sponsors and will be providing equipment at their pavilion. In addition, we have received great support from our diverse sponsors such as Bin Faqeeh, Porsche and Credimax.
What is the number of visitors you are aiming for this year?
We expect in excess of 49,000 visitors across 5 days.