By Kimberly Collins, Kimberly Collins Colored Gems and AGTA board President
Hello, my fellow AGTA members,
We are already in the final quarter of 2023, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed! I hope everyone has a strong finish to a good year in the colored gemstone and cultured Pearl business.
This year has brought many exciting changes for AGTA. The first was our partnership with Rio Grande to sell AGTA-branded and supplied stones. Because sales have been so brisk, AGTA and Rio Grande are working to expand the scope of its relationship.
Regarding AGTA GemFairTM Tucson, the association has continued to increase its footprint with a Grand Ballroom that is turning heads! The number of exhibitors in that space continues to expand with big name brands that want to be part of our amazing show! Meanwhile, the Tucson GemHall has a wait list, and AGTA will even increase its pavilion square footage at the 2024 JCK Las Vegas (AGTA GemFairTM Las Vegas).
Other projects of note include revamping AGTA’s website, which is in the works. AGTA aims to make the site more user friendly, allow easier online payments for memberships and shows, highlight original content from ePrism and Prism, and streamline the Directory to make it faster to find members and the gemstones they sell.
Entries are also pouring in for the 2023 AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge AwardsTM! Judges have been announced, and preparations are underway for judging and Editor’s Day, both of which will take place in a new location in Dallas this fall.
And you may recall from earlier this year that AGTA and the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) entered a strategic partnership to determine best practices within the colored gemstone and cultured Pearl supply chain. Our researchers on the ground have completed some initial fieldwork abroad, and AGTA will have the bulk of the findings ready to share next year. Those attending the upcoming CIBJO Congress 2023 in Jaipur, Oct. 3–5, can have a sneak peek at some observations when AGTA CEO John Ford and I travel to India with Mines’ Jenna White to present at the symposium. AGTA recently rejoined CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, because of the importance of interacting with peers in the international jewelry, gemstone, and precious metals industries.
Finally, some of the most exciting interactions I’ve had this year are talking with so many new members! John mentions AGTA’s membership increases in his CEO letter, while a complete list of all new 2023 members—at press time—can be seen in Member News on page 12.
And to generate even more excitement about AGTA, our marketing team and I just finished shooting a new video campaign in Tucson. (Yes, in the middle of August!) If me flying to southern Arizona in the August heat is what it takes to generate more enthusiasm about the benefits of membership, then I’m happy to sing AGTA’s praises in the sweltering Sonoran Desert!
Wishing you a fabulous fourth quarter!
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