The Portland Jewelry Symposium Attracts Record Attendance

Portland, Oregon—November 1, 2010—Custom jewelry’s increasing popularity was very evident at the 3rd Annual Portland Jewelry Symposium held at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon on October 25th. “Custom Jewelry is really having its coming of age in the digital era”, noted the Symposium’s Founder, Teresa Fryé. “Today’s consumer has come to expect something uniquely personal in fine jewelry, and technology has now made it possible for a broad range of retailers to offer the custom choice.”

The one-day educational event hosted eight speakers presenting topics tailored to custom retailers including CAD/CAM, Small Business Management, Bench Techniques, Alternative Metals, and more. Nearly 100 people were in attendance, almost doubling the turnout from last year.

“With the variety of new tools available today, companies have a cost effective way to quickly deliver a custom and personalized piece of jewelry to the consumer, says attendee Michael Buczala, CAD/CAM Manager at Perrywinkle’s in Burlington, Vermont. “It was exciting to see the wide range of different approaches that companies and designers are using to achieve this. I don’t think I have seen as much pertinent information in one place at the same time before. This was really a fantastic event.”

The experience was unique in that it provided for a great deal of open exchange between speakers and attendees. “I noted many new ideas, from Janice Mack’s Clienteling discussion, to Joel McFadden’s setting and bench discussion, to Lisa Krikawa’s very informative presentation on selling Custom via the web, says Jim Tuttle, owner of Greenlake Jewelry Works in Seattle, Washington. “I also felt like I learned as much during Q&A as during the actual presentations.”

Sponsorship was also at record highs with generous contributions from Rio Grande, Stuller, Platinum Guild, Johnson Matthey, TechForm, David H. Fell, Envisiontec, and many others. Mark Danks, Sales and Marketing Manager for Johnson Matthey’s New York office commented, "Presentations were packed with lots of great business and technical info for anyone involved in custom. Also excellent as a networking opportunity, Portland Jewelry Symposium encouraged attendees to really ask the questions and debate the issues that would make a difference to their own businesses."

For more information about the Portland Jewelry Symposium you can visit their website,
www.portlandjewelrysymposium.com or send your inquiries to the contact below.

Teresa Frye
info@portlandjewelrysymposium.com
Phone: 503.652.5224