Countdown to the NAJ Summit
09 Sep 2021
The National Association of Jewellers is preparing to welcome attendees to its inaugural NAJ Summit on Saturday, September 11, and is reporting excitement and enthusiasm among speakers, attendees and organisers ahead of the three-day long ‘experience’ at the Northamptonshire venue.
Bookings for this weekend’s event have exceeded expectations and plans are already in place for a June 2022 sequel.
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More than 250 attendees are adding their support to the debut event, alongside 150 individuals who are attending the Members’ Gala Dinner on the evening of Sunday, September 12. The Institute of Registered Valuers’ Conference and the Retail Jewellers’ Congress, hosted by the NAJ JET Business Network, are also expected to be some of the best attended in recent years.
NAJ President, David Doyle, says,
“It’s finally here! We can’t wait to throw open the doors and welcome attendees from across the trade. The Summit is an important opportunity for the jewellery sector to reengage and find new focus after a difficult 18-months. There’s no denying the power of live events and we are confident that this will set a precedent for future NAJ in-person conferences and networking events.”
Announcing the news on LinkedIn, Doyle has also confirmed the NAJ Summit will return in June 2022 with dates to follow.
He says,
“We are playing the long game with our Summit. Our Industry is in desperate need of a more personal and focused event where our trade can meet, educate, be educated, buy, sell, network and enjoy one another’s company and exchange ideas. We will return in June 2022 for our next one having learned lessons from organising this very first one! So, bear with us, and we promise you this is the beginnings of a real Industry stalwart in terms of us all getting together. Our sincere thanks to all of our sponsors, speakers, and supporters.”
In the few remaining days before the 2021 event, final tweaks are being made to the line-up of speakers and fresh content is being added due to popular demand. Beaverbrooks’ Head of People Engagement, Amanda Simon, and Recruitment and Training Manager, Steven Blake, will be in attendance fresh off their win at the UK Jewellery Awards 2021 in the Employer of the Year category.
Elsewhere, Lisa Levinson, Head of Marketing and Communications at the Natural Diamond Council, has also been added to the Sunday afternoon schedule.
A range of workshops and presentations, especially those concerning laboratory-grown diamonds, are already proving extremely popular.
“There are close to 50 speakers sharing their insights at the NAJ Summit and those who organise their visit ahead of time will be the ones who get the absolute most out of it,” explains Ben Massey, Head of Marketing at the NAJ.
IRV Administrator, Sandra Page, says,
“I’m delighted to see so many new faces will be attending this year, particularly the Valuers’ Conference workshops and masterclasses. This will show those who don’t know much about the Institute just how professional we are and hopefully encourage some to take the path to becoming a Member of the NAJ’s Institute of Registered Valuers.”
What events will be held at this year's NAJ Summit?
The NAJ Summit brings many of the NAJ’s most successful events under one roof for the first time, including the Institute of Registered Valuers’ Conference, hosted across all three days, and the NAJ JET Business Network’s Retail Jewellers’ Congress, which takes place on Monday, September 13 only.
Across all three days of the Summit there will be speakers, round tables, opportunities for private meetings and the Suppliers’ Showcase, featuring the likes of Hockley Mint, Ntinga, CW Sellors, Clarity Jewellery, Cadfolio, Fei Liu, GVUK Design, Code by Edge, Mireya, Lucy Quatermaine, Goodman Bros., Ruppenthal, LBJ Jewellery, Angel Whisperer, TI SENTO – Milano and Headline Sponsor, Continental UK.
There will also be opportunities for students, retail sales professionals and those new to the trade to learn more and make connections that will enhance their future careers.
Where will the NAJ Summit be held?
The NAJ Summit will take place at the De Vere Staverton Estate in Northampton, which offers a leisure club, spa and 18-hole golf course. It is conveniently located for UK business owners and within easy access of the M1, Birmingham Airport and West Coast Mainline, with a journey from London Euston to the venue taking just over 60 minutes.
Download the NAJ Summit Brochure
View the NAJ Summit
Source: The NAJ