Confusion dulls gem, jewellery fair lustre

Confusion dulls gem, jewellery fair lustre

State agency, trade body clash over hosting

Visitors queue up to enter the 57th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair held in February at Impact Muang Thong Thani. The Commerce Ministry’s decision to hold the biannual event itself has caused conflict with private organisers. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD
Visitors queue up to enter the 57th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair held in February at Impact Muang Thong Thani. The Commerce Ministry’s decision to hold the biannual event itself has caused conflict with private organisers. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

Thailand's prestigious gem and jewellery fair is in disarray with both a state agency and private association claiming they will hold the event on the same day and at the same venue.

The International Trade Promotion Department said late last month it would host the 58th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair from Sept 7-11 at Impact Muang Thong Thani.

But the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association, which had held the franchise to organise the event for more than 10 years, said yesterday it would also hold the fair on the same dates and at the same venue under the banner "Thailand Gems & Jewelry Fair 2016".

Suttipong Damrongsakul, president of the association, said it had held the fair since 1999 and saw it as essential to continue holding the event as planned to maintain confidence among domestic and foreign buyers.

More importantly, he said, 500 companies with a combined 1,570 booths had registered for the event, while the association had gone to great lengths to promote the fair.

He also claimed the association had already spoken with the exhibition centre's operator for space bookings.

However, Chantira Jimreivat Vivatrat, deputy director-general for the International Trade Promotion Department, said the department had received a confirmation letter for space bookings from Impact Exhibition Management Co, the Impact Arena and Impact Exhibition and Convention Center's operator, to take part in the event.

According to an industry source, there were no confirmed bookings for space at Impact from the private association, adding that only the International Trade Promotion Department was booked to hold the fair from Sept 7-11.

Ms Chantira said the private association is eligible to hold the fair on the same day and at the same venue, though it would be up to each exhibitor to participate in the fair that best serves their business.

She also said that despite the furore, which had led to speculation that the fair might be postponed, the department was committed to hosting the 58th edition of the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair as scheduled.

The department is now in the process of calling a meeting with all relevant private associations to go through with holding the event to keep the concept intact and bolster the government's efforts to promote Thailand as a manufacturing and trade centre for the industry.

The department also intends to cut the 50,000 baht per booth charge for exhibitors by 25%.

The industry source said the department's hosting of the event would help implement changes at the fair.

Over the past three years, the number of visitors and foreign buyers at the fair have dropped significantly, the source said, adding that the organiser had blamed the decline in visitors and sales on the poor economy.

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