MJSA, the association dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design, will present its second annual MJSA ConFab conference Nov. 3 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
Offering a full-day of “profit lessons” for jewelry makers and designers, MJSA ConFab features some of the industry’s top designers, marketers, contractors, and consultants, offering insights that get to the heart of what it takes to run a successful business. Among the topics and presenters for the 2013 conference:
• In “Creating Your Own Niche,” Andrea Hill—current president of the StrategyWerx consulting firm and former CEO of Rio Grande—will demonstrate how to identify market opportunities and develop a unique brand that appeals to those prospective customers. The session will feature special guest appearances by renowned designers Lisa Jenks, Alex Woo, and Jessica Kagan Cushman, all of whom will discuss their own experiences with niche marketing.
• Andrea Hill will also present “Sales Skills for the Selling-Challenged,” in which attendees will take part in a series of games that demonstrate how to describe a product’s selling points powerfully, and match those selling points to prospects’ needs.
• Ted Doudak of Riva Precision Manufacturing and Daniel Grandi of RaceCar Jewelry Co. will face off in “Can You Make This? Subcontracting Made Simple.” Moderated by Peggy Jo Donahue, director of public affairs at MJSA, the two experienced jewelry makers will answer questions on everything from choosing a subcontractor to understanding technical challenges and communicating expectations clearly.
• Designer Lisa Jenks, famed for her sterling creations, and Scott and Minter Richter, whose custom design firm specializes in titanium rings, will talk about“Maintaining Margins When Creating Designs in Low-Cost Metals.” MJSA Journal Editor in Chief Tina Wojtkielo Snyder will moderate the discussion.
• Cindy Edelstein, “The Jewelry Biz Guru,” will host “Creating a Digital Marketing Plan.” Guests Eugene Brill, director of marketing for the Jewelry.com division at the Richline Group; Matthew A Perosi, founder of the Jeweler Website Advisory Group (jWAG); and Peggy Jo Donahue, who manages MJSA’s social networking, will discuss how to integrate all aspects of a business’s online activities—website, e-newsletters, blog, social media efforts, etc.—into a cohesive presence that sends a powerful message to current and prospective customers.
The day will end with the ConFab Connect, in which attendees will have the chance to speak with the presenters and sponsors face-to-face, and network with each other.
The $125 registration fee also includes full access to the ConFab Online Extras, a collection of articles, videos and other resources exclusive to ConFab attendees.
MJSA ConFab is sponsored by the MJSA Education Foundation (Prime Sponsor), Richline Group (Benefactor), Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, Riva Precision Manufacturing, Rio Grande, and Cindy Edelstein, the Jewelry Biz Guru.
For more information or to register, go to MJSA.org or e-mail .
