AGTA "On the Road"

At the behest of its Board of Directors, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has been increasing it’s exposure in the industry by traveling to regional shows and conferences to spread the word about the opportunities with colored gemstones and cultured pearls.

In the last month, Douglas K. Hucker, AGTA CEO, and Adam Graham, AGTA Marketing Manager, have spoken at five events including two state JA meetings, the AGS Conclave, the Instore Show and the Stuller Workshop. Several more engagements are booked in the second half of the year.

“There is such an enormous opportunity for jewelers with colored gemstones and cultured pearls,” says Hucker. “We want to give retailers the information, best practices and tools to take advantage of this sector where good margins still exist.”

Each presentation varies based on the individual audience but the core message is the same – make money by selling more color. AGTA shares training tips, resources for color trends, current and upcoming jewelry trends, selling techniques, the state of the market and the latest findings from the AGTA Gemological Testing Center.

“It’s a message that is easy to be passionate about,” states Graham. “We know that with a little training and smart merchandising, along with the tools that we provide, that people can make a significant difference to their bottom line.”

AGTA reports solid membership interest at each of these events. The organization offers a full point-of-sale kit to any new retail member that joins, including a countertop display with twelve sets of gemcards, two varieties of brochures, and a CD with 20 professionally shot gemstone images for use in marketing or web applications. AGTA also includes its educational DVD-Rom from the Tucson GemFair Seminar Program, a $50 value. A new e-learning course is also being developed to be provided free to members.

“AGTA has a message that every jeweler should hear,” says Ruth Ann Lynn, of Hale's Jewelers in Greenville, SC, and President of the South Carolina Jewelers Association. “Going forward, we want to invest money where we have a better return on investment which translates into higher margins and I believe AGTA can help us develop and expand that side of our business with the information and education they provide.”

If you are interested in membership or having AGTA speak at an event or meeting, please email info@agta.org or call 800-972-1162.