FACETS to showcase Sri Lanka’s gem, jewellery industry
Ruzaik FAROOK
Sri Lanka’s only international gem and jewellery show FACETS Sri
Lanka 2011 will be held from 8-12 September at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Memorial Exhibition Centre in Colombo for the 21st consecutive year.
Some Sri Lankan jewellery products |
FACETS Sri Lanka is organized by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery
Association (SLGJA) with the objective of showcasing Sri Lanka’s gem and
jewellery products to the global market and to communicate Sri Lanka’s
position as a leading supplier of gems and jewellery to the
international market.
SLGJA Chairman Macky Hashim said, “This has been organized following
other international exhibitions in the region and will facilitate
participants from around the world. The exhibition will provide ample
opportunities to the local trading community to display their products
to international markets.”
FACETS Sri Lanka Chairman Chanaka Ellawala said, “As an emerging
economy, Sri Lanka is looking forward to expand its trade ties with the
South Asian region particularly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. FACETS
offers the perfect platform for this. There are minimal opportunities
for local industry to showcase our products within these countries.
Having FACETS Sri Lanka is a unique opportunity for the gem and
jewellery industry stakeholders in neighbouring countries to view and
buy our products. This is a huge opportunity to develop trade with our
neighbours.”
Organizers target 7,500 visitors and 140 to 150 exhibitors for this
year’s show. Out of this they expect 1,000 foreign visitors and 20
foreign exhibitors for FACETS Sri Lanka 2011. Thirteen foreign
exhibitors from India, Myanmar, Thailand and Hong Kong have already
registered for the show.
The country’s main markets, Europe and the US are recovering from a
recession. FACETS organizers predict a strong presence of buyers from
these markets as well as countries such as China and Russia with active
promotion of trade to these countries.
Promising to be even bigger and better FACETS Sri Lanka will have two
large exhibition halls in this year’s show.
The main hall will display precious and semiprecious gems and the
second hall will be exclusively dedicated to Jewellery, lapidary and
machinery items to meet the expectations of all the stakeholders in the
industry.
FACETS is well-known among the global gem industry, particularly in
the US, Europe and Japan as the only international gem and jewellery
exhibition in Sri Lanka.
SLGJA is now trying to promote the show more in BRIC countries too.
Since its commencement in 1991 FACETS has made a significant
contribution to the development of the local gem and jewellery industry.
The show was able to put Sri Lanka on the international Gem and
Jewellery trade map as a main producing and sourcing country.
FACETS have also been instrumental in opening new markets such as
China and Russia for Sri Lanka. The National Gem and Jewellery Authority
is the principal sponsor and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board is
the sponsor of the show.
The Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) was declared and
recognized as the apex trade association representing the gem and
jewellery industry of Sri Lanka in the 2003 budget of the Sri Lanka
Government. |