9 Sessions to Educate at JA New York Summer

New York--Debunking millennial myths and swapping ideas about margins and the direction of retail are just a few of the sessions on tap for the upcoming JA New York Summer show.

Produced by Jewelers of America and sponsored by Synchrony Financial, the show’s education program will take place on Sunday, July 24, and Monday, July 25. They are free to attend.

Kicking it off will be Ben Smithee, who will give a millennial-focused presentation titled “Enough Already! Why You’re Sick of the Millennial Madness & Why Most of What You Know Is Probably Wrong.”

In his talk, Smithee will explain what really matters for businesses that want to be successful today, how to attract the consumers of today and tomorrow, and why a lot of what people say about millennials is actually wrong.

“Enough Already!” is scheduled to take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

In addition to Smithee’s talk and sessions on natural color diamonds, marketing analysis, legislative advocacy, social media, online connections and the bridal market, JA has organized two knowledge-sharing sessions in which audience participation will be the core of the discussion.

“Boosting Your Margins” is scheduled to take place Sunday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., while “What Will Become of Retail Jewelry Stores,” a discussion led by National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff and columnist Peter Smith, is scheduled for 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

In that session, Smith will take questions from the audience about his über-popular series of articles published on NationalJeweler.com.

To see the full schedule for the education sessions or to register for JA New York Summer, visit the show’s website.

The JA New York Summer show runs Sunday, July 24, through Tuesday, July 26, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

In addition to producing the education program, JA will offer its Sales and Management Professional Certification exams onsite at the show.

The exams will take place between 10 a.m. and noon on July 24 and 25 in room 4A3 in the Javits Center. The tests take two hours and are $55 for JA members and $75 for non-members. Those who register in advance will receive a $10 discount.

JA also announced that as a benefit of membership, its retail members are pre-registered to attend the show as buyers, and that it is offering a buyer discount program that allows members to save via discounts from participating exhibitors.