WJA announces In the Know lineup

New York--Consumer trends, the bridal industry and leadership are among the topics that will be covered at the Women’s Jewelry Association’s annual In the Know conference next month.

In the Know will take place on March 10 at Convene at 730 Third Ave. in New York. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. on the eighth floor of the building.

At 9 a.m., keynote speaker Gretchen Rubin will present The Happiness Project: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean my Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. Rubin is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project, and her session will be followed by a book signing of her newest publication, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives.

At 11 a.m., Laura Freedman, owner of jewelry business Broken English, will address Inside the Designers Studio: A Unique Retail and Design Relationship with designer Pamela Love, whose jewelry is carried in the stores.

Two breakout sessions will be offered during lunch: one-on-one mentoring with Cindy Edelstein of the Jeweler’s Resource Bureau, and Talent is the Key to a Thriving Business with Erika Weinstein, CEO of eTeam Executive Search.

Marcy A. McGinnis, a former vice president of CBS News, will present the second keynote at 1 p.m. titled The Power of Women: Leading with Ease.

At 1:45 p.m., Smart Work Media Senior Editor Tanya Dukes will moderate Do You? The State of Affairs in the Bridal Industry, with panelists Maeve Gillies of MaeVona, Editor Amanda Elser of The Knot and Jenny Luker, president of the Platinum Guild International.

Trends forecaster Britt Bivens, owner of consulting venture Ace of Swords, will discuss coming consumer trends at 3 p.m. Bivens has worked with Movado and Swarovski, and teaches trends at Parsons, The New School for Design in New York.

Closing the conference will be Rent the Runway CEO Jennifer Hyman, who will present The Material Economy versus the Experimental Economy. Hyman is a co-founder of Rent the Runway, and was named among Fortune’s “Trailblazers: 11 People who are Changing Business” and Forbes’ “Most Disruptive Names in Business. Fast Company also included her in its “Most Influential Women in Technology.”

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Following the conference, WJA will host its In the Spotlight event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the