As diamond and jewelry industry leaders prepare to gather in Panama on March 17 and 18 for the official launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, Latin America's first dedicated trading hub for the diamond, colored gemstone and jewelry industries, registration for the event will close on March 13, according to the organizer of the event, the Panama Diamond Exchange.
Among the industry leaders who have confirmed that they will attend are Eli Izhakoff, Hon. President, World Federation of Diamond Bourses, World Diamond Council; Ernest Blom, President, World Federation of the Diamond Bourses; Gaetano Cavalieri, President, CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation; Avi Paz, President, World Diamond Council; Maxim Shkadov, President, International Diamond Manufacturers Association; Reuven Kaufman, President , Diamond Dealers Club of New York; Ronnie Vanderlinden, President, Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of the United States; Jeffrey H. Fischer, Hon. President, International Diamond Manufacturers Association, Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of America; Alex Popov, President, Moscow Diamond Bourse; Mehul Shah, President, Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association (IDCA); and Cecilia Gardner, President and CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee in the United States.
The two-day event in Panama will spotlight the $200 million Panama Gem & Jewelry Center project, which will be the first dedicated facility for the diamond, jewelry and colored stone trades in the region that includes South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The guest of honor at the launch will be President Ricardo Martinelli, Panama's head of state.
The launch is attracting strong interest from the international diamond industry, including representatives of several of the world's largest companies. Many of them will participate in a special B2B networking event on May 17, organised by DiamondRoadShows.com, which will match members of the international trade with representatives of jewelry companies from Latin America.
"This well may be a defining moment for our industry," stated Eli Izhakoff. "The Latin American jewelry market, which already is worth about $8 billion per annum, is set to explode, and the main access point to it and its primary trading hub will be the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center."
"Participants at the launch in Panama are going to be overwhelmed by the size and scope of the project," stated Diego Vallarino Lewis, VP of Real Estate Development for Grupo Verde Azul, which together with Grupo Los Pueblos, are the two major Panamanian property development and management companies developing the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center. "It will be a world-class facility, the only one of its kind in the entire region, which will provide the required infrastructure to potentiate the growth of the jewelry markets in Latin America."
"Demand for places at the launch is very strong," stated Erez Akerman, President of the Panama Diamond Exchange. "With our cutoff date just one week away, I urge people to register online, and to book hotels room via our dedicated website. They are already in short supply."
Tatiana Alexandrova, Rough&Polished, Moscow
