The ninth edition of GemGenève ended on Sunday evening on an especially high note. Over the course of five days, the show – unlike any other at international level and open to the general public – transformed Palexpo Halls 1 and 2 into nothing less than a shrine to jewellery. First held in 2018 at the instigation of Ronny Totah and Thomas Faerber and encompassing both commercial and cultural aspects, the latest edition of the event welcomed over 4,970 visitors, with 7,259 admissions in all over five days (including the preview) – the highest numbers in its history. “That’s a 34% increase on May 2024” explains GemGenève co-founder Ronny Totah.
The latest edition of the show brought together visitors of more than one hundred nationalities, dissolving the boundaries between Geneva and the rest of the world for the duration of the event. By way of comparison, the previous attendance record set at the May 2023 edition stood at 4,320 visitors, with a total of 6,487 admissions. The ninth edition thus saw 12% more visitor traffic than the previous record.
Year on year, the importance of the role played by GemGenève in its market stands out. It’s an unmissable event whose value resides in its diversity and its ability to bring stakeholders together. Claude Membrez, Managing Director, Palexpo
GEMGENÈVE, BRINGING TOGETHER JEWELLERY INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS
Thomas Faerber and I are delighted that the event we devised seven years ago is alive, well, and keeping in step with the times whilst remaining true to its original aim of providing the best possible environment for dealers and traders from all over the world. Ronny Totah, Co-founder of GemGenève
GemGenève is an international fixture, eagerly awaited all year long by collectors and professionals the world over; not only did the latest edition enchant an increasingly diverse range of visitors, it also defied predictions of a slowdown in the market. The ninth edition of the tradeshow has proved that demand for outstanding gemstones and jewellery items remains high despite a less buoyant economic environment, with Geneva emerging as a key marketplace in the jewellery industry. This edition has been an especially good one in terms of the number and calibre of transactions.
The event’s organisers successfully won over the most demanding of professionals with deliberately understated stands, luxury conciergerie services and flawless lighting tailored to each variety of gemstone, all contributing to ideal conditions for exhibitors – and the unique atmosphere of calm and efficiency that defines the GemGenève ethos.
As Ronny Totah recognised during the opening ceremony, “bringing together the best part of 250 exhibitors representing nearly 30 nationalities and almost every religion in the world to work side by side for five days in a unique environment where harmony and brotherhood reign supreme” was no mean feat – one that GemGenève’s organisers rose to with panache. For one hundred and twenty hours, dealers, traders, buyers, collectors, laboratories, colleges and students, designers and artists, carriers and other logistics partners, cultural institutions and museums, craftspeople, jewellery historians, specialist bookshops and scientists formed a united community committed to the promotion of jewellery arts.
Over and above its vocation as a tradeshow, by connecting professionals already established in the industry with newcomers our ninth edition really did serve as “an opportunity to hand the keys over to a new generation.” Ronny Totah, Co-founder of GemGenève