IWJG February 2013 Orlando Show Report

How about that IWJG Orlando February 2013 show!

As usual, by the time the IWJG and its membership gets through a very busy January/February and finishes Orlando, everyone is tired. It's a long two months. Orlando is no different. Most all of our membership looked a little road weary. In spite of that, the fact is that Orlando is a good show that attracts a lot of dealers from the Southeast that attend few other Watch and Jewelry Shows. Monday morning started off slow (more like a Las Vegas Monday morning instead of Orlando). By 10:30AM, a buzz started filling the room and the rest of Monday was busy. Tuesday also started off slow but by Tuesday evening (closing), many members reported good shows. We had two off-site meetings on Tuesday and did not get around to as many members as we normally do, but this is what we heard. Tom Malani reported in with a good show. Natilio Saks had a good show. Viken Verghoudian reported in with a good show. Effie Rothschild from New Orleans had a good show. Sonny Dowan had a good show. Byron Eder and John Brozek had good shows. Arthur Zarsky and Gabe Gonzales reported in with a great show, as did Steve Fishman and Newton Ng. Alfonso Valencia reported that his show was a little soft. Doug Gruenberg said "decent show... I made money." Jim Alterman said, "not great but an okay show." Ken Jacobs and Keith LeClaric both reported in with decent shows that exceeded their expectations. Houston Dealer Mark Nance said, "I had a pretty good show." Marco Damm had a very good Monday, a little soft Tuesday but overall a decent show. Eddie Kurayev reported in a good show. Jeff Cohen has a good show. Michael Pollicino had a good show. Robert Beggs rated Orlando as a good show. Maricela Reyes had a good show. Joe Demasy reports a "good Orlando show." Temuri Nankashvili said, "I had a good show but it didn't just fall into my lap, I had to work for it." Fred Hakimian had a great show. Ron Gewiniger has a big smile on his face as he reported in a very good show... and last but not least Joe Akar reported "Thank God we had a great Orlando show."

What does all this mean? Without oversimplifying, the dealers with the right merchandise at the right prices were selling merchandise. The dealers that were looking to buy merchandise at fair prices were buying merchandise. We know that it gets old, but our business is almost a commodity business and the market changes quickly. The dealers that recognize the state of the market and adapt to it (either buying or selling) usually leave with a good show. Not always a home run, but a good, decent, profitable show. Our dealers that tend to fight the market also tend to feel a little beaten up. You all know this business well. There are simply different approaches for our marketplace. If you choose to stand your ground and fight the marketplace, you can probably find a little higher pricing in time. If you flow with the market, you might not have quite the percentages of profit, but you will have cash flow and your inventory remains fresh. Either way you choose is okay with us but it will effect your results at any given show.

We want each of you to be the most successful watch and jewelry dealers in the world. Our job is to put on a safe, secure event for you to do business in. Always let us know how we can better serve you and if we can help in anyway, it will be our pleasure.

About the International Watch and Jewelry Guild (IWJG)
Since 1985, the IWJG has been conducting 12 to 14 annual cash and carry trade show events throughout the US. The members only shows are supported by over 8,200 of the world's foremost professional watch and jewelry dealers from 75 countries. The IWJG members and shows stake claim to hundreds of millions of dollars in watch and jewelry inventory. For general questions or information on becoming a member visit our website at www.iwjg.com or call us toll free at 800-554-4992. You can also visit us on Facebook at http://www.iwjg.net/facebook for more information or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/iwjg.