October 2008:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2008
AMERICAN GEM SOCIETY TO CELEBRATE 75th ANNIVERSARY AT 2009 CONCLAVE
Event will welcome non-member retailers, feature two-day Supplier Showcase
LAS VEGAS – The American Gem Society announced today it will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2009 by opening its prestigious annual membership gathering, the American Gem Society Conclave, to non-member retailers for the first time.
Conclave, scheduled for April 1-4, 2009, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel, on the city’s downtown Magnificent Mile. In addition to the educational program, there will be notable keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and a special president’s celebration marking the organization’s anniversary.
The 2009 Conclave will also feature a two-day Supplier Showcase that allows American Gem Society suppliers to display and sell their gems and jewelry in an elegant, private setting. “This year we are offering our guests the very best,” said Ruth Batson, executive director and CEO of the Society. “The Supplier Showcase will bring together our industry’s best manufacturers and the best retailers.”
The showcase will conclude with the Society’s popular Fashion Show, which will feature runway models presenting jewelry from the suppliers.
Mark Moeller, president of the American Gem Society, said he expects this year’s Conclave to be the best since the event’s inception in 1937.
“On this milestone anniversary for the American Gem Society, we want to bring our members – and this year, our honored guests – together for an event that will educate and inspire for years to come,” he said.
Further details about Conclave will be released in the coming months. For more information, please contact Evelyn Ramos at 866-805-6500 ext. 1008 or eramos@ags.org.
The American Gem Society, founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley, is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to proven ethics, knowledge, and consumer protection within the jewelry industry. The American Gem Society is the international professional organization awarding credentials of Registered Jeweler (RJ), Registered Supplier (RS), Certified Gemologist (CG), Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA), and Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser (ICGA). Members are held to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry and must pass annual recertification examinations to maintain their American Gem Society titles. Less than five percent of jewelers in the country have met the exacting requirements necessary for membership.
For more information regarding the American Gem Society, please call 866.805.6500, or visit their Web site at www.AmericanGemSociety.org.
