Happy New Year!
The American Gem Society (AGS) celebrates our 90th anniversary in 2024! Over the years, AGS has transformed from an outside-of-the-box vision into a thriving community of passionate and dedicated members. We have so much planned for 2024 and want to share our 2023 AGS Highlights.
Empower: AGS is the source of passion, trust, and professionalism.
- Welcomed 89 new firms to the community—the highest count since 1984
- Net Change of 23 firms, which is in the top four since 1984
- Added 184 new titleholders
- Grow the Community, a print and digital campaign targeting prospective members
- Built awareness of the importance of shopping with an AGS jeweler through our Find a Jeweler search and our website.
- Find a Jeweler grew 87% over 2022
- Our website experienced a 47% increase in the last year
- Partnered with @TheDiamondsGirl, Tracy Ellison, for our annual Find a Jeweler campaign on Instagram.
- Tracey urged her audience of 1.2 million to visit ags.org/findajeweler for their fine jewelry gift-giving needs.
- With the help of our Education Committee, we created talking points for our credentialed sales associates to help them at the sales counter. Click here to download.
- We created a new way to show off your AGS certificate by teaming up with Framing Success. Take advantage of special pricing by clicking here.
Strengthen: AGS members access tools to strengthen their businesses
- We sought ways to connect members so they can solve business solutions together. AGS vets all members—retailers and vendors (supplier and sustaining firms). This saves retailers time and money and ensures they are working with a trusted partner. To enhance this collaboration, we initiated impactful measures:
- Heightened awareness of AGS vendor members at Conclave, showcasing our new vendor ad and spotlighting AGS retailer testimonials on the benefits of collaboration. Affordable table sponsorships further amplified brand visibility.
- Launched the first-ever Find a Vendor Week on the AGS Community page (Instagram), spotlighting products and services from AGS members and driving awareness to the free search tool, ags.org/findavendor.
- There is also the new Vendor Member Spotlight series on Instagram’s AGS Community, which highlights products and services to help our members solve business solutions.
- In the AGS members-only Facebook group, the AGS Retailer SourceHub is a new chat that helps AGS retailers fill sourcing needs quickly.
- In 2023, members visited our free online learning tool, AGS PRO, and downloaded educational content 32,425 times, a 31% increase over 2022. To take advantage of this wonderful benefit, click here.
- Additionally, we expanded our educational content through our publications with an additional 32 pieces from leading subject matter experts inside and outside the industry, like Ford Saeks, Al Gilbertson, CG, Peter Harts, Laryssa Wirstiuk, Victor Antonio, Rhonda Sharff, Duvall O’Steen, and Jen Cullen-Williams.
- The Wells Fargo Financing Fast Track launched at Conclave.
- This program provided retailers with an incentive to attend, as it covered the cost of Conclave and provided important information on the Wells Fargo Financing Program, which can help retail members earn extra money.
Confluence is still available until January 30, 2024, for on-demand high-impact education. Register at ags.org/confluence.
Coming soon! We will be engaging in member feedback initiatives, so we hope you will participate in sharing your thoughts and ideas.
The AGS team is grateful for your ongoing membership, insightful feedback, and commitment to shaping our organization’s future.
With appreciation,
Katherine Bodoh, RJ
CEO, American Gem Society
