The Plumb Club has confirmed that its retailer-focused learning event, the Symposium, will be held again in 2025 following positive feedback and survey results from the previous event.
The Symposium is scheduled to take place during the week of March 10th at a new location in Manhattan, which will be announced soon.
Survey Results and Feedback
According to a survey conducted by Reed Exhibition, many aspects of the 2024 event received high satisfaction ratings, with the show team, location, keynote, and registration all scoring 90% and above.
Additionally, 76% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the event’s objectives of imparting industry knowledge and learnings through the education conference program. Notably, 89% indicated they were “likely” to “extremely likely” to recommend the Symposium to colleagues within the industry.
Positive Retailer Experiences
Retailers provided affirmative feedback following the event. Bobbi Hansen, director of merchandising at Fred Meyer Jewelers, remarked, “Our team found a lot of value from Symposium ’24. It was a terrific lineup of speakers and something for everyone – sales, marketing, technology, industry insights and more. It was nice to take the time out to invest in learning and networking.”
Brittany Merrill, GMM of merchandising for Helzberg Diamonds, added, “Symposium offered an impressive lineup of sessions featuring high-caliber, engaging speakers on topics confronting the jewelry industry. The diverse range of subjects, covering relevant issues around sustainability, artificial intelligence, and leadership, amongst others, provided an enriching experience, enabling attendees to think about its businesses innovatively outside the typical day-to-day environments.”
Independent retailer Susan Eisen of Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry in Texas shared, “I was amazed by the quality of the speakers. The information we received was top-notch and not your typical jewelry seminar topics. This was world-class learning from people who are entrenched in a variety of different business categories. It opened my eyes to areas that I was unfamiliar with and provided information that I can adapt to my business plans.”
Event Format and Advisory Committee
The 2025 Symposium will see a revised format based on feedback from the previous event. The event will now be a one-day affair with a single track of learning sessions, addressing concerns about the difficulty in choosing between multiple valuable presentations. Additionally, a retailer-based advisory committee is being formed to offer input on presentation content. An infotainment evening event will also be introduced to enhance networking opportunities.
Roger Forman, president of The Plumb Club, stated, “The positive survey results and feedback from retailers influenced the decision to continue with the event for 2025. One of The Plumb Club’s pillars is education of the industry, and it is evident that there is a strong desire for quality learning.”
Registration Information
Retailers interested in participating in the 2025 Symposium should contact info@plumbclub.com for consideration.
