Access, the trade organised by the Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ) and sponsored by specialist insurance provider TH March, has been hailed a huge success by those who attended the first edition of the event on Tuesday 3 March.

On the back of its increasingly successful and well-established member-only exhibitions, last year the Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ) announced plans to launch Access, its first ever standalone trade show open to the wider jewellery trade.

This one-day event was open to any bricks-and-mortar retail jewellers in the UK and Ireland, showcasing new collections and products from more than 100 trusted suppliers. More than 80 retailer businesses from the country attended the inaugural show.

Patrick Turner, managing director of the CMJ: “We launched Access because we realised the pressures on suppliers to get in front of retailers were rising and we wanted to make sure that the opportunity remained with the CMJ to support both our own exclusive member-only events as well as widen the prospect of meeting potential new partners at an all-access platform for independent retail.

“We have been overwhelmed by the retailer attendance, which validates our belief that this was a show that was missing from the industry calendar.”

Exhibitors and visitors alike praised the show for creating a much-needed, Midlands-based industry event.

Robert Gilgannon, owner of Charlbeck Jewellers in Corby, visited Access to discover new brands, strengthen relationships with existing suppliers, identify new product categories and plan future buying strategy. On leaving the show, he said: “This was obviously our first time attending and the event was very well organised – we will definitely attend any future shows.”

Louise Shafar, owner of Louise Shafar Ltd in Giffnock, Scotland, praised the “fab selection of suppliers under one roof, not diluted with companies suitable for gift shops”, while Denzil Skinner, owner of Edinburgh’s Denzil Skinner & Partners valued the opportunity “for us to meet the faces behind the companies we buy from, to reinforce relationships and to view and handle their product”, also applauding the show’s range of UK manufacturers and brands.

Exhibitors also commended Access for providing them with high-quality leads, face-to-face conversations with decision makers and tangible commercial opportunities. Paul Eberle, head of wholesale at Georg Jensen, said: “The show has been extremely strong for us – we have had lots of interest from retailers and demand for the brand has been very high. We have met with a lot of potential new retail partners.”

Jonathan Ratner, senior account manager at Henig Diamonds, added: “Access allowed us to meet existing clients that aren’t CMJ members. We also got feedback from non-clients to understand what they like and what they find lacking in our offering. It’s always positive to meet clients you wouldn’t normally have face-to-face interactions with.”

Following Access’ strong debut, the CMJ is now conducting a comprehensive evaluation as part of long-term planning for future editions. Details about future shows will be confirmed in due course.

The CMJ is the largest specialist jewellery and watch buying group in the UK and Ireland. Click here to find out more.