The Australian Opal Exhibition has celebrated its 20th anniversary in style, with leading opal miners and wholesales gathering with retailers for two busy days of trade.
Visitors and exhibitors embraced a new venue this year, heading to Southport Sharks in Queensland.
The event was well-attended with approximately 300 visitors across the two days. Coordinator Maxine O’Brien said the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“There was a definite buzz in the room on the opening day. The feedback has been so positive, that there is now a waiting list for exhibitor spaces for next year,” she told Jeweller.
“We are investigating the possibility of creating additional booths. There were two major initiatives introduced this year, being the change of venue and holding the exhibition one day earlier than usual. Both of these were well received by visitors and exhibitors alike.”
For those familiar with the industry, the success of this event should come as no surprise.
Opal sourced from NSW, Queensland, and South Australia is in high demand abroad, particularly in Asia, and has proven popular with buyers at major international trade shows.
O’Brien said that more and more retailers are embracing jewellery for a variety of reasons – whether it be because of the natural beauty of the gemstone, or the ‘homegrown’ appeal of jewellery sourced from Australia.
“The visitors that I spoke with who had not previously attended were very impressed with the selection of Australian opal and opal jewellery,” she said.
“The astonishing beauty of Australian opal never ceases to amaze. Anecdotal evidence suggests there was strong trading, which was evidenced by the bookings for 2024.”
According to many members of the trade, one of the most significant challenges faced moving forward will be the ageing demographics of the opal mining workforce.
O’Brien said that one of the most pleasing aspects of the exhibition was to see so many people taking part for the first time.
“There were a number of space options available to exhibitors from a trestle or table all the way up to a premium booth, and there were a number of new exhibitors this year,” she said.
“Not only have the vast majority of new and previous exhibitors booked for 2024, many have upgraded their space option.”
She added: “While business is the most important aspect of the Australian Opal Exhibition, the social side cannot be overlooked! The opal family loves to get together and this is the one event where Australian opal miners, dealers and retailers can get together and catch-up.”
The Australian Opal Exhibition will return to Southport Sharks in 2024, scheduled to begin on 31 July.
More reading
The Opal Sensation: Examining the rising love for opal jewellery abroad
20th Australian Opal Exhibition – Exhibitor Directory
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