Initiatives in Arts and Culture (IAC) Announces The Agenda for 7th Annual Gold Conference

Initiatives in Art and Culture’s Seventh Annual Gold Conference Agenda:


Wednesday, April 26, 2017
6:00–8:00 p.m. Kick-Off Reception and Viewing, Reinstein/Ross, Goldsmiths
Downtown Store and Gallery, 30 Gansevoort Street
(Remarks by Andrew Schloss, Creative Directive, Reinstein/Ross, Goldsmiths)


Thursday, April 27, 2017
Location: sessions take place at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave.

9:30 – 10:15 a.m. “Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World,” Aja Raden author, Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World in conversation with Michelle Graff, Editor in Chief, National Jeweler.

10:20 – 11:05 a.m. “The Golden Menagerie: A Creative Journey,” a presentation by Jewelry Designer Temple St. Clair.

11:20 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. “Cutting Through the Noise: Differentiating Between Editorial and Advertorial in Social Media,” a panel presentation with Barbara Palumbo, Founder, adornmentality.com; Mark Smelzer, Publisher, JCK magazine and JCKonline.com; Trace Shelton, Editor in Chief, INSTORE Magazine; Monica Stephenson, Founder, idazzle; moderated by Peggy Jo Donahue, Owner, Donahue Communications.

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. “Transforming Retail,” a conversation with Andrea Hansen, Founder, LuxeIntelligence; Jim Tuttle, Founder and President, Green Lake Jewelry Works; and Mickey Alam Khan, Founder and Editor in Chief, Luxury Daily.

2:15 – 3:05 p.m. “Technological Alchemy: Alloys, Refining, and Other Transformations of Gold,” a panel presentation with Ted Doudak, Founder and CEO, Riva Precision Manufacturing, Inc.; Linus Drogs, Owner and President, AU Enterprises; Lindsey Rubin, Corporate Secretary, Republic Metals Corporation; Stewart Grice, Vice President, Mill Products, Hoover & Strong; moderated by Andrea Hill, Founder and CEO, Hill Management Group, LLC.

3:10 – 4:00 p.m. “New Models: Contemporary Collaborations and Collectives,” a panel presentation with Simon Alcantara, Jewelry Designer; Dean Harris, Jewelry Designer; Kara Ross, Jewelry and Accessories Designer; Nicholas Varney, Jewelry Designer; moderated by Victoria Gomelsky, Editor in Chief, JCK.

4:15 – 5:15 p.m. “Where Are We Now: The Journey Toward Ethical Sourcing, Transparency, and Responsible Practice,” a panel presentation with Cecilia Gardner, independent consultant, and General Counsel and Director, U.S. Kimberley Process Authority Institute; Stewart Grice, Vice President, Mill Products, Hoover & Strong; Sasha Lezhnev, Associate Director of Policy, Enough Project; Christina Miller, Industry Consultant; Elizabeth Orlando, Economic Officer, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Office of Threat Finance and Countermeasures, US Department of State; Toby Pomeroy, Jewelry Designer; Rob Bates, moderated by Senior Editor, JCK.

5:30 PM–7:00 PM Reception and Viewing at Aaron Faber Gallery, 666 Fifth Avenue


Friday, April 28, 2017
Location: sessions take place at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave.

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. “Inspirations for 2018: Consumer Culture and Product Direction,” a presentation by Paola De Luca, Founder, The Futurist Ltd.

10:05 – 10:55 a.m. “Heritage, Traditional Methods, and New World Education: Goldsmith's Hall and Goldsmith's Center – Bringing Jewelers Into the 21st Century,” a presentation by David Mills, Director of Communications and Marketing, Goldsmiths’ Company.

11:10 – 11:55 a.m. “Nectar: A Collaborative Project in Gold Between Atelier Zobel and the Max-Plank Institute of Ornithology,” Peter Schmid, Owner and Creative Director, Atelier Zobel, and Sue Schmid, Manager, Atelier Zobel.

12:00 – 12:50 p.m. “Regulatory Restrictions: Advocacy for and by Jewelers, Retailers, and Manufacturers,” Linus Drogs, Owner and President, AU Enterprises; Mark Hanna, Chief Marketing Officer, Richline Group, Inc.; Susan Thea Posnock, Director of Public Affairs and Education, Jewelers of America; Sarah Yood, Senior Counsel, Jewelers Vigilance Committee; moderated by Peggy Jo Donahue, Owner, Donahue Communications.

2:00 – 2:55 p.m. “Story Telling: The Importance of Narrative in Today's Jewelry Market,” Wendy Brandes, Jewelry Designer; Brandee Dallow, Director, North America Representative Office—Diamonds Sales and Marketing, Rio Tinto; Orin J. Mazzoni, III, Director, “Sharing the Rough;” Melissa Quick President, Steve Quick Jeweler; Steve Quick, CEO and Founder, Steve Quick Jeweler; Trace Shelton, Editor in Chief, INSTORE Magazine; moderated by Andrea Hill, Founder and CEO, Hill Management Group, LLC.

3:00 – 3:45 p.m. “Alchemy, Dreams, and Gold: A Magical History Tour,” a presentation by Jack Ogden, Jewelry Historian and Industry Consultant.

4:00 – 4:45 p.m. “Strategies for Preserving Multi-Generational Businesses,” a panel presentation with Lita Asscher, President, Royal Asscher of America; Blair Lauren Brown, Jewelry Designer; Jean Z. Poh, Founder and CEO, Swoonery; Andrew Slesinger, Owner, Rough Diamond World; moderated by Brett Barton, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

4:45 – 5:30 p.m. “The Transformational Power of Jewelry,” a conversation with Pippa Small, Jewelry Designer, and Christina Miller, Industry Consultant.