Has everyone in the world watched the Jon Stewart sketch on how two inches of snow brought Atlanta to its knees? Apparently, yes.
The badges issued at the major shows not only show your business name (mine a confusing Full Circle FilmGroup Ltd. from a previous lifetime...) but also your location. And everyone from Krakow to Seattle seemed to zoom in on Atlanta, grin and proceed to ask how I ever managed. (Quite nicely, thank you.)
Now that I have returned to Atlanta just in time for the next snow storm there's time to reflect on the experience known as Tucson:
JCK Tucson - Inaugural Show
Shown above, sunrise at Starr Pass, home to the inaugural JCK show. This show was beautifully (to use the most overused word of the past couple of years...) curated. Care was taken in assembling a great group of designers, manufacturers and suppliers.
The German designer ballroom really felt like you were in a different design universe which was refreshing. I admire their aesthetic and the general attitude of "we really don't care what everyone else is doing."
The show was smaller in scale, making it very manageable and enjoyable. The vibe from vendors, particularly on the ground floor was very positive. A word I kept hearing repeatedly was "comfortable" which I interpreted to mean, not out of control gangbusters, but nicely paced buyers.
No doubt, this show will not remain small. Success breeds success and even though it's bound to be bigger, I hope they retain the feel of discovery without overwhelming the buyers.
AGTA - Sensory Overload
However, when overwhelming is what you want, merely get on the JCK shuttle and head to the AGTA show at the Tucson Convention Center for the finest sensory overload.
Rich. Like a creamy dessert. Best taken in by small, slowly paced bites. I needed two half days to cover it and discovered some wonderful new vendors. Because it was not just the sheer quantity of dealers present, it was the consistently high quality. Booth after booth of the big three: emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Also quite a bit of aqua, tourmaline and Ethiopian opals.
Meeting People
Traveling alone, I assume I will meet people along the way. And Tucson is a great place to meet people. I sat down to breakfast one morning with a Parisian opal dealer who lives in Mexico. Lunch with Italians who migrated out to leave room for a jeweler from Van Cleef and a Swiss jeweler who explained in great detail the apprenticeship system. All very generous with their knowledge. So much to learn just by being present, asking questions and dis-engaging from the ubiquitous screens of our lives.
I missed my cats. I missed my children. Not necessarily in that order.
More to come. And I better get to the grocery store before the next two inches arrive.
