TUCSON ADVERTISING
Thanks for the approx 20 people who emailed or called me about advertising in the Tucson show guide. There was a variety of views with half wanting the Australian opal trail and half not wanting it. The general view was that most people wanted to see something advertised. Many views where based on members own business situations which is understandable. How ever the Opal association role is to promote Australian opal as much as possible with a limited budget.
As the deadline is close we have agreed to a one page add in the Tucson show guide and it may be a captains call for content but I will send out a layout to all members before hand. After 25 years of doing shows I no longer do any so my focus is on promoting Australian opal.
For those members showing in Tucson this year please for ward your booth number and locations! We hope to include these in the add.
INCOLOUR MAGAZINE
This magazine is put out by the International coloured stone association with a circulation of app 60,000 magazines. It is one of the best magazines for the jewellery world with many in depth articles. There is a opportunity to advertise in there magazine in an opal section for Tucson and 3 other issues a year. We have committed to a one page add for Tucson and at our next meeting which will be in Sydney we can discuss our strategy for advertising for the year. The magazine will be expanding with app 3000 copies sent to leading jewellers in Australia and we understand 3000 copies translated to Chinese also. This would also be ideal for advertising at the Hong Kong show also.
Our association has $28,000 in the bank-not a lot but we can start a program of advertising paid for by the association. I recently went to the facets show in Colombo and I was shocked by the large number of Chinese buyers there. Some were locals working in the construction industry acting as middle men and business seed brick. Sri Lanka and China does have a special trade agreement which helps the gem industry.
Many of our members are concerned to loosing customers if they were encouraged to come to Australia but can you imagine if we bought more buyers in you may loose a client but pick up 3 more.
Should we consider offering Chinese buyers a rebate from the opal association if they buy of our members so we don’t encourage junket trips but encourage more buyers to visit Australia or even Hong Kong? Only food for thought!
FACEBOOK SUCCESS.
One of our members Broken river mining did a great video of cutting open a boulder “one of our favorite 2016 moments.” Check it out on face book as it has nearly 10 million hits! We should all be doing something like this as it helps your business and also the opal industry.
Our next meeting will be in Sydney with the date tba.
Kind Regards
Paul Sedawie
President of the Opal Association
Po Box 323
Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
Australia
0407 577 545