CIBJO Postpones Annual Congress to 2021

RAPAPORT... The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) has shelved its 2020 congress due to the coronavirus pandemic.The event, which was originally scheduled for October 5 to 7 in Dubai, will instead take place in 2021, CIBJO said Tuesday. The organization's board made the decision at a virtual conference. It's the first time it has postponed the congress, noted CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri."Under the circumstances, [this] was definitely the most prudent action to take," he said. "Our primary concern is ensuring the health and safety of all participants, and, although none of us has a crystal ball with which to predict how things will be five months from now, this is not a decision that can be taken at the last moment."While the confederation is performing most of its business virtually, Cavalieri feels the congress itself should take place in its traditional, in-person format. "A congress...is an event at which we should meet face to face, and that hopefully will be possible once again in 2021," he added.Image: Gaetano Cavalieri. (CIBJO)