HONG KONG, March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- JNA Awards, the
annual industry-wide event that honours innovators, leaders and
outstanding enterprises of the international jewellery and gemstone
industry with a focus on their contributions in Asia, has 16 award categories for 2015.
Organised by JNA (Jewellery News Asia), JNA Awards
2015 is led by Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook as Headline
Partners, with Diarough Group, Israel Diamond Institute Group of
Companies (IDI), Shanghai Diamond Exchange, and Guangdong Land
Holdings Limited (GDLAND) as Honoured Partners.
Although the number of categories is kept the same as last year,
the JNA Awards has made adjustments to encourage more companies and
individuals of high standards to participate in this prestigious
and well-recognised awards programme.
The list of categories for 2015 is as follows:
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- 3 Decades of Excellence
- Brand of the Year - Retail
- Employer of the Year
- Industry Innovation of the Year
- Manufacturer of the Year - Coloured Gemstone Cutting &
Polishing
- Manufacturer of the Year - Diamond Cutting &
Polishing
- Manufacturer of the Year - Gem-Set Jewellery
- Manufacturer of the Year - Precious Metals-Only
Jewellery
- Outstanding Enterprise of the Year - ASEAN Countries
- Outstanding Enterprise of the Year - India
- Outstanding Enterprise of the Year - Mainland China
- Retailer of the Year (450 outlets and below)
- E-tailer of the Year
- Sustainability Initiative of the Year
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Age 40 and below)
Individuals or companies may submit their entries or may be
nominated by others by completing the online application form
available at the Awards' website: www.JNAawards.com. Deadline for
submissions will be midnight (Hong
Kong time) of 30 April,
2015.
A highly respected international panel will judge the entries
starting from May to mid-June. The Honourees or shortlisted
candidates will be announced on 25 June and will be feted together
with the Recipients at the JNA Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on
Thursday, 17 September, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery
& Gem Fair 2015.
Letitia Chow, Founder of
JNA and Director of Business Development - Jewellery Group
at UBM Asia, said, "Entering the fourth year of the JNA
Awards, we have broadened the categories to encourage the
participation of a wider jewellery community. Specifically,
we have expanded the scope in Innovation of the Year Award to
include other business disciplines beyond the manufacturing sector.
We welcome companies that are innovative in areas, including
but not limited to, technologies, business models, product
developments, marketing initiatives and gemmological research to
enter the Awards."
"We have also reintroduced the 3 Decades of Excellence Award to
honour companies with outstanding achievements and a long-term
commitment to developing the industry."
Wolfram Diener, Senior Vice
President of UBM Asia, added, "Since its inception, the JNA Awards
has gained strong support from our Partners and industry leaders,
driving it to become one of the most highly regarded events in the
jewellery and gemstone trade. We look forward to attracting more
participants and well-qualified companies to this annual awards
programme."
Rita Maltez, Director of Rio
Tinto Diamonds for Greater China,
said "Rio Tinto is proud to continue as a Headline Partner of the
JNA Awards. Our sponsorship is part of our commitment to the growth
of the diamond industry, particularly in the fast-growing market of
Greater China. Developing win-win
partnerships at all stages of the value chain is integral to the
way we work, and having been present in this market for five years
now, it has been very gratifying for Rio Tinto Diamonds to see the
wonderful results from these collaborations."
Kent Wong, Managing Director of
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, said, "We, as a Headline Partner of
the JNA Awards since its launch in 2012, are thrilled to see its
continuous success and growing prominence as an industry-wide
platform that recognises achievement and excellence, and one that
inspires innovation and improvement, and facilitates sharing and
learning. Together, with your full support and enthusiastic
participation, we expect to see another year of resounding success
with many new records and exciting moments at the fourth edition of
the Awards in September."
For more information on the event, please visit
www.JNAawards.com or contact:
JNA Awards Marketing
UBM Asia (Hong Kong)
+852 2516-1683
marketing@jnaawards.com
Notes for Editors:
1. About JNA
(www.jewellerynewsasia.com)
JNA is
the flagship magazine of UBM Asia's Jewellery Group. First
published in 1983, the title is the leader in providing up-to-date
international jewellery trade news with an Asian insight. It
features original, in-depth reports by experienced journalists
covering the latest developments in the diamond, pearl, gemstone,
jewellery manufacturing, and equipment and supplies sectors.
2. About the Headline Partners
2.1 Rio Tinto Diamonds (www.riotinto.com/diamondsandminerals)
Rio Tinto operates a fully integrated diamonds business from
exploration through to sales and marketing. It is one of the
world's major diamond producers through its 100 percent control of
the Argyle mine in Australia, 60
percent interest in Diavik mine in Canada, 78 percent interest in the Murowa mine
in Zimbabwe and 100 percent
interest in the Bunder project in India.
Rio Tinto's share of the production from its three operating
diamond mines is sold through its sales and marketing office in
Antwerp, with representative
offices in Mumbai, Hong Kong and New York. It also operates
a niche cutting and polishing factory in Perth for the rare pink diamonds from its
Argyle mine. Rio Tinto is a leading supporter of the Kimberley
Process, as well as a founding member of the Responsible Jewellery
Council.
2.2 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited
(www.chowtaifook.com)
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery
Group Ltd, one of the world's leading jeweller and the largest in
terms of sales, was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange
of Hong Kong in December 2011. Chow Tai
Fook is now a constituent stock of the Hang Seng China 50
Index and the Hang Seng Mainland 100 Index.
The iconic brand "Chow Tai Fook" of the Group has been widely
recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity, and renowned
for product design, quality and value. The recent acquisition of
Hearts On Fire, an internationally acclaimed luxury jewellery
brand, has further underpinned the Group's stature as a diamond
expert in the industry.
The Group has an extensive retail network comprising over 2,250
Chow Tai Fook and Hearts On Fire points of sale spanning nearly 500
cities in Greater China,
Singapore, Malaysia, South
Korea and the United
States, as well as a strong and fast growing e-tail network
through operating its Chow Tai Fook e-Shop and various e-tail
accounts on other online shopping platforms.
The Group's sophisticated vertically integrated business model
provides an effective and tight control over the entire operation
chain from raw material procurement, design, production, to
marketing and sales through its extensive POS and e-tail
channels.
3. About the Honoured Partners
3.1 Diarough Group
(www.diarough.com)
Diarough Group was
established in Antwerp in 1975 and
owns diamond polishing factories in China, India,
Thailand and Botswana, with a network of sales offices
around the world. Diarough is known among the most professional and
respected names in the international diamond industry.
Diarough believes in building and nurturing long-term business
relationships based on mutual trust, finding solutions to business
and marketing problems, creating marketable opportunities through
innovative products and providing excellent client services.
Its jewellery manufacturing unit Uni-Design has produced many
award-winning jewellery pieces, which have been proudly worn by
celebrities on the red carpet over the years.
The Group employs over 3,500 people and is engaged in a wide
range of diamond business activities like rough trading, cutting,
polishing, jewellery manufacturing and marketing to retailers,
chain stores, global brands and private labels worldwide. Diarough
employs advanced technology and modern work speed with traditional
ethical business practices upon which the Company was founded.
3.2 Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies
(www.israelidiamond.co.il)
The Israel Diamond
Institute Group of Companies (IDI) is a non-profit, public interest
company representing all institutions involved in the Israeli
Diamond Industry. Israel is one of
the world's leading diamond centres and IDI works to enhance
Israel's position as a major
trading and manufacturing hub.
IDI works to benefit Israel's
diamond industry in a variety of areas including: marketing
and PR, technological innovation, encouraging local manufacturing,
training, and security consulting. IDI seeks out new markets for
Israeli diamonds and develops existing ones. As part of this
effort, IDI organizes industry participation in major trade fairs
around the world, establishing Israeli Diamond Pavilions and
sponsoring events at these shows.
IDI operates a representative office in Hong Kong, which fosters trade relations with
Asian markets.
3.3 Shanghai Diamond Exchange
(www.cnsde.com)
Authorised by the State
Council, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) is the only diamond
exchange in China and provides
diamond dealers a fair and safe transaction venue under close
supervision. It also enjoys a favourable taxation policy and is
operated in accordance with international best practices of the
diamond industry.
Established in 2000, the SDE is a non-profit, self-regulating
membership organisation and a member of the World Federation of
Diamond Bourses.
3.4 The Guangdong Land Holdings Limited
(www.gdland.com.hk)
The Guangdong Land
Holdings Limited (GDLAND), with its headquarters in Hong Kong, is listed on The Stock Exchange of
Hong Kong Limited, and is a subsidiary of GDH Limited, which is
Guangdong Province's largest
conglomerate operating outside Mainland China.
The principal business of GDLAND is property development and
investment, including but not limited to the development and
operational management of the innovative commercial real estate,
urban complex and industrial business complex. As the strategic arm
of GDH Limited, GDLAND engages in the business development of
commercial real estate, as well as the projects of urban and
industrial complex.
GDLAND's flagship project, namely the "Buxin Project", is
planned to become the biggest and most advanced jewellery mart in
the world, including a large-scale jewellery trading and exhibition
centre along with other facilities, with a lot size of over 87,000
square metres and the construction scale (floor area) is expected
to be more than 700,000 square metres. The Buxin Project, which is
located in the Buxin area of Luohu district in Central Shenzhen, close to the Shuibei Gold
and Jewellery Base, is expected to develop the area into one of the
most influential gold and jewellery trading and exchange platforms
in China and around the world.
4. About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)
Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is
the largest trade show organiser in Asia and the largest commercial organiser in
China, India and Malaysia. Established with its
headquarters in Hong Kong and
subsidiary companies across Asia
and in the US, UBM Asia has a strong global presence in 24 major
cities with 30 offices and 1,300 staff.
With a track record spanning over 30 years, UBM Asia operates in
20 market sectors with 230 dynamic face-to-face exhibitions and
high-level professional conferences, 23 targeted trade
publications, 20 round-the-clock online products for over 1,000,000
quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and
subscribers from all over the world. We provide a one-stop
diversified global service for high-value business matching,
quality market news and online trading networks.
UBM Asia has extensive office networks in China, Southeast
Asia and India, three of
the world's fastest growing B2B events markets. UBM China has 11
offices in the major cities in mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Guzhen and Shenzhen, where we organise 90 exhibitions and
conferences. In ASEAN, UBM Asia operates from its offices in
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and the
Philippines with over 40 events in this region. UBM India
teams in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai organise 40 exhibitions and
conferences every year across the country.
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SOURCE JNA