JA New York Show Director Drew Lawsky said attendance was up 4 percent on Sunday as compared to the show's Sunday opening last year. The 2010 show also experienced a more than 20 percent increase in the amount of exhibitors as compared to 2009.

 

"Are we out of the woods? Are things great? Absolutely not," he said, noting that economic struggles continue to impact the market. 

 

Still, an upbeat energy permeated the show floor on opening day, with buyers crowding the aisles and satisfied exhibitors writing orders.

 

"We felt that it was an extremely positive day," Lawsky said of Sunday.

 

On Monday, the second day of the three-day show, floor traffic remained strong. Exhibitors who spoke with National Jeweler—including Jeffrey Massotti, sales director at Gabriel & Co., and Bill Levine of Bill Levine Diamond Jewelry—reported brisk business on Sunday, with traffic picking up again in the early afternoon on Monday.

 

At the booth of World Trade Jewelers/Hershey's Kiss Jewelry, April Scorcia said that she and her two co-workers struggled to wait on all the people lined up at their booth on Sunday. The draw for customers is the company's price-point friendly line of Hershey's Kiss-branded jewelry.

 

After starting with lines of kisses in plain sterling silver, many retailers are now expanding their offerings to include diamond-studded pieces, including the new kisses featuring brown diamonds, she said.

 

"I think that Sunday was a great day. Today is not as strong as Sunday," Scorcia said on Monday.

 

Johnny Kordvani of New York-based A&D Gem Corp. also reported being slammed with customers on Sunday, his booth always crowded. One item that was on many customers' shopping lists: black-and-white diamond pieces.

 

"It's not bad," he said of business at the show. "I'm surprised, the traffic is pretty good. It's a good sign."

 

JA New York Special Delivery continues through Tuesday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

 

The JA New York Shows, along with National Jeweler, Couture and CustomerConnect are part of the Nielsen Expositions Jewelry Group, a group of publications, tradeshows, digital products and high-powered conferences that are a conduit to the largest and most actively engaged global community of jewelry industry professionals. Nielsen Expositions Jewelry Group is part of Nielsen Expositions, whose parent company is the Nielsen Co., a global leader in measurement and information.