Bill Clinton to headline Antwerp Diamond Conference
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will head a blue ribbon list of speakers at the 2nd Antwerp Diamond Conference, which will take place in the Belgian diamond capital on November 3 and 4. The conference, which is being organized by the Antwerp Diamond High Council (HRD), will focus specifically on the subject of branding and marketing diamonds and diamond jewelry.

Clinton will deliver his address at a gala dinner that will take place during the evening of November 3 at the Waagnatie, which is an industrial warehouse located on the banks of the River Scheldt that will be converted especially for the event into a stunning ballroom.

The conference itself will be held at the Province House, which is the seat of government of the Province of Antwerp. Among the more than 30 speakers that will address the two-day gathering are Gary Ralfe, managing director of De Beers; Isabelle Guichot, chair general manager of Van Cleef & Arpels; Vladimir Kalitin, president of Alrosa; Ralph Destino, chairman em. of Cartier Inc.; Arlette Emch, member of the general management of the Swatch Group; Nadja Swarovski, vice president of international communication of Swarovski and Gareth Penny, the person behind the new sale strategy of the DTC.

The conference will cover the topic of branding and the marketing in the diamond industry in a most comprehensive manner. It will be organized into five modules, with the first featuring a group of world-class marketing specialists, who will present an overview of marketing and branding in the luxury goods sector, and consider how what has been learned can be applied to the diamond business.

Module two will feature diamond industry entrepreneurs who already implemented major marketing and branding campaigns. In addition to their case studies, the module also will include a panel discussion, which will attempt to forecast the nature of the market five years from now. Module three also will include case studies, but this time presented by business leaders from other luxury goods sectors, and in particular the watch and high-end jewelry industries.

Module four will feature jewelry retailers, who will consider the relationships required between the diamond and jewelry sectors to ensure the success of a successful branding and marketing campaign. Finally, module five will focus on Antwerp, and will highlight the city's recently announced campaign to expand its current role as the world's most important diamond trading center to include being the primary jewelry distribution center in Europe.

Individuals interested in registering as participants in the 2003 Antwerp Diamond Conference can do so via the conference's Internet website, which is located at www.diamondconference.be .

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Source: HRD press release
August 2003