The 17th Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) has witnessed huge increase in participation with 65 percent rise in the number of exhibitors, organisers Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) revealed yesterday.
Organised under the patronage of H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, this year’s DJWE will is scheduled to take place from February 24 to 29 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC).
Revealing the details of the event, H E Akbar Al Baker, Secretary-General of QNTC and Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways, said DJWE 2020 will bring together 127 exhibitors from 14 countries, a 65 percent increase from last year’s 77 from 10 countries.
This year’s exhibitors comprise 74 international and 53 local exhibitors showcasing more than 451 brands of jewellery and watches from 25 countries.
The exhibition space has increased by 12 percent with almost 3,000sqm more added bringing the total exhibition area to 33,000sqm.
“In 2019, 27,000 visitors attended the event, attracting many tourists to Doha for the first time. This year, an even greater number of visitors are expected as the event’s reputation grows,” said H E Al Baker, adding that while major international jewellery shows have been cancelled due to the novel coronavirus, DJWE cements a strong position in the calendar of jewellery events.
The Young Qatari Designers Initiative, which is under the patronage of H E the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, returns to the exhibition this year with five new designers, showcasing 16 jewellery brands, in a special zone, bringing the total to 18.
For the first time, DJWE will include a Turkish Pavilion that features 11 Turkish brands, in addition to the return of the Indian Pavilion for the second year in a row with 28 brands featured – more than double the number in 2019.
With the ongoing Qatar-France 2020 Year of Culture, some of the most luxurious French brands will once again be present at the exhibition.
Many unique activities will be organised at the expo including a showcase of independent watch brands by Qatar Watch Club, watch polishing workshops by Objectif Horlogerie, diamond grading laboratory and educational class in diamond grading, free consultations with certified gemmologist and a 360 luxury photo experience “Journey into Wonder” — the tagline of this year’s DJWE.
A global media campaign will run in target markets in advance of DJWE, featuring famed Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor as the face of the campaign and the guide for visitors on their journey to beauty. The campaign was launched in 16 markets including Kuwait, Oman, United Kingdom and France; and is expected to reach 450 million viewers, listeners and readers through social media and TV channels such as BBC, CNN, Sky News UK, Fashion TV, Kuwait TV and others.
Sonam Kapoor will also be the celebrity guest at the opening of DJWE.
DJWE is expected to showcase a number of exclusive pieces designed by famed global brands such as Tag Heuer and FPG.