Esprit Joaillerie spoke with Aude Leperre, the director of the salon Bijorhca.
Can you present the history of the Bijorhca Salon?
BIJORHCA PARIS It is a salon with a long history. Founded in 1936 by the BOCI Syndical Chamber, the ambition of this event has always been to bring together all the jewelry professionals under one roof to promote business. Today owned by Reed Exhibitions, the salon is more than ever the benchmark event for all the players in the sector. It has evolved in step with the market, always adapting to the needs of exhibitors and buyers to create a friendly environment for networking.
Since when are you the director of this organization?
I took over the reins of the salon in September 2016. So I’ve just finished my 4th edition. In absolute terms, it’s not much time, but I feel like I’ve been here forever… with two appointments a year, the connections are quickly formed with the actors. It’s a very welcoming environment where you feel right at home quickly.
What made you want to take care of this salon?
The sector first of all: exciting, rich, creative!
Re-taking the helm of a salon means having a global vision of the market, understanding the issues, the expectations, and evolving it in the right direction. Bijorhca I needed a new dynamic: it was a great challenge to take on and that’s what interested me too!
How do you want to make it evolve?
By bringing together as many players as possible, whether they are valuable or fanciful. It is essential that the French market comes together and that we can showcase our expertise on Bijorhca.
To achieve this, we need valuable brands to support us. That is why we have been working in this direction for a few months now. We have created dedicated spaces, and have redesigned the topics of our workshops by addressing issues such as synthetic diamonds and safety. We have also set up an Ecoles /Formations village to meet the needs of jewelers. We are also launching the «Bijorhca Jewellery Awards»: a competition for jewelers/creators.
What role do you want to give to jewelry?
We want to give jewelry the place it deserves in an international fair that takes place in Paris. That takes time, of course, but we are mobilizing all our energy to achieve it.
Can you give us information about the 2019 edition?
We’ll have to wait a little longer. But what I can tell you is that we are doing everything we can to make the next fair a very beautiful event!
What do you like about this room?
Everything! It’s a dynamic fair where the offer is constantly renewed. We have 25% new exhibitors at each edition, which means new products and new inspirations to discover.
I love interacting with our exhibitors: understanding how they have thought about their collections, listening to their expectations, and trying to best support them for the upcoming sessions. But I also love interacting with buyers: what do they really want? How can I help them differentiate their stores and find the brands that match their point of sale? And I also love the beautiful setting in which we welcome the participants. It’s a beautiful salon that I’m proud of!
It’s a very engaging universe in which there’s a lot of emotion, relationships, and creativity… I couldn’t have hoped for anything better!
Do you have a special memory?
I have many that come to mind… when I went to Marseille to discover the workshops of some of the brands that accompany us: they let me into their backstage, it was very interesting… or at the salon when I attended my first installation of the trendy space by Elizabeth Leriche: a titanic job!
In short, there are already many memories… and I plan to have many more
What does the jewel represent to you?
The jewel is often perceived as just a fashion accessory, but for me, it’s much more than that.
A piece of jewelry accompanies you at a certain point in your life; it represents a person, a period, a place, or a specific context… It says a lot about the mindset of the person who wears it.
A jewel is first and foremost a symbol, which can sometimes serve as a kind of talisman.
Aigue-Marine Diamond Gold
What is your favorite jewelry?
I would love to be able to answer this question, but unfortunately I’m unable to make a choice, much to the dismay of my loved ones!! The size of my jewelry boxes might prove it!
We will be happy to see the next edition of Bijorhca in January.
Bijorhca Paris
January 18 to 21, 2019
Paris Porte de Versailles
