JNA Awards meets with the Thai jewellers in Bangkok

HONG KONG,Jan. 31,2019 -- The JNA Awards brought its Presentation to Bangkok,Thailand,on30 January,in its efforts to encourage wider participation among members of the Thai gems and jewellery industry. Held in cooperation with the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA),the successful presentation was attended by close to 30 jewellers from various parts of Thailand-- all of whom gained valuable insights on the JNA Awards and its core values.

From left to right: Prida Tiasuwan,Chairman of Pranda Jewelry Public Co Ltd -- PRANDA Group,Letitia Chow,Chairperson of the JNA Awards and Director of Business Development -- Jewellery Group at UBM Asia,Boonkij Jitngamplang,Ph.D.,President of Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association,and Li Chongjie,CEO of China Stone Co Ltd

Guided by a strong tradition of craftsmanship,Thailand has long been an important manufacturing hub for the international jewellery and gemstone industry,and has contributed greatly to the advancement of the trade. It is for these reasons that the JNA Awards organised the presentation to reach out to more jewellery companies and individuals in the country to join the prestigious award programme.

In fact,a number of outstanding jewellers from Thailand have already been recognised as Recipients and Honourees by the JNA Awards over the years. Among them is Prida Tiasuwan,the Chairman of Pranda Jewlery Public Co Ltd-- PRANDA Group,who received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018-- the highest accolade from the JNA Awards.

Boonkij Jitngamplang,President of Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association and Letitia Chow,Chairperson of the JNA Awards and Director of Business Development-- Jewellery Group at UBM Asia started the presentation by giving everyone a warm welcome. Letitia and her team also gave an overview of the Awards to the attendees. The talk covered a variety of important topics,which include how to join the Awards,the benefits of participation,and information on the judging panel members and judging process,among others.

Commenting on this occasion,Boonkij Jitngamplangsaid,"The Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) is very pleased to be part of the JNA Awards. Receiving the JNA Awards is a great honour for the entrepreneurs of the international gems and jewellery industry. It is an affirmation and recognition,as well as a driving force on their commitment to developing and implementing excellent business practices. TGJTA is confident that the Thai entrepreneurs will utilise this platform to further develop their potential to empower the Thai gems and jewellery Industry."

Kent Wong,Managing Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group and Kenneth Scarratt,CEO of DANAT,representatives from the Headline Partners of the JNA Awards headed talks on the values that have been gained by their respective organisations since joining the JNA Awards. The two also shared how the JNA Awards serves as a platform for leading entities in the global jewellery and gemstone trade.

James Courage,Former Chief Executive Officer of Platinum Guild International,and Albert Cheng,Far East Advisor of the World Gold Council,both principal judges of the JNA Awards judging panel,also talked about their judging experiences in the last seven years. The two shared pointers and tips on what entrants must pay attention to in order to prepare an impressive entry.

Representatives from two previous Thai Recipients of the JNA Awards,Li Chongjie,CEO of China Stone Co Ltd and Prida Tiasuwan,Chairman of Pranda Jewelry Public Co Ltd-- PRANDA Group were also present to share their experiences and insights on entering the Awards. The two also discussed the benefits they enjoyed after being recognised by the Awards.

Prida Tiasuwan expressed that "Craftsmen,gem and jewellery products from Thailand are well-known and have been highly recognised in the global market. By joining the JNA Awards,we were given an opportunity to showcase our achievements and ultimately benefitted by securing more business. JNA Awards has not only uplifted the spirit of the Thai gems and jewellery industry but also the global jewellery industry."

Similarly,Li shared that joining the JNA Awards elevates industries in Thailand and helps strengthen its reputation as a global jewellery and gemstone hub. "Same as the JNA Awards,our company embraces core values of innovation,excellence and best practices. We are proud to be awarded as Recipients for four consecutive years in five different categories,it is a recognition to our company as well as Thailand as a leading country in the trade," he said.

Letitia Chow further added,"We are honoured to partner with TGJTA and connect more closely with Thailand,a market that plays an important role in the global gems and jewellery trade. Not only is the Thai craftsmanship regarded as among the top in the world,their jewellers are also innovative and play a part in breaking new grounds in terms of moving the industry forward. We have recognised some of these achievements at the JNA Awards in the past,and we look forward to seeing more in the future."

Organised by UBM Asia,the JNA Awards is on its eighth edition in 2019. The JNA Awards is one of the most coveted awards programmes in the international jewellery and gemstone industry. It promotes innovation,excellence and best business practices by recognising and celebrating the achievements of companies from a wide scope of expertise and sizes within the trade.

JNA Awards 2019 is supported by Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook,the Shanghai Diamond Exchange,and DANAT,together with Honoured Partners KGK Group,Shanghai Gems and Jade Exchange,and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited.

For more information,visit http://www.JNAawards.com/or contact:

JNA Awards Marketing

UBM Asia (Hong Kong)

+852 2516-2184

marketing@jnaawards.com

Notes for Editors:

1. About the Headline Partner

1.1 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (www.chowtaifook.com)

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (the "Group"; SEHK stock code: 1929) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2011.

Founded in 1929,the Group's iconic brand "Chow Tai Fook" has been widely recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity,and is renowned for its product design,quality and value. The success of the Group and its iconic brand is rooted in innovation,craftsmanship and heritage. The Group also holds other jewellery brands including CHOW TAI FOOK T MARK,Hearts On Fire,MONOLOGUE and SOINLOVE,which are the first examples of a long term multi-brand strategy rollout.

The Group's commitment to sustainable growth is anchored in its "Smart+" strategy,which is in place to promote long term innovation in the business,in people and in culture. Another asset underpinning sustainable growth is a sophisticated vertically integrated business model. This supports the Group by fostering excellence and extending opportunities along the entire value chain to communities and industry partners.

With an extensive retail network in Greater China,Korea,Japan,Singapore,Malaysia and the United States,and a fast-growing e-commerce business,the Group is implementing effective online-to-offline ("O2O") strategies to succeed in today's omni-channel retail environment.

1.2 Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones -- DANAT (www.danat.bh)

The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT) was established in 2017,as an initiative of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,Crown Prince,Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. DANAT was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat),the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom. DANAT evolved from the Pearl & Gem Testing Laboratory of Bahrain (the first laboratory of its kind in the region),which was established in 1990. It was formed to expand upon and enhance the excellent work of the laboratory,with the vision of becoming the world's preferred institute for natural pearl and gemstone third-party verification services and scientific research.

Currently,DANAT plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing the public's trust in pearls,gemstones and jewellery. With its offices located at the iconic Bahrain World Trade Centre,the facility aims to establish itself as the window into international markets,serving local and global clients,and bolstering the reputation of the Kingdom as a leading centre for pearl and gemstone expertise.

DANAT is an authority on industry standards,scientific knowledge and education,and is committed to the highest standards of professional and personal ethics. It is dedicated to supporting the pearl and gemstone industry and offers training programmes locally,regionally and internationally to a new generation of gemmologists,industry professionals and gemmology enthusiasts.

1.3 Shanghai Diamond Exchange (www.cnsde.com)

Authorised by the State Council,the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) is the only diamond exchange body 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.

2. About the Honoured Partners

2.1 KGK Group (www.kgkgroup.com)

The KGK Group was founded in 1905 by Kesrimal Kothari and Ghisilal Kothari of Jaipur (India),to trade gemstones between India and Burma. With a global presence across 19 countries today,the privately held group has evolved into one of the most preferred brands in the gemstone and jewellery industry,with a vertically integrated operation. KGK is one of the few conglomerates covering the entire spectrum of mining,sourcing,manufacturing and distribution of coloured gemstones,diamonds and jewellery for over a century. KGK Group has a resilient team of 12,000 employees with operations and offices in Asia,Australia,North and South America,Europe and Africa. Having achieved an impeccable reputation in the gemstone,diamond and jewellery trade,the group has recently diversified into real estate.

2.2 Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange introduction (www.csgje.com)

Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange was established in 2014 with the approval of Shanghai Municipal Government. Shanghai Gems & Jade aims to grow its influence in international sphere by adhering to primary principles of fairness,impartiality and openness; and advocating innovation,advancement and compliance within the trade. Since its inception,it has worked towards its goal and has carried out cross-border trade cooperation with major gemstone origin countries around the world.

Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange aims to build a professional integrated trading platform by providing high-quality services that include bonded warehousing,trade logistics,exhibition and sales and other supporting services to jewellery enterprises and businesses both locally and globally.

Shanghai Gems & Jade Exchange also works to foster cooperation between global minerals and processing enterprises,designers and creatives of the jewellery industry. Furthermore,the organisation aims to provide convenient and efficient one-stop service for international gemstone products to enter the Chinese market. It also collaborates with different parties to create a fair and open international gemstone trading environment.

2.3 Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (www.gdland.com.hk)

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-- Guangdong Province's largest conglomerate operating outside Mainland China.

GDLAND primarily engages in property development and investment,and in business that include (but are not limited to) the development and operational management of 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 urban and industrial complex projects.

Its flagship "Buxin Project" is forecast to become the biggest and most advanced jewellery mart in the world. With a lot size of over 87,000 sq.m. and a floor area projected to exceed 700,000 sq.m.,the Buxin Project will include a large-scale jewellery trading and exhibition centre along with other facilities. Located in the Buxin area of Luohu district in Central Shenzhen,and close to the Shuibei Gold and Jewellery Base,this prime piece of property is expected to turn the area into one of the most influential gold and jewellery trading and exchange platforms,not just in China,but in the world.

3. About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)

UBM Asia recently became part of Informa PLC,a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit www.ubm.com/asiafor more information about our presence in Asia.

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