The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America has a new account executive and his job is clear – recruit, retain, and develop. The national trade association formed in 1903, and based in Providence since 1995, has hired Frank Maher, a former director of the education foundation, and director of membership for the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association. He started March 1.
According to MJSA spokesperson, John Harvey, Maher will be responsible for boosting membership, which has dipped to about 1,500 companies nationally, and educating current members on what the organization has to offer.
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“We are a little down in membership,” Harvey said. “But that is because there have been quite a few consolidations, companies buying one another out. We are seeing that while we may have the same number of people, technically we don’t have the same membership and we want to change that.”
And Maher is anxious to meet the challenge.
“With the economy being what it is, and seeing such a boom I am very optimistic,” he said. “We have a lot of excellent resources. The problem is getting those resources out in front of companies.”
Maher said one of the organization’s greatest assets is its Web site.
“Our Web site had over 60,000 hits last year,” he said. “There is a referral net to track down businesses you need and members can get a free Web site for joining.”
After less that one week on the job, Maher was given the opportunity to really show his stuff at one of the organization’s biggest trade shows, The New York Expo and according to Harvey, Maher didn’t break a sweat.
“He fit right in,” Harvey said. “He went down immediately, got together with members. He was very energetic and very personable.”
Trade shows are at the heart of the organization’s mission. MJSA itself sponsors three major trade shows: the New York Expo, which is held every year; The Providence Expo, which is held every other year; and the new Fashion Jewelry World Expo, which is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas early this summer.
Debuted last year at part of Expo Providence, the Fashion Jewelry Expo is different from the organization’s other two events in that it targets buyers of finished products. According to Harvey, the other two shows feature manufacturing supplies, raw materials and other components to jewelry manufacturing.
“This is very different,” he said. “We are used to running trade shows that cater to the jewelry manufacturer. But we don’t see this as a change for us. It’s an addition to our niche. We are following the mandate of our members.”
Harvey said this kind of show is crucial because it gives buyers and sellers and chance to communicate face-to-face.
“It’s incredibly important because you are at a point where people can go look at a product, really eyeball it and then strike up a relationship,” he said. “You really have to meet someone, hold their product in your hand to generate a level of trust.”
Last year’s debut of the Fashion Expo held at the Convention Center didn’t draw huge numbers, but Harvey said this year’s show seems very promising.
“The Fashion Jewelry Expo in Las Vegas is a huge opportunity for the fashion finished jeweler in Rhode Island,” he said. “Last year we had a small show that did pretty well, but exhibitors wanted to see it go someplace else. So this year it’s tied to one of the biggest trade shows in the industry.”
