CIBJO Congress 2009 - Istanbul, Turkey
May 3-5, 2009

 CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, invites members of the jewellery, gemstone, precious metals and related industries to participate in the 2009 CIBJO Congress, which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, from Sunday, May 3, 2009, through Tuesday, May 5, 2009.

 The 2009 CIBJO Congress will be held at the Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel, which overlooks the Sea of Marmara and is positioned immediately alongside Ataköy Marina. The congress will be hosted by the Turkey Jewelry Association.

 Held each year, the CIBJO Congress serves as the venue for the meeting of the World Jewellery Confederation's General Assembly. This year the congress will focus of the impact of the global financial crisis and the consequent strategies that need to be adopted by the industry, as well as the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility. A key event will be roll out of the World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF), which is the body created by CIBJO in cooperation with the United Nations, dedicated to formulating and delivering training programmes for all sectors of the world industry about the principles and practices of CSR in the jewellery business.

In the words of CIBJO’s president, Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, the fact that Turkey is hosting the event is very significant. “Like no other market, the country represents a blend of East and West, and it has helped unlock the fast developing markets in the republics of the former Soviet Union, as well as in the Middle East. Turkey also represents a strong jewellery market in its own right, and it is an economical jewellery design and manufacturing centre within just a few hours flying time from Western Europe. It is exactly the type of the centre that we need to look to in difficult times such as these.”