Hearts On Fire takes the lead for a second year as Couture Conference Icon Sponsor

New York—Hearts On Fire, one of the most recognizable and widely distributed diamond brands in the world, will once again be the lead sponsor of the Couture Diamond Leadership Conference to be held on Sept. 20-21 at the New York Palace hotel. The 2005 Conference is produced by VNU Expositions, and is timed to coincide with the annual GIA League of Honor Dinner on Sept. 19, according to Nancy Robey, vice president, VNU Expositions' Jewelry Group.

"The leadership and vision of Glenn Rothman and the Hearts On Fire team was integral to the success of our 2004 Conference. We are honored that they will be our Icon Sponsor in year two, and look forward to working with them to create an even more dynamic event," Robey says.

Hearts On Fire CEO Glenn Rothman founded the company, along with his wife, Susan, in 1996, and in less than a decade they have created one of the fastest growing diamond brands in the world. The company's luxury diamond jewelry is sold by over 500 leading retailers in 18 countries.

"Hearts On Fire believes that the Couture Diamond Leadership Conference provides a unique forum of select high-end diamond retailers and suppliers to explore new solutions to the vital issues facing the rapidly changing diamond world," Rothman says. "Our commitment as the 2005 Icon Sponsor is to help facilitate the transformation of the diamond industry."

To further address the concerns of couture retailers, VNU Expositions, which produced the 2004 Couture Diamond Leadership Conference, will partner in 2005 with VNU Business Publications' Couture International Jeweler, the official business journal of the Conference. The magazine covers the world of couture jewelry, and will be responsible for providing the program content for the Conference.

"CIJ Editorial Director Whitney Sielaff and Victoria Gomelsky, its newly appointed editor, bring their profound understanding of the international diamond world to the conference planning team. Their insight and contributions to this second annual event will be invaluable," Robey says.

A new venue has been selected for 2005. The New York Palace hotel, located at 50th Street and Madison Avenue, across from St. Patrick's Cathedral and only steps from Rockefeller Center, is known for its unparalleled splendor, spectacular views, sumptuous rooms and exquisite service. Its world-renowned courtyard incorporates motifs from several 15th-century Italian cathedrals and has served as the entranceway to the historic Villard Houses since 1882. Today, the New York Palace gracefully blends the landmark Villard Houses with a contemporary 55-story tower. The entire hotel has recently been renovated and remodeled.

The New York Palace boasts some of the best couture-level meeting rooms in New York, including the 3,600-square-foot Villard Ballroom. This luxurious two-story space offers a unique balance of 19th-century charm and modern-day amenities.

As with last year, the 2005 Couture Diamond Leadership Conference will be sponsored by the most prestigious couture diamond manufacturers in the world, according to Robey.

"In addition to Hearts On Fire, the response from last year's participants has been extraordinary," she says. "We will again limit the number of retail and supplier participants to ensure the kind of meaningful interchange of ideas that will help our couture members grow their business."

The Couture Diamond Leadership Conference is produced by The Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference, the definitive event for the most upscale fine jewelry retailers and the designers, manufacturers and suppliers that serve them. The four-day, by-invitation-only diamond event will be followed by the new Signature Salons by Couture—to be held in 2005 at the new Wynn Las Vegas hotel. Couture also produces the Couture Club & Pavillion at both the summer and winter JA New York shows.

VNU Expositions Inc., a leading event management company producing trade shows, conferences and special events internationally and in the United States, including the Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference and the JA International Jewelry Shows, is a subsidiary of VNU, one of the world's largest publishing and information companies.

VNU Business Publications, a division of VNU Business Media Inc., publishes the following titles for the jewelry market: Couture International Jeweler, National Jeweler, Europa Star and Basel Tribune.



For information on the 2005 Couture Diamond Leadership Conference,

call Tim Welo at 646-654-4955.