At the forefront of the global jewelry industry stands Sarin Bachmann, a visionary leader and Senior Vice President at RX, heading the jewelry portfolio, which consists of JCK, Luxury, and JIS events along with the digital and print elements of the JCK brand—JCKonline.com and JCK Magazine. With her extensive expertise in event management, business strategy, and market development, she is pivotal in orchestrating JCK Las Vegas, the largest and most influential jewelry trade show in North America, and Luxury by JCK, an exclusive event dedicated to high-end jewelry and elite networking.
More than just an event, JCK and Luxury serve as the industry’s heartbeat, bringing together retailers, designers, manufacturers, and thought leaders worldwide. JCK fosters a dynamic, all-encompassing marketplace, while Luxury offers an intimate, invitation-only experience where top-tier brands and retailers engage in a refined business environment. Together, these events create a seamless innovation, networking, and trendsetting ecosystem, providing a platform where business thrives and industry connections flourish.
With a keen eye for emerging trends and a dedication to fostering meaningful industry relationships, Sarin Bachmann ensures that JCK and Luxury remain the gold standard for jewelry trade shows worldwide. From groundbreaking designs to insightful educational sessions, these events, guided by Bachmann’s vision, shape the future of the jewelry industry.
To better understand her remarkable journey and insights, we have crafted questions exploring her inspiration, challenges, achievements, and future aspirations. These questions also provide valuable lessons and advice for the younger generation of designers and entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the jewelry world.
- Can you share your career journey and what initially drew you to the luxury events and trade show industry?
I have had a passion for jewelry and watches instilled in me from a young age. Passed down from my grandmother to my mother, to me. Every special occasion was marked with a piece of jewelry or watch, and it was something tangible that I could hold onto with powerful sentimental value.
My first job out of college was as a consultant at Andersen Consulting, which is now Accenture. Reed Exhibitions, which is now RX, the trade show company, was one of my clients. While working as a consultant at RX, I learned about the trade show business and really appreciated that I could put my business degree to use in all aspects of business, sales, marketing, PR, finance, operations, and so much more by running trade shows and conferences.
After a brief detour working for General Electric doing Six Sigma projects at NBC, I rejoined RX and soon moved into the first event leadership job that was available – which was the event manager role on the newly launched Luxury show. The perfect blend of my passions - jewelry and business. It felt like it was truly meant to be.
- In your experience, how does the JCK Show distinguish itself from other luxury events and similar trade shows around the globe?
JCK brings together the entire industry from established luxury brands and renowned innovators to emerging designers and key distributors, small independent retailers, large chain retailers, wholesalers, industry veterans and so many more. This creates an environment where every conversation and connection have the potential to forge lasting partnerships.
Unlike niched, segmented or regional events, JCK unifies the entire global jewelry and watch industry. JCK is considered the “Superbowl” for the jewelry industry, spanning the entire supply chain. JCK offers something for everyone, including best-in-class networking, product discovery, education, fun events, activations, and more.
Known for being the launchpad for industry trends, JCK is where groundbreaking products are unveiled, and future market directions are set. Attendees consistently benefit from insights into the next big ideas and technological advancements. Brands and designers are launched and continue to grow and flourish at JCK.
JCK is more than just an event, it’s a forward-thinking platform that sets the stage for the future of the jewelry and watch industry. It creates opportunities for brands to redefine luxury, explore new market territories, set trends, and participate in knowledge sharing discussions that resonate on a global scale.
- Regarding expanding the offerings at next year’s show, do you plan to incorporate additional watch brands? Do you believe some brands showcased in Geneva should also be at the JCK/Luxury Show? If so, for what reason?
I am very glad you asked as we are expanding our watch offerings starting in 2026 with a brand-new watch area within the Luxury portion of JCK. It will be a curated space with some invited brands from Geneva as well as others that retailers do not get to see anywhere else. Our goal is to offer our retailers a way to discover brands that make sense for them, their markets, and their consumer’s needs. In addition, we will be working with watch brands that want to increase their presence in the United States market and reach the Luxury and JCK retailers. We want to ensure that what we are building helps our customers and there is a true need for it and a reason to do it. Nothing we do is purely by chance – we have begun discussions with retailers and brands and will be signing up approved brands beginning in June.
- Could you share some of the most exciting or memorable moments from past JCK/Luxury Shows that have left a lasting impression on you?
There are so many it is hard to choose! I would say coming back after Covid both in 2021 and 2022 and the way the industry embraced JCK for their need of the face-to-face connections we provided. The gratitude for that from the industry was a definite highlight. Winning show of the year for JCK out of all the different industry trade shows from Trade Show Executive in 2022 was great recognition for all we were accomplishing. Having Sugar Ray Leonard as our Keynote last year and Flo Rida as our JCK Rocks Headliner topped the list as well. I was asked by many “How are you going to top Flo Rida next year!?” and our team took on that challenge and we have the one and only Snoop Dogg and Jason Derulo headlining JCK Rocks this year! We continually strive to raise the bar in every aspect of JCK each year to continue to lead both the trade show and jewelry industry as a best-in-class event.
- As the industry continues to evolve, how do you see the JCK/Luxury Show adapting to meet the changing needs of exhibitors and attendees?
As I mentioned, we are always raising the bar each year for the show and not only adapting to the changing needs of the industry but anticipating what is to come. We are the marketplace for the industry, representing all aspects. Some of the ways we are changing to meet the needs of our retailers is adding neighborhoods for Watches within Luxury and pavilions within JCK including Mines, and Lifestyle, Accessories and Gift to offer more variety.
We are leveling up education each year and that is going to be another evolving area for 2026 with brand new master classes and hands on learning offerings similar to our feature of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) bus for watch education that has been at JCK since it’s launch.
For exhibitors, we continue to focus on the quality of our attendees, providing new digital tools such as Colleqt Scan and Save and Exhibitor Dashboards for more event value, streamlining their exhibiting experience, and adding new attendees each year from around the world.
- What advice would you offer to younger generations interested in getting involved in the luxury events and trade show industry?
Attending JCK is a great place to start! Being at the show will help them network and immerse themselves in the industry. We have a Career Connections area which is sponsored by CAZA Connect this year, where networking takes place, and conversations can be had to explore different careers within in the industry. Complimentary headshots will also be taken sponsored by exhibitor JD&Co. They can attend JCK Talks Education sessions to learn the 101’s of the industry as well as cutting edge breaking news and current challenges and opportunities in the market on the JCK Showcase, Social Media and Sustainability Stages.
I am also always happy to mentor younger talent so they can feel free to reach out to me or anyone on my team!
We also post open job listings at RX which they should keep an eye on: Join us | RX
Thank you so much – and look forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas!
References:
Linkedin | Instagram | JCK Online | Luxury Online
Curious about JCK and Luxury? Explore our dedicated show page for all the details.
