There was a strong showing of jewellers in Adelaide for the JMGA conference, titled Inside-Out. Outside the wind was bone dry and the sky was dark blue without a cloud in sight. Inside, we gathered in a sumptuous cool auditorium.

The event as a whole was masterfully organised. The logistics of an extensive exhibition program was challenging enough. But the social events were charming and perfect for bringing people together — the pin swap and concluding dust lawn bowls created a wonderful feeling amongst all. As a way of bringing jewellers together to feel part of a community, the conference worked brilliantly.

Congratulations to everyone involved. There are certainly challenges ahead, to clearly identify the issues that are critical to jewellery. The baton now passes on to Perth for the next JMGA conference in 2010. Given the resistance that may emerge from the east in crossing the Nullabor, perhaps the Perth conference might look more internationally. We’ll see.