Everything is changing. We cook more, and eat out less. We shop online, then pick up curbside. We avoid hugging friends, but connect with more of them than ever using digital meetups. It’s a strange time for sure – some bad, some surprisingly good. We make the best of it, don’t we?

VDB has always been about connecting the industry. We have created an entire ecosystem of apps, marketplace, and business tools designed to help suppliers sell to retailers, retailers find suppliers, and retailers show their customers what’s available. Our customers use VDB as a sourcing tool, productivity tool, and selling tool. It’s used in-person and online, as part of a shopping cart or shared on a Zoom call.

And now, we’re using it for events!

You see, we’ve created a new app, called VDB Expo, and we originally designed it to help jewelry industry trade show organizers host online trade events. It’s already been used by the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) and Israeli Diamond Institute (IDI) in their trade shows, and it’s a fantastic way to showcase products and connect customers and suppliers in a show-like environment. In fact, there’s a second edition of the show coming up in September (the 14^th – 17^th to be exact). Register here to find some great diamonds and try out VDB Expo for yourself! {BUTTON}

VDB Expo is an original, user-friendly (and trust us – most aren’t!) platform combining our visual marketplace features with tradeshow features. Virtual networking, live virtual vendor appointments, individual and group chat, and in-app messaging make it easy and fun for customers and suppliers to connect and engage. During an event, buyers can place holds on goods, initiate memos and purchase orders, flag favorite products, and build collections. It’s never been easier to do inventory planning or to build a portfolio of products to review with key accounts. As Tanya Nisguretsky, CEO of VDB says, “What an honor it is to be able to contribute to the industry at a time like this. The absence of trade shows is a threat to our community. So to be able to come up with a solution to offset that, and help us stay connected and do business together, that’s what VDB is all about."

Originally, we created VDB Expo for trade show producers. But we’ve been impressed at the creativity of our customers, who want to use it in more imaginative ways! If you’re a supplier, you can host your own product event. If you’re a retailer, you can host your own roundtable of gem or diamond dealers. And these are just a few ideas! (Of course, if you’re a trade show company – VDB Expo is also for you 😊).

Yes, we miss trade shows. We miss the hustle and flow, the epic dinners with friends, and the fun of getting out of our routine (boy do we miss the fun of getting out of our routine!). But we don’t have to miss the excitement of finding new products and suppliers. And we don’t have to miss meaningful and timely engagement. That’s all still available to us.

So check out VDB Expo today. Just call, and we’ll give you a quick tour of all it can do. Then decide how you want to use it for your business!

Things are definitely changing, and some of those changes will be here for good. We think more flexible, timely, online sales engagement is a change that’s here to stay.