Houlden celebrates 40th anniversary at annual buyers’ event

Houlden Jewellers has celebrated its 40th anniversary at its annual buying event for members, held on Monday 23 February to Tuesday 24 February at the Waldorf Hilton in London.

The two day event included a ‘Members Day’, allowing members to network and share past experiences in a bid to improve margin and bottom line results. The day also welcomed the group’s newly structured board of directors, along with guest speakers.

Helen Haddow, the organisation’s CEO, closed the day by announcing that Houlden will be launching a new website for its members and suppliers.

Meanwhile, the second day was the ‘Suppliers Exhibition’ – a buying event for members of Houlden – which saw some 48 specially selected suppliers attend, including new companies such as Gianfranco Bigli and Antwerp Diamonds.

A statement from Houlden said: “Overall, our first show of the year started with a bang and was a success for all. While we spent most of the show reflecting on the past, we must also look forward to the future and the great changes and challenges that are ahead for all.

“With our new CEO Helen Haddow settling into her role, with the mentoring help of Stuart Laing for the next 18 months, we want our membership to continue their support and take up the opportunities that Houlden will bring [them].”

Houlden’s next event will be its ‘Summer Getaway’ in June.