ICA Congress 2011

The 2011 ICA Congress will be held in Brazil on April 30 - May 4, 2011. The congress will be hosted by IBGM-Brazilian Gems & Jewellery Trade Association. The theme for the 2011 ICA Congress is Ethical Mining & Fair Trade: Certification challenges from Mine to Market. www.gemstone.org

Art Fairs To Remember

Collectors have come to prefer buying at art fairs to entering sometimes intimidating private galleries. That is one reason why dealers take part. For them fairs are also a great way to meet new clients. So true. The lovers of art and antiques are enjoying the surprise of having so much choice. Many thanks to Economist for the update.

Useful links:
www.haughton.com
www.masterpiecefair.com
www.olympia-antiques.co.uk
www.lifaf.com

Random Thoughts

It is really that simple: Design follows money. Get budget, get design. Design firms don't design without clients (which requires budgets), and in-house departments are not very effective without great people (which also requires budgets). Think of this as Designomics.

- Thomas Lockwood
www.dmi.org

Spot on.

Pierino da Vinci Sculpture

Pierino da Vinci's sculpture is indeed a treasure of the utmost importance. Just do the right thing. www.mla.gov.uk

Visions Of Dubai Gold Coin

The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and the World Gold Council (WGC) has launched The Palm edition of the Visions of Dubai gold coin series. The coins also carry DMCC’s stamp of quality and authenticity and are made of 24-karat gold. They are available in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 ounce sizes. Check it out.

Useful links:
www.dmcc.ae
www.emiratesgold.ae
www.gold.org

Technology Update

The Economist report on wireless technology was brilliant. Harvesting energy was interesting. It is magical, really.

Useful links:
http://research.nokia.com
http://techresearch.intel.com
www.fultoninnovation.com
http://ecoupled.com
www.witricity.com
www.powercastco.com

YouTube Play 2010

Anyone with access to a video camera and a computer will have an opportunity to catch the eye of a Guggenheim curator and vie for a place in a video-art exhibition in October at all of the foundation’s museums: the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York, the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. A brilliant way to discover innovative work, really. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.guggenheim.org
www.youtube.com

India Startup Update

Sandeep Singhal's viewpoints was interesting. Great execution starts with having a very clear understanding of the problem that you are trying to address, having a plan to meet that need, and building a strong team to execute against the plan. It is about being able to create and sell a compelling value proposition to your customers, always seeking feedback from them, and being flexible based on what you hear. It is about being aware of what competitors are doing and being a step ahead of them. Spot on. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.nexusvp.com
www.medusind.com