Israel to host biennial Presidents' Meeting for second time

Israel will be host to the biennial Presidents' Meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), for the second time. The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) and the Israel Diamond Manufacturers Association will play host to the event at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel, June 14-16, 2015.

During the two-and-a-half-day event, the leaders of the 30 diamond bourses affiliated to the WFDB, and IDMA's 16 member organizations will discuss the most pressing issues affecting the global diamond industry. Participants will also include invited guests mostly representatives of the major rough producers; companies and entities providing crucial services to the industry, such as banks and other financing institutions; insurers; logistics, security and technology providers; governmental and non-governmental organizations and other industry interest groups.

Israel Diamond Exchange President Shmuel Schnitzer, who is also an Honorary WFDB President, said the meeting comes at a time when the diamond industry is facing a variety of challenges: rough diamond supplies, pressure on polished diamond prices, the need for additional financial partners, and mounting competition in the luxury consumer product markets. "We look forward to hosting our colleagues from the WFDB affiliated bourses and the IDMA membership and trust we will discuss ways to take our industry toward significant growth."

The first time Israel hosted a Presidents Meeting was in 1990. Israel has also hosted six World Diamond Congresses - in 1956, 1968, 1978, 1986, 1996 and in 2006.