Speakers at the fourth Antwerp Diamond Conference will prominently be discussing the changing supply pattern in the diamond industry. With De Beers Group transforming from being the majority supplier of roughs, into now a supplier of 45 percent of roughs, the supply chain now includes many more entities.

According to Freddy J. Hanard, chief executive officer of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre,"In less than a decade, the diamond industry has evolved from a single-channel supply industry into a multi-channel supply industry.The new situation requires all players to be on their toes because the diamond producers are considerably more market-driven. There understandably are a wide variety of rough-diamond sources, but supply is less predictable and price volatility more likely. It's a very different business environment to the one we were used to, and one that will be analyzed in depth by speakers at the conference."

The speakers include De Beers Managing Director Gareth Penny, Diamond Trading Co. Managing Director Varda Shine, Rio Tinto Diamonds General Manager Jean-Marc Lieberherr and BHP Billiton Diamonds Marketing Director Chris Ryder. Alrosa will be represented by President Sergey Vybornov and a senior management delegation of 30 members, and will host a reception for participants on October 14.

The two-day conference is being held at the Elisabethzaal of the Flanders Congress and Concert Centre on the Koningin Astridplein, adjacent to the city's diamond district, with a charity gala dinner at the Waagnatie on October 15.