Join us at the 102^nd Annual IJA Conference at the Grand River Center-Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark in Dubuque on September 5-7, 2008.

The Annual IJA Golf Tournament begins on Friday at 1:00 p.m. at the Lacoma Golf Course in East Dubuque, IL. You won't want to miss this golf outing - it is always full of surprises and a great way to interact with other jewelers!

Friday night, all conference attendees are invited to the Travelers Social at 6:00 p.m. in the Harbor View Suite of Grand Harbor Resort. And, to cap off the evening, you have the option of a dinner cruise aboard the American Lady on the Mississippi River.

On Saturday, you and your staff will again have the opportunity to take JA's Professional Management or Sales Certification test. We encourage everyone to get certified as a way to show your customers that you truly are knowledgeable in the industry.

For the bench jewelers, we have a hands-on workshop planned for Saturday afternoon, starting at 1 p.m. Arthur Skuratowicz from the Jewelry Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO will present two bench workshops: Smart Appraising - Profits, Perils and Professionalism and Beating the Odds (Oddly Shaped Stones that is).

Saturday evening will feature the IJA Annual Design contest, with the pieces on display during the social and the winners announced after dinner. The theme for the evening will be "Tailgate Party", with "The Game of the Week" on the big screen. So, come dressed in your favorite team's colors for games, door prizes and much more!

On Sunday, we have three seminars planned. At 9 a.m., David Peters, Director of Education from Jewelers of America will present Treatment Talk - Communication Gemstone Enhancement Information to Customers. The 10:30 seminar, Oil & Water - Can Bench Jewelers and Sales Associates Get Along? will be presented by Tom Weishaar from Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he is the head bench jeweler for Underwood's Fine Jewelry. And, after lunch, Becka Johnson-Kibby from Robbins Bros., will present a seminar for the entire staff, Holiday Selling - The Mechanics and Emotions of Fine Jewelry Sales.

Click on the links to the Conference Schedule and Registration Forms for more details. For more information, contact us at .