AGS Conclave 2022: Business and Bliss in Oklahoma City

Emili VesilindApril 28, 20222 Mins read570 Views

“What we have here as an organization is absolutely incredible,” said Craig Underwood, winner of the American Gem Society’s Robert M. Shipley Award during an acceptance speech at American Gem Society’s (AGS) Conclave event on Tuesday that saw the veteran retailer well up with emotion at several points.

“If you put a koi in a large lake it can grow from one to three feet in size—and that’s very similar to the human race, but with our minds. If we continue to expand our horizons and expand our world, we will grow larger…AGS expanded my horizons and my universe.”

Underwood, co-owner of Underwood’s Fine Jewelers in Fayetteville, Ark., wasn’t alone in his admiration of AGS at the organization’s signature retailer-focused event, which took place April 24-27 in Oklahoma City.

Guests of this year’s conference cited the slate of smartly conceived sessions—which tackled subjects ranging from succession to social media—engaging keynote speakers, and the handsome hotel that housed the conference (the Omni Oklahoma City) among the elements that made this year’s Conclave especially entertaining.

AGS-members retailers are a famously tight and jovial group, and as per tradition, small and large groups of attendees met up for long, laughter-filled dinners each night (steak houses were popular—this is Oklahoma). Said one retailer over a gloriously messy basket of chicken and waffles, “AGS is just the best group. It’s always awesome to reconnect.”