By Nicky Fambios

“Have a magical day!” is what more than 1,200 industry professionals from across North and South America heard after checking in at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL for the 18^th annual Transitions Academy. And with that one phrase, the tone was set.

The three-day, invitation-only event revolved around the theme “Experience It!” and aptly began with a welcome reception featuring a capella singers and beloved Disney characters.

Monday morning’s educational track kicked off with keynote speaker Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D, Gallup senior scientist and author of the book Making Hope Happen. Lopez spoke to attendees about creating the future they want through the contagious power of hope and encouraged them to “be the superhero of their own story”.

Developing the “Experience It!” theme, the workshops offered strategies for working with change and dealing with customers, as well as using a holistic approach to personal and business health.

A mix of hands-on technology experiments, activities and games livened the afternoon and provided the first-hand experience of wearing Transitions^® Signature™ VII lenses. Not to mention offering the opportunity for some team-building and a little friendly competition!

Tuesday saw Sherianne James, director, North America marketing, present Transitions’ new 2014 media plan, which includes new television spots as well as a new 30-minute direct response commercial. “We’re really excited about the ad,” said James in an interview with Envision: seeing beyond magazine. “This long format allows us to tell not only the Signature VII story but also the story of the entire Transitions family of brands.”

James was also the agent of more good news as she announced a sensational, high-profile collaboration between Transitions and Disney. “We couldn’t be more thrilled,” she stated. “Besides participating at various events here in Orlando, this partnership gives tremendous access to consumers not normally reached with another brand.

And of course, Tuesday evening saw the much-anticipated Transitions Academy Awards ceremony, which honoured industry stakeholders in lab, retail, eyecare practice, eyecare professional, human resource and vision benefit broker categories.

Wael Yassein, owner and optician at The Eye Shoppe in Oshawa, ON, was recognized for his outstanding efforts to promote eye health and brought home the Canadian Eyecare Professional of the Year award.

“I feel better knowing I’m making a difference in people’s vision,” said Yassein. “It’s always a good feeling to know I’m doing something right – and to win the Transitions Eyecare Professional of the Year award is absolutely gratifying.”

Loblaw Optical was named Retailer of the Year for Canada. According to ChristineUnderhill, business manager, Transitions Optical, Canada, “Loblaw Optical’s continued education initiatives and drive for success have been unparalleled.”

Moe Benaim, senior category manager, optical, Loblaw Optical, was elated to accept the award on behalf of the retailer. “Winning the Transitions Retailer of the Year award in Canada was a primary goal of our team for 2013, and to win it, just means the world.”

Hope, education, activities, awards and Disney characters… have a magical day, indeed!

By JoAnne Sommers

The new year got off to a flying start in Munich from January 10-12 as opti, the international trade show for optics and design, set new records for the number of visitors and exhibitors it attracted.

About 500 exhibitors from 34 countries showcased the latest in frames, lenses, contact lenses, equipment and fixtures for the more than 24,000 visitors from over 80 countries who attended. Many of the products and collections had their world premieres – among them “Claudia Schiffer by Rodenstock”, from Germany’s leading manufacturer of lenses and frames, which is headquartered in the Bavarian capital.

The record number of exhibitors as well as visitors is a clear vote in favour of the event’s date at the beginning of the calendar year, said Dieter Dohr, chairman of the management board of GHM, which organized opti.

“The show is the ideal start to the year for the industry, which appreciates the high quality and product range on offer, as well as the lively, exciting atmosphere of the show,” said Dohr. “If you want to see a best of the market, you have to come to Munich.”

Organizers said that opti provides a compact, highly efficient forum for business, thanks to its clearly structured layout. One visitor who appreciated that aspect of the show was Jordan Paul, owner of Opticianado Eyewear in Toronto.

Paul, who was attending opti for the first time, was impressed with its excellent organization and the convenient location at the fairground Messe Munchen, just 20 minutes by underground railway from downtown Munich. He said the timing also played a big role in his decision to attend.

“January is the best time of year for me to get away from my store,” he said. “It was too early to start buying product but the show gave me an excellent preview of what is coming and some ideas about what I might want to buy later in the year.”

Paul said he liked what he saw from a number of the exhibitors, including Anglo American Eyewear, a company with which he has previously worked. “I’ve had good success with them in the past and I was impressed with what I saw from their British counterpart at the show.”

A veteran of international optical trade shows, including Silmo in Paris and Mido in Milan, Paul said he decided to attend opti after hearing that it was an, “up and coming show.” It was larger than he was expecting and featured a number of different vendors than those he had seen elsewhere, including some smaller independents, with which he was unfamiliar.

In addition to providing a forum for products from companies representing all parts of the optical industry, opti offers an excellent supporting program. Interdisciplinary presentations are available on each day of the fair, featuring leading speakers from Germany and abroad. The continuing education program is free of charge for all exhibitors and visitors, and the presentations are simultaneously translated into English.

Opti 2015 will be held from Friday, Jan. 9 to Sunday, Jan. 11 and organizers say that visitors and exhibitors can look forward to the best show ever. So mark your calendars now!

By Nicky Fambios

From eyewear parades to buyer forums, seminars to networking receptions, the 21^st edition of the Hong Kong Optical Fair, held November 6 – 8, 2013 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, certainly had it all.

The Hong Kong Optometric Conference, with Advanced Optometry Care as its theme, took place during the first two days; it included seminars on optometric care for pediatric patients, vision requirements for drivers, and protective measures against blue light damage – a topic of growing interest, given the proliferation of electronic devices.

As a case in point, demand for eyewear technology like low blue light and 3D glasses is on the rise. 3D Global (Holdings) Limited showcased their innovative products, as well as the French brand SHINA, and the company welcomed the opportunity to meet international buyers. “We met buyers from the U.S., Canada and the Middle East… the response has been positive,” says the company Director Bonnie Chan.

A record 700 exhibitors, including newcomers from Israel, Macau, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Thailand, were on hand to show off their finest to the nearly 14,000 buyers from approximately 100 countries and regions who attended.

Show organizers and exhibitors alike were pleased with attendance levels, which rose eight per cent over the previous year.

Zig Eyewear, exhibiting for the second consecutive year in the VOS (Visionaries of Style) area, deemed the event successful. According to a company statement, their primary goals were to present the Jean Reno and Ziggy lines to the Asian market, gain insight into the specifics of this segment, adapt accordingly and then implement distribution networks. Success was evidenced by the increased number of visitors to the booth and the exciting new agreements undertaken.

To what does Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council attribute this achievement?

“Buyers from a number of emerging markets increased significantly, including Egypt, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam and Mexico, showing their huge development potential. On the other hand, buyers from mature markets like the U.S., the Netherlands and Spain also had a considerable increase,” said Chau. “It is also a testament to the Optical Fair’s position as a major sourcing platform for the global optical industry.”

The event built on the popularity of last year’s Brand Name Gallery area by introducing two new zones in 2013. The 3D & Kids Eyewear and Reading Glasses sections were launched in order to facilitate product sourcing.

Michael Suliteanu, president of WestGroupe, confirmed that the company’s booth in the Brand Name Gallery was hopping. “This was our fourth year exhibiting and it was better than ever. We had a team of four working the show and they were consistently busy – there were no lulls.”

He goes on to explain, “In the past, we would attend the fair to source suppliers but we’ve reached a point where we’ve developed solid, quality relationships with our core group of manufacturers. Now our goal is to meet distributors and buyers, in order to expand into foreign markets.”

So was the high traffic a sign of success for WestGroupe? Says Suliteanu: “It was a very good show for us. In fact, we’ve already signed up for next year.”

The next Hong Kong Optical Fair is scheduled for November 5 – 7,  2014.

By JoAnne Sommers

Creativity and innovation took centre stage as Silmo 2013 played host to the global eyewear community in Paris in early October.

Much to the delight of André Bélanger, president of Montreal-based Mood Eyewear, the event, which attracted more than 35,000 visitors – 44 per cent French and 56 per cent international – showcased boutique eyewear designs among the products presented by the 950 exhibitors.

“Many large manufacturers stayed away this year and we saw greater creativity in the collections from smaller companies,” says Bélanger.

During the recent recession, many companies, including smaller ones, played it safe with vintage styles, for which there was a ready market, he notes. “Boutique products were less bold than they had been and it got very boring.”

Realizing that they couldn’t compete with major manufacturers on those terms, smaller companies have returned to their strength, which is creativity, says Bélanger.

For Joseph Tallier, owner of New York-based OGI Eyewear, Silmo 2013 was a great success.

“We had a fantastic show. Attendance was up and people were there to buy. There’s an appetite for original, innovative products from smaller boutique companies like ours and we had our best show in five years.”

Visitors to OGI’s booth came from Southeast Asia, Russia and the Middle East and the company opened in Mauritius, the Seychelles and the Philippines, Tallier says.

Amin Mamdani, vice-president of operations and buyer for Toronto’s Josephson Opticians, noticed a lot of acetates at this year’s show. “Acetates will remain strong for the foreseeable future because metal is more expensive to manufacture,” he predicts. “We also saw more colour and a lot more matte finishes than before.”

Bélanger noticed that eyewear companies are looking at new ways of making frames. “Acetates are twisted together, for instance. They’re re-thinking the vintage trend, with classic shapes in interesting fluorescent colours, such as orange and hot pink inside, with black outside.”

Unlike Mamdani, he thinks that metal is set to make a comeback in the near future. “The market is saturated with acetate right now and some manufacturers said their next collections will be half metal.”

Show organizers outdid themselves with this year’s Silmo d’Or ceremony. The setting was the Showcase nightclub, beneath the Pont Alexandre III in Paris and designer Mathieu Lehanneur, president of the selection committee, awarded trophies in eight categories, as well as the Jury’s Special Award designated by the committee.

Next year’s Silmo show will run from Sept. 26-29, 2014. Mark your calendar now.

By Nicky Fambios

After 25 years, you might think that International Vision Expo West (VEW) would run out of ways to innovate and improve the annual ophthalmic conference and expo at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. But the four-day event that took place  October 2-5 demonstrated that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there was a 12 per cent increase in conference attendance and a five per cent increase in overall show attendance compared with 2012.

What’s the secret to the show’s success? “International Vision Expo is unlike any other medical meeting,” says Courtney Muller, group vice president for Reed Exhibitions, which co-owns the event with The Vision Council. “Each year, we are challenged with sourcing and delivering the most innovative eyewear and eyecare products, technologies and comprehensive solutions for our attendees, their businesses and – ultimately – their patients.”

And meet that challenge they did. This year, an interactive map feature, SmartRoute, was added to the Vision Expo Mobile application, making it a breeze for participants to navigate the show floor – an extremely convenient feature considering all the expo had to offer.

While the show celebrated its past with special activities like a cocktail event and commemorative champagne glasses, VEW’s silver anniversary also had an eye on the future with the expansion of the six fashion and medical-related pavilions to include a brand new interactive showcase area called the Eye² Zone.

The section offered attendees a look into some of the most interesting products unveiled at high-tech events like the International Consumer Electronics Show, and included daily Tech Talks which allowed for live demonstrations. Products and technologies featured in the Eye² Zone varied from entertainment enhancers, like the Cinemizer by Carl Zeiss, and multimedia video glasses that combine 3D movie enjoyment with outstanding image quality and stereo sound, to advanced medical devices like the Argus^® II Retinal Prosthesis System by Second Sight, an implant designed to bypass damaged photoreceptors in order to restore some functional vision to people suffering from blindness.

In fact, cutting-edge technology seemed to be the order of the day during the conference, with a number of exhibitors displaying never-before-seen materials, processes, designs and devices.

Transitions Optical announced the newest addition to the Transitions^® family of products: Transitions Signature™ VII lenses with Chromea7™ technology. Using a new proprietary methodology – Life360™ – Transitions Signature VII lenses are more responsive to UV in more situations. The patented Chromea7 dye formulation allows the lenses to be more reactive to indirect sunlight and reflected sunlight.

SPY Optic was on hand with the recently debuted Happy Lens™, a patent-pending lens formula that provides 100 per cent UV protection and blocks more than 99 per cent of glare; it is also designed to harmonize with the body’s physiological preference for a specific colour transmission optimized through the wavelengths between 450 and 500 nanometers, where the uplifting effects of blue light are most prevalent.

ClearVision Optical led the discussion on 3D printing in the optical industry with a panel that included the company’s president, David Friedfeld, and Bruce Bradshaw, the director of marketing for Stratasys, a 3D printing company. Visitors to the booth were able to watch the printer in action, speak to 3D experts and question the group on this latest manufacturing development.

And amidst all the breakthroughs and advancements, Emmy Award-winning scientist Bill Nye was a special guest brought in by VSP Optics Group to help illustrate the science behind photochromic and blue light.

Indeed, with over 425 exhibitors featuring some 5,000 brands, lines and products, along with conference speakers delivering 325 hours of top-notch education, VEW organizers have proven admirably that, like a fine wine, they are only getting better with age!

By Nicky Fambios

Building on their 2012 success in Toronto, the Italian Trade Commission, in collaboration with the Italian Optical Goods Association (ANFAO), held its second i-Glasses workshop at Loews Hotel Vogue in Montreal on May 14 and 15.

Delegates from 18 Italian companies (more than double last year’s number)  had approximately 900 appointments with representatives of over 50 Canadian eyecare businesses.

According to first-time visitor, Amin Mamdani, “It was a little bit like optical speed dating.” The buyer and vice president of operations for Josephson Opticians in Toronto was attracted to the event, in part by the prospect of developing new relationships. He found the 20-30-minute sessions provided the opportunity for solid introductions to be made. “There’s not enough time to go over everything a company has to offer,” says Mamdani. “But all of the exhibitors were excellent about following up afterwards.”

Giulia Valmassoi, administrative director of Thema Optical, participated as an exhibitor for much the same reason. “We don’t have distributors because we prefer direct contact with our customers,” she explains. “We feel it helps us better meet their needs and really encourages feedback. Canada has a lot of potential and we were hoping to make some new connections.” Valmassoi was pleased with the results: “We opened new accounts and had the chance to start dialogues with a number of managers.”

The family-run business was showcasing its iGreen eyewear line, a collection of distinctive, high-technology frames with interchangeable temples made from revolutionary polymers that are as strong as metals, yet ultra-flexible.

For Mamdani, this kind of product originality is an important factor for eyecare professionals (ECPs) to consider. “The i-Glasses workshop offers some fantastic private label opportunities,” he states. “This is also a great occasion to find something unique.” Differentiation is crucial in today’s competitive market and the event had no shortage of novel items to help practitioners stand out.

The Dulf Design collection, presented by the Lastes Group, was a prime example of the possibilities available to ECPs. Designed by Austrian architect Heidulf Gerngross, and manufactured in Italy, the collection integrates the Golden Ratio theory of proportion often associated with Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and frequently found in furniture design. Each shape and colour is limited to only 75 pieces, ensuring the line’s exclusivity.

Returning for the second time, Trevi Coliseum showed off the latest that theirClark, Coliseum and Cotton Club collections had to offer. The company’s export manager Stefano Vanin also took the opportunity to introduce the recently launched 2Senses frame to Canadians. 2Senses looks like an ordinary pair of glasses; however, this ingenious model allows for a hearing aid to be inserted discreetly into one or both temples, rendering it nearly invisible.

With so much in the way of innovation, creativity and quality, it’s no wonder that Mamdani doesn’t hesitate to recommend i-Glasses to other ECPs. “It’s well organized, there’s no pressure to buy and it’s the perfect platform for understanding Italian manufacturing,” he explains. “There’s definite value to this event.”

Italian Trade Commissioner Pasquale Bova is glad to hear it. “We’re very pleased with the success of the workshop,” he shares. “We’re looking forward to making it even better next year.”

By Nicky Fambios

Located in south-eastern Korea about 80 km from the seacoast and nestled in a basin surrounded by mountains, Daegu is a bustling, modern manufacturing city with over 2.5 million inhabitants. This scenic metropolis was the setting for the 12^th annual Daegu International Optics Show (DIOPS), which took place April 17 – 19, 2013.

Over 200 exhibitors displayed their offerings across more than 20,000 square metres at EXCO (Daegu Exhibition and Convention Center), a contemporary building featuring an eye-catching curved glass façade. Nearly a quarter of the exhibitors were foreign businesses, primarily from France, Japan and China.

Not surprising then, that the show attracted 17,000 visitors and upwards of 1,400 international buyers. In an interview with Envision: seeing beyond magazine, DIOPS CEO Jimmy Son notes: “The quality of Korean manufacturing is well-known globally and in high demand. We have experience in every area of optical manufacturing and have been making contact lenses since 1961. The precision of the instruments we manufacture and the technology behind our designs are recognized world-wide. And our frames and sunglasses are lighter than average, therefore more comfortable and more flexible.”

Alternative Eyewear President Paul Storace agrees. “I associate Korean manufacturing with high-tech,” he says. “And the Korean people are hardworking and diligent.”

Storace travels to Korea regularly for business but this was his first time attending DIOPS. “I wanted to put it into context with other international shows I’ve attended,” he explains. His verdict? “It’s not quite at that level yet,” he admits. “With the majority of exhibitors being local distributors and a small group of international players, the fair is primarily geared to the domestic market.”  Storace believes that the current economic climate, as well as recent political tensions in the region, may have impacted the number of foreign businesses in attendance.

However, those factors didn’t deter several guest lecturers who took part in the academic segment of the event. Among them was Envision: seeing beyond Publisher Martine Breton. Also a first-time visitor, Breton was impressed with the organizers’ efficiency and preparedness. “Although they had translated the material I was presenting into Korean for handouts, I was a bit nervous about lecturing to more than 100 opticianry and optometric students who spoke little or no English,” she says. “But I was quickly put at ease when I met the translator who had been assigned to assist me.”

Breton addressed the students about the Canadian vision care industry, starting with a demographic overview of the nation’s populace and a summary of the roles played by the different eyecare professionals (ECPs). She then moved to the realities faced by ECPs in their practices – from services and sales to human resources and training. Says Breton, “The survey of Canadian ECPs we did last year served as the foundation for the presentation. Thanks to that pivotal initiative, I was able to provide an accurate portrait of our industry and answer the students’ many questions.”

Aside from her address, she had the opportunity to visit the exhibitors’ hall, as well as touring a Shinhwa International manufacturing facility. Shinhwa International is a leading Korean eyewear company, the developer of Beta Memory temples and the producer and Asian distributor of several Allison S.p.A collections, including United Colors of Benetton and GF Ferre. Breton notes, “It doesn’t take long to see why Korean manufacturers have such a solid reputation. The employees pay very close attention to every detail. They are meticulous in their processes.”

That’s the message Jimmy Son is hoping to spread around the globe. DIOPS’ busy CEO travels extensively in order to increase awareness of the fair and attract more international exhibitors and buyers. He explains, “There are quite a number of optical industry trade shows around the world and buyers cannot attend all of them. My job is to demonstrate Korea’s advantages and show them the possibilities.”

And it seems to be working. About five years ago, Korean exports to Japan totaled $4.5 million; in 2012, that number rose to $45 million. Son believes that multinationals are increasingly frustrated by certain countries’ manufacturing issues – problems such as substandard product quality and lengthy holidays that delay production. And that is when Son offers his solution: “Everybody is looking for the perfect blend of great designs, advanced technologies, the best price and the quickest delivery. And that is exactly what DIOPS has to offer.”

The next Daegu International Optics Show is scheduled for April 16 – 18, 2014.

By Paddy Kamen

British Columbia has been a hotbed of political unrest for the optical community for the past few years and the Canadian Coalition of Eye Care Professionals (CCEPro) is doing something about it. In fact, they turned out an impressive audience of hundreds of people on February 18 for a political event.

Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront Hotel was the scene of a meeting with B.C.’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader, Adrian Dix, and his health critic, Mike Farnworth. The lineup of optical professionals wanting to attend the event was long and the buzz on the floor was considerable. Envision: seeing beyond magazine was there in the form of your’s truly.

The issues are important not only for B.C. eyecare professionals. This was clearly demonstrated by the presence of CCEPro executive members from across the country. Acting Executive Director Ali Khan* flew in from Toronto, the Chair of Ophthalmology, Dr. Hamza Khan, traveled from Victoria, the Chair of Opticianry, Ron Phillips from Langley, and the Chair of Optometry, Dr. Michael Naugle, came all the way from Moncton.

The issues on CCEPro’s agenda include the deregulation of optical dispensing and the devaluation of ophthalmic procedures (i.e., doctors getting paid less for certain procedures). A provincial election is to be held May 14 and at the time of writing, the NDP are widely expected to form the next government (note: the results will be known by the time this article is published). NDP Leader Dix, is on record as opposing the Liberal government’s deregulation of optical dispensing, and he spoke at the meeting about his own vision challenges related to the fact that he has diabetes. While making no promises, Dix assured CCEPro members that he would work collaboratively with them for the benefit of B.C. citizens.

CCEPro has 1,000 members across Canada, drawn from opticianry, optometry and ophthalmology. The organization believes that collaboration among the three Os is a key step towards promoting a balanced and beneficial care model to patients and policy makers. The event in Vancouver was a stellar example of CCEPro’s mandate in action.

*Ali Khan, one of the founders of CCEPro and still a consultant, stepped down as a director after the Vancouver event, in order to devote more time to the expansion of his business. The Board has promoted communications consultant Sheila Bissonnette to the position.

By Paddy Kamen

The Optometrists of B.C. really know how to put on a trade show. I know, because I attended the latest British Columbia Association of Optometrists (BCAO) conference and OPTOFAIR on February 23^rd at the Westin Bayshore Hotel on picturesque Coal Harbor in downtown Vancouver.

The event was hopping when I arrived at the OPTOFAIR in the early afternoon. Beautiful showgirls were in the lobby handing out specialty items in sync with the event’s Casino theme. And the lobby was full of booths, a signal that exhibit space was sold out. Indeed, the main room was packed with exhibitors from many sectors of the industry, from lab equipment to frames, contact lenses and accessories. There were also exhibitors from the ocular vitamin field, computer software, and buying groups. Newer companies mixed with those who had been around the trade show circuit many times.

Don Coulson would, I believe, qualify as someone who has plenty of experience with trade shows and I was delighted to catch up with him in Vancouver. Coulson wears at least three professional ‘hats’: he is vice president of sales for Optiq Frames and Match Eyewear Canada, in addition to serving as Canadian sales manager for Hilco Canada and On-Guard Safety. Said Coulson, “When I was working as a rep out of Alberta from 1986 to 1998, I covered parts of B.C. and in that capacity I attended the BCAO show many times over the years. I always enjoyed western Canadian optometry shows because the optometrists and assistants are all very engaged throughout the display times. The BCAO team does a very good job of encouraging attendance at each booth, which is important to us as suppliers. It allows us the opportunity to effectively present our products and services and hopefully to make a strong case for doing business with us.” 

Paul Storace, president and CEO of Alternative Eyewear and Plan B, has also been around the proverbial trade show block several times (but nonetheless just keeps looking younger). Storace noted, “The smaller venue made for a more personal show. We’ll definitely be back next year as I feel that it had value for me and we did gain some new clients.”

Both Coulson and Storace traveled from Ontario to attend the show.

Dr. Sureen Bachra is a member of OPTOFAIR’s organizing committee, a team composed of doctors and staff who dedicate their time to improving the show year after year. She met me at the registration desk and graciously showed me around. It was obvious that she was happy with the results of the committee’s work.

Post-show, Bachra commented: “This year’s OPTOFAIR was super-successful. The vendors enjoyed every aspect of the show from the registration process to the overall attendance. Booth allocation, show layout and food and beverage evaluations from the vendors were all positive. We were able to sell out the show again this year and expect to do the same for next year.”

What is the secret to this success? “Listening to what our vendors want,” Bachra explained.

This was the first time that OPTOFAIR was held at the Westin Bayshore location. “It felt more intimate for vendors and attendees alike,” said Bachra. “With the great raffle prizes, drinks and atmosphere this year, our colleagues all enjoyed the show and are looking forward to a bigger and better event in 2014.”

Kudos to the BCAO. We also hope to be back!