inside VEW

Insider Insights

Alicia Hoglund

The optical industry once again heads to Sin City for the 2012 International Vision Expo West. The show, which will be held September 5 to 8 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, promises attendees an inside look at the latest news, trends, and information in frames, lenses, equipment, and technology from more than 400 exhibitors the world over.

In addition, attendees have access to hundreds of hours of top-notch education (see sidebar on p. 32), as well as parties, promotions, giveaways, and other show specials. Check the August issue of EB for a detailed preview the products and promotions at 2012 VEW.

To help provide added insight into this year's show, as well as a forecast for the future of the industry, Eyecare Business asked executives from some of the biggest names in the optical, “What do you see for your business and optical for Vision Expo West and the rest of 2012?” Read on for their opinions on what's in store.

For more information about the show, visit the Highlights section under the For Attendees tab on the VEW website, visionexpowest.com.

JOHN CARRIER President and CEO, Essilor of America

“Innovation is key to the successful growth of our industry. For 160 years, Essilor has helped the world see better, and innovation remains the key driver of our strategy and one of the cornerstones of the relationship with our customers. This year at Vision Expo West, look for product innovation from Essilor through three technological breakthroughs: Optifog, Crizal UV, and the Varilux S Series lenses.”

BARNEY DOUGHER CEO, The Hoya Free-Form Company
“I see more free-form as the current mix of products available on the market today will evolve to focus on patients' needs and use through personalization. Currently, personalization is in its infancy, and as new processing and measuring technology advance, there is every reason to believe that every pair of eyeglass lenses we make will be dedicated to the individual wearer's lifestyle.”

Mark Ginsberg Senior vice president, global marketing, Marchon Eyewear

“As we prepare for Vision Expo West, we are focusing our efforts on continuing to bring to our customers superior product offerings, unparalleled service, and innovative business solutions. We are leveraging our investments in technology and systems in order to better meet the needs of our customer base. While we will celebrate new launch initiatives and brand extensions, we recognize that our accounts are also looking for additional ways to maximize sales, revenue, and profitability.”

BRIAN HAUSER General manager, U.S. & Canada, Transitions Optical, Inc.
“With the buzz surrounding the launch of Transitions Vantage lenses, and the consumer interest created by our new ‘Life well lit’ campaign, we are seeing growth across all of our products. While we are still monitoring the economy and consumer confidence, particularly with it being an election year, we are focused on building on this momentum during VEW and into 2013.”

Bet On CE

VEW 2012 boasts more than 350 hours of continuing education covering more than 240 different concepts.

■ Eyecare Business, along with The Vision Council's Eyewear and Accessories Division, is proud to cosponsor the Frame Buyer Certificate Program, a track dedicated to streamlining the process of managing, monitoring, positioning, and promoting your frame inventory. Attendees taking a combined eight hours on this track at both VEE and VEW will earn a Frame Buyer Certificate.

■ The Visionomics program,with EB as its exclusive media partner, features COPE- and ABO-approved business-building courses on strategies for assessing and maximizing practice profitability.

■ EB's Stephanie De Long will be moderating the Tapping into Today's Retail Trends course, which features three panelists—Gai Gherardi, co-owner of l.a.Eyeworks; Valerie Vittu, owner of Margot & Camille; and EB contributor Travis Reed, a visual merchandising expert from AITD in Chicago—who will share insights into today's top trends.

■ New to this year's program, The New Government Regulations track will provide up-to-the-minute requirements for several new “mandatory” programs involving incentives and penalties, Electronic Health Records, PQRS, e-prescribing, and coding compliance. The UV Symposium, moderated by EB, is a three O's panel exploring the effects of UV damage, products to guard against exposure, and ways to educate patients. Sales U is a three-hour session on selling, covering confidence, patient satisfaction, and profits.

ANDY HUTHOEFER General manager, Essilor Instruments, USA CEO, National Optronics

“One key trend is that retailers and ECPs bring more and more sophisticated edging equipment in-house to speed up service and control the quality to the customer. At Vision Expo West, we will show the new Mr. Orange edger from Essilor Instruments, which offers high-wrap capability and drilling at an exceptional value, as well as National Optronics' new 7Ex edger, 4Tx tracer, and 3Bx blocker, which are ideal for ECP operation.”

ALEX INCERA President, Coburn Technologies
“Breakthroughs in lens processing technology will open new opportunities across the industry. Free-form and AR technologies are becoming simpler, smaller, and more cost effective than ever. As in-office lens processing becomes more viable, these advancements will allow business owners to differentiate themselves by offering unique lens products.”

DON OAKLEY President, VSP Optics Group
“VSP Optics Group has piloted and proven advanced, in-practice mobile technology that will help eyecare professionals simplify the digital lens dispensing process in a way that is consistent with good patient flow through the practice. We will be bringing this to market this fall, and we're excited to arm ECPs with technology that elevates the patient experience and delivers customized eyewear.”

BARRY RESNIK Director of marketing, Vision-Ease Lens
“I'm seeing more and more proliferation of HEV (high energy visible) light discussions among manufacturers trying to tell their polarized story. It's a drum we've been beating and been recognized for since the launch of Coppertone in 2008. The more education and support the industry can provide, the greater the likelihood that message will reach consumers.”

HOLLY RUSH Senior vice president of sales, Luxottica North America

“Current eyewear trends driving the market are retro-inspired and classic silhouettes updated with a modern twist to make a bold statement. In the past year, we have seen a resurgence of the luxury market with consumers ready to invest in the brands they trust for quality and value. Following the success of Vision Expo East, we have seen a remarkable increase in sales across all our Luxury brands such as Tiffany, Chanel, Persol, and Prada to name a few, along with strong continued demand in the premium and fashion market with brands like Burberry, Tory Burch, and Coach. Of course, Ray-Ban remains a key pillar in our portfolio and continues to benefit from exceptional consumer awareness and demand coupled with a strong collection and powerful marketing efforts. In the future, we see tremendous opportunity to leverage our brand portfolio more effectively to capture trends in the optical segment while at the same time working across the industry to raise awareness within the premium sun category for quality eyewear. Coupling these business objectives with a stronger service level for our customers will remain our key priorities at VEW and in the future.”

MIKE RYBACKI Senior vice president, sales and marketing, Seiko Optical Products of America

“For Seiko at VEW, this coming year and beyond we see continued growth in several areas of free-form lenses. We are confident brands for PALs will continue to be important to support higher price points, especially for the more sophisticated, advanced, and newest design technologies. However, we also see significant expansion in the private-label category, which we feel will gain market share from conventional front-surface PALs. This value offer will increase private-label business and is fueled by both independent labs producing in-house and larger manufacturers' utilizing off-shore labs via both wholesale and direct channels. Seiko will provide product solutions in all these areas.”

GERARD SANTINELLI President and CEO, Santinelli International

“We are proud of the strong balance we have achieved with our easy-to-use retail finishing equipment and our best-of-breed industrial lab finishing equipment. In addition to our new Me 900 Drilling Edger making its VEW debut, we are thrilled about the worldwide unveiling of our industrial finishing technology, our revolutionary multi-axis SE-1. We intend to push the envelope into increasingly impressive and valuable technology for the market.”

Jim Sepanek Vice president, Rx, SPY Inc.
“SPY is very excited about Vision Expo West in Las Vegas. As a home game of sorts, we expect a tremendous turnout. The brand is on fire, and the addition of our optical frame collection has enabled us to successfully expand the brand into the optical category.”