March 23, 2023 — Vision Expo East 2023 gathered thousands of eyecare professionals—from optometrists to office managers, and frame buyers to lab technicians—to New York City’s Javits Center March 16-19.
Eyecare Business was in attendance with a packed schedule. From not-to-miss presentations, insider chats with industry players, and real-time updates from the exhibit hall, EB curated a full course of content live from New York City, which can be found on demand here.
The show floor hosted 425 exhibiting companies in its seven neighborhoods: The Park, The Union, The Focus, The Springs, Look East, The Atelier, and Panorama, the newest addition to Vision Expo. More than 300 hours of continuing education sessions covered topics from the latest business strategies to patient education tactics and cutting-edge innovations. Familiar pillars of the show—including the opticianry education program, OptiCon; the student networking lounge, Career Zone; and the main stage destination, The Bridge—each returned with their own events and programming. Highlights from The Bridge included a keynote by legally blind ultrarunner Jason Promero, an exclusive conversation with radio personality and author Delilah, and EB’s eyewear trends presentation.
Beyond exhibits and education, awards were granted to honor exemplary retailers and products. Primary Eye Care was announced as the fifth annual OPTIum Independent Retailer Award recipient in recognition of its products and store design, and the inaugural NOW Awards honored brands that embodied the latest trends and innovations in eyewear:
- NOW Best Sunglass Award, under $250 retail category: Rimmel Eyewear
- NOW Best Sunglass Award, $250 to $500 retail category: Ethnicity Eyewear
- NOW Best Sunglass Award, $500 and above retail category: Le Lab by Pierre
- NOW Best Optical Award, under $250 retail category: Mita
- NOW Best Optical Award, $250 to $500 retail category: Maison Nathalie Blanc
- NOW Best Optical Award, $500 and above category: Baars x Gogosha
- NOW Optical Achievement Award: James Spina
- NOW Special Design/Brand Activation: Vintage Frames Company
- NOW People’s Choice Award: Strak Eyewear
Next on the horizon, Vision Expo West will be held in Las Vegas Sept. 27-30.
For more information: visionexpo.com.