Vision Expo Announces Virtual EYE2EYE Series, Launching April 15

Tuesday, April 14 2020 | 14 h 51 min | News

Vision Expo is launching the Virtual EYE2EYE Series, a series of virtual panels and interactive conversations inspired by Vision Expo’s EYE2EYE educational series. Launching Wednesday, April 15, the Virtual EYE2EYE Series will take place on a weekly basis with a new topic every Wednesday and Friday. The series will feature several panels originally scheduled for Vision Expo East 2020 presented in adapted formats, as well as new, timely conversations addressing current challenges in the vision community related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During this unsettling and very disruptive time for the industry, we recognize that it is more important than ever to stay connected, to support one another, and to learn from each other.” said Fran Pennella, Vision Expo event vice president for Reed Exhibitions. “We hope that this series will serve as both an inspiring outlet that encourages creative dialogue, as well a useful tool for members of the industry to share advice and information as we continue to adapt to an unprecedented reality that is evolving on a daily basis.”

EYE2EYE’s Coffee Talk series will take place on Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. ET. Moderated by a different industry expert every week, the series will provide guidance and actionable business strategies to help eye care providers protect their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as practical insight for keeping businesses afloat while the pandemic is still developing. Topics include how to determine profitable projects that employees can work on from home to improve retail operations; engaging with employees during closure; and implementing e-commerce businesses.

On Fridays at 4:15 p.m. ET, EYE2EYE will host Happy Hour, featuring up-and-coming as well as established creatives talking about what inspires them and providing advice on how to stay creatively engaged. The Happy Hour sessions will present several highly anticipated panels originally scheduled for Vision Expo East 2020, including The Art of the Collab, featuring some of the most prolific collaborators in the eyewear industry and Independence @ The Creative Edge, spotlighting retailers and vendors known for their keen sense of daring. The Happy Hour series also will present entirely new panels, like the Definition of Avant-Garde.

Happy Hour will also feature an adapted version of the Next Generation of Retail Speed Dating—one of the panels originally planned for Vision Expo East 2020—during which new and potential business owners will have the opportunity to learn from the industry’s most successful independent retailers. The adapted format will present one mentor per session for a Q&A session with audience members selected through an online application.

To register to attend the Virtual EYE2EYE Series, visit west.visionexpo.com/virtual-eye-2-eye.