opti 2025 in Munich once again sent out a strong signal for international ophthalmic optics over the past three days of the trade show. Under the motto #weareopti, the trade show proved how well it functions as a platform for innovation, dialogue, future-oriented technologies and trends and how great the enthusiasm for opti is throughout the industry.
“Best opti ever”, “absolutely important”, “great sales”, “a complete success” and “GHM has kept its promise” – this or similarly enthusiastic was the feedback from exhibiting companies at opti 2025; on the visitor side, the number of 21,105 trade visitors with a decision-maker rate of more than 70% spoke for a very successful event.
The positive atmosphere that characterised opti 2025 on all three days of the trade show was the result of intensive cooperation between the opti team, exhibitors and industry representatives, which was driven forward with new ideas throughout last year. The exhibitors’ satisfaction speaks for itself: at over 97%, almost all exhibitors rated the visitor quality as good to very good in terms of interest in the products on their stand. At almost 89%, exhibitors also rated the initiation of business relationships at opti as very good to good – no wonder that more than 90 per cent of exhibitors announced that they are planning to be back at opti 2026.
With 330 exhibitors from 23 countries, including 190 registrations from Germany, opti showcased the entire value chain of the optical industry: the spectrum ranged from frame manufacturers to suppliers of contact lenses and spectacle lenses, leading brands and innovative, independent designers through to consulting firms, IT consultancies, equipment and lens manufacturers as well as shopfitting companies and hearing acoustics.
“opti remains on course for success! After opti 2024, we went one better and it paid off. Combining our information HUBs in the opti HUB ARENA and the joint platform for contact lens manufacturers, TOMORROW VISION, met with a very good response from visitors and exhibitors alike. And confirmed to us that both the concept and opti as an annual kick-off are a success. The latter is based on the close cooperation with our stakeholders and the strong community – it is the sense of community that makes opti what it is!”
Cathleen Kabashi, Head of opti
“I am simply overwhelmed! The atmosphere was impressive, and the enthusiasm of the industry was clearly noticeable. The visitors enjoyed the trade show to the full. I was particularly pleased that contact lenses were shown from a different perspective and really shone in the spotlight with TOMORROW VISION and many expert presentations. It is creative ideas like these that will definitely make opti a permanent fixture for the markets in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond, and further establish it as an important source of inspiration for product range strategies and annual planning,” sums up Dieter Dohr, CEO and President of GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH, the organiser of opti.
Highlights as Far as the Eye Could See
The biggest innovation and thus the highlight of the trade show was clearly TOMORROW VISION, the joint contact lens platform of the nine renowned manufacturers Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Hecht, Hetych, Menicon, MPG&E, SwissLens and Wöhlk. Under the slogan “Contact lenses are the future of ophthalmic optics”, visitors experienced a comprehensive programme with a maximum focus on the advantages of lenses and their great sales potential in the 170 m² joint area.
Another opti highlight was the opti HUB ARENA, in which four info HUBs were concentrated for the first time, in addition to the established opti SUSTAINABILITY HUB and the opti MYOPIA HUB, as well as the opti FUTURE VISION HUB with current trends in ophthalmic optics, including in the frames segment of the trade show. Among other things, the presentations and discussions on the Eyewear Trends 2026 by New York trend expert and founder Selin Olmsted were very popular. The trend tours she led were already fully booked at the beginning of January. No wonder: the earlier the trends are known in the industry and can be used for ordering, the better the chances of being fit for the future.
Right next door: the opti NEXT GENERATION HUB, with which opti, in close cooperation with representatives of the VDCO Young for the young talent in the industry. Speed dating formats such as NextGen Meet-up were on offer here, where youngsters from the optical industry could exchange experiences with each other, for example on further and advanced training opportunities or the Meet & Match format – young talent meets companies.
Awards and opti PARTY
The opti FRAME STAR – The Audience Award was presented for the first time, in which opti visitors voted for their favourite frame among 50 frames using a QR code. We congratulate the lucky winner Munic Eyewear from Munich. The 5th opti BOX AWARD was won by the Berlin start-up Manti Manti for its children’s eyewear design, as announced by the international jury headed by Daniel Feldman from The Optical Journal. Congratulations! The opti PARTY on Friday had already established itself as a must-attend event this year. Here, all trade show participants celebrated the first successful day with cool beats and drinks.
Make a note now: the next opti will take place in Munich from 16 January to 18 January 2026.
Click HERE for the full press release.
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