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February 2, 2021February 2, 2021

GMAC Elects 2021 Board of Directors

The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC), an advisory board under the World Council of Optometry announces its 2021 Board of Directors. Formed in 2019, the coalition comprises leading ophthalmic companies and eye health associations focused on the clear need for increased public awareness about childhood myopia.

The GMAC 2021 Board of Directors includes:

Juan Carlos Aragon, GMAC Chair. President, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare
Matt Oerding, Immediate Past Chair & Marketing Committee Co-chair. CEO & Co-founder, Treehouse Eyes
Lisa McAlister, Marketing Committee Co-chair. Global Myopia Lead, Johnson & Johnson Vision
Kovin Naidoo. Senior Vice President, Social Impact, Africa & Latin America, Essilor
Millicent Knight, Senior Vice President, Customer Development Group, Essilor of America
Bill Scott, President, Jobson Healthcare Information
Marc Ferrara, CEO of Information Services, Jobson Healthcare Information
Raul Trillo, Chief Commercial Officer, Nevakar Inc.
Tony Sommer, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Visioneering Technologies Inc.
Scott Mundle, Immediate Past President, World Council of Optometry

Founded with a mission to “promote public awareness of childhood myopia as a treatable disease through direct-to-consumer channels and awareness with governments, NGOs and other health care associations,” GMAC does not advocate for specific clinical approaches. Instead, it’s designed to stimulate public interest and prompt parental conversations with eye care practitioners.

“I’m proud to serve as chair of GMAC, helping build on an ever-growing body of work to advance awareness among parents about childhood myopia,” says Dr. Aragon. “Being part of a movement that has the potential to improve millions of lives is incredibly motivating and inspiring. We know that no company can do this alone, but together we are making a difference that will be felt for generations.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

February 2, 2021February 2, 2021

Safilo Reports Full Year 2020 Preliminary Sales

The Board of Directors of Safilo Group has examined the Group’s preliminary net sales for the financial year ended December 31, 2020. The full year annual results will be approved by the Board of Directors on March 11, 2021.

Safilo’s preliminary 2020 net sales equaled Euro 780.3 million, down 15.2% at constant exchange rates and 16.9% at current exchange rates compared to Euro 939.0 million recorded in 2019, due to the sharp decline following the severe lockdowns to fight the Covid-19 global pandemic.

The main drivers of the Group’s Q4 2020 net sales performance were:

The resilience of the North American wholesale business, up 8.9% on an organic basis excluding the acquisitions and at constant exchange rates. Q4 total sales in North America were up 27.0% at constant exchange rates and 19.2% at current exchange rates, thanks to the contribution of Privé Revaux and Blenders Eyewear;
The challenging trading conditions in Europe, where net sales declined by 18.0% at constant exchange rates (-16.0% for the wholesale business) and 19.4% at current exchange rates.

A business rebound in Asia Pacific, with the quarterly sales up 28.1% at constant exchange rates and 24.1% at current exchange rates, from -6.4% in Q3 2020.

The progress of Safilo’s online sales in Q4 stands at around 12% of the Group’s net sales (from around 4.5% in the same period of 2019), thanks to the contribution of Blenders and Privé Revaux’s e-com activities, and to an organic online sales growth of +60.9% at constant exchange rates, driven by Smith’s D2C channel and by the Group’s sales generated through internet pure players.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Etnia Barcelona Foundation Partners with Vons Vision to Aid in Eye Examinations for Children and Students

Etnia Barcelona Foundation, in collaboration with Vons Vision, will be partnering with 5 local optometrists to aid in eye examinations for children and students in need. This event will take place in Brandon, Florida on February 6 from 8am to 4pm.

In addition to the basic screenings and full examinations, Etnia Barcelona Foundation will facilitate the corrective eyewear needed for every child.

The demographic targeted by this outreach program faces significant barriers as a result of their visual impairments. For younger children in elementary school, poor vision leads to a greater inability to perform fundamental skills like reading and writing.

Because a child may not be able to see words and numbers correctly, their ability to learn and develop is greatly impeded. Even vision that is only slightly worse than that of their classmates can cause children to quickly fall behind in school, significantly hindering their education in the long run. Etnia Barcelona Foundation in collaboration with Von’s Vision hopes to ensure that subpar vision will not negatively impact these students inside and outside the classroom.

Below is the list of confirmed doctors:

Dr. Ornella Aluweisi of Eyes On Lakeland
Dr. Ryan Oldin of Eyes On Lakeland
Dr. Pauline Thai of Florida Eye Specialist & Cataract Institute
Dr. Kimberly Chaney
Dr. Marielle Alcantara of OptiMart

The program currently has over 150 registrants and counting.

To register go to: VonM i ller.org

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021

Bank of Canada Donates 650 Smartphones to Canadians with Sight Loss

The Bank of Canada is donating 650 of its gently used smartphones to Canadians with sight loss through CNIB’s Phone It Forward program.

Phone it Forward refurbishes modern, gently used smartphones, loads them with accessible apps, and puts them directly into the hands of Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. The program also provides recipients with technology training.

“This is so much more than a green initiative aimed at reusing smartphones, it’s about putting accessible technology and a powerful tool in the hands of Canadians with sight loss,” said Maureen Carroll, Bank of Canada’s Managing Director, Currency.

Sixty-one per cent of Canadians with sight loss use a smartphone in their daily activities, according to CNIB’s 2020 Technology Use Survey.

Phone It Forward recipients learn about accessible apps that can enhance independence, such as travelling with GPS, taking the proper dosage of medication, identifying colours and faces, reading printed text, accessing live video assistance from a sighted volunteer, and dozens of other day-to-day tasks that may have seemed challenging before.

“The Bank of Canada’s generosity will go a long way towards revolutionizing daily life for hundreds of individuals who are blind. For many of the recipients, a smartphone would have been out of reach,” said John M. Rafferty, CNIB’s President and CEO. “CNIB challenges other Canadian businesses and corporations to follow the Bank of Canada’s footsteps and donate their gently used smartphones to change the lives of Canadians with sight loss.”

To donate your smartphone, make a financial donation or learn more, visit phoneitforward.ca.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Organizers of Vision Expo Announce that VEE 2021 to Take Place in June in Orlando

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, announced that Vision Expo East 2021, originally scheduled to take place at the Javits Center in New York City from May 25–28, 2021, will now take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from June 2–5, 2021. The Show’s educational program, together with OptiCon®@Vision Expo, will open Wednesday, June 2 and exhibits will open Thursday, June 3. The decision was based on the current restrictions on large gatherings in New York State and the successful track record of previous events held at the Orange County Convention Center.

“It is our mission and responsibility to the vision care community to provide a platform to effectively show products and conduct business,” said Mitch Barkley, Vice President of Trade Shows and Meetings at The Vision Council. “With strict limitations on large gatherings still in place in New York, we wanted to find a suitable location that would allow us to provide the exceptional Vision Expo experience that the community needs and deserves.”

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions selected the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) as the new host site with the safety and wellbeing of all Vision Expo attendees in mind. The OCCC has strict health and safety precautions in place, as well as upholding all nationally recommended precautions, including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing. Additionally, the OCCC is part of a first of its kind collaboration between Orlando Health and Visit Orlando, which provides convention groups with personalized medical planning and support. The OCCC was one of the first convention centers in the nation to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s GBAC STAR™ accreditation, which is designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention, and is widely recognized as the gold standard of safe and prepared venues. The Orlando International Airport holds the same accreditation.

Additional information on Vision Expo East 2021 will be announced soon, along with registration details.

Source: Vision Expo

GMAC Elects 2021 Board of Directors

Safilo Reports Full Year 2020 Preliminary Sales

Etnia Barcelona Foundation Partners with Vons Vision to Aid in Eye Examinations for Children and Students

Bank of Canada Donates 650 Smartphones to Canadians with Sight Loss

Organizers of Vision Expo Announce that VEE 2021 to Take Place in June in Orlando

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