Blog

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020

Organizers of Vision Expo Cancel September 2020 Event

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, announce the decision to cancel Vision Expo West 2020, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 23–26. Over the past several months, Reed Exhibitions’ Vision Expo team and The Vision Council worked together to prepare and plan for the highly anticipated event while closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on members of the optical community. With the health and well-being of everyone in attendance at the Show as the show organizers’ primary concern, Vision Expo, along with the Venetian Resort, developed a multi-layered, in-depth plan to ensure the safety of everyone planning on attending.

Despite these efforts the decision has been made to cancel Vision Expo West 2020 as a result of the Nevada Governor’s announcement on Monday, June 26 that Nevada “will remain in Phase 2 of reopening plans through the end of July due to current trends of the coronavirus infection.”

“While certainly disappointing, the decision to cancel Vision Expo West 2020 is prudent and necessary following the announcement of the extension of Phase 2 in Las Vegas into the end of July. Without having visibility on when the state of Nevada will be ready to roll into future phases or what the future phases will allow for, coupled with the unfortunate spiking of COVID-19 cases in the region, we know it is in the best interest of everyone in the vision community to not move forward with the Show.” said Fran Pennella, Event Vice President, Vision Expo, at Reed Exhibitions.

“We pride ourselves on being the industry’s ultimate gathering place and while we recognize and appreciate how important the Show is to the community, we believe this is ultimately the right decision for our customers,” said Mitch Barkley, Vice President of Trade Shows and Meetings at The Vision Council. “At the same time, we understand the vision community’s desperate need and desire to get back to business. To meet this urgent need, we are rolling out a comprehensive series of virtual offerings to bring the optical community together in between our physical events. Some of these offerings include our Virtual Connections program, which links our exhibitors with attendees; the Virtual EYE2EYE series, a series of virtual panels and interactive conversations inspired by Vision Expo’s EYE2EYE Educational Series; and the soon-to-be launched Virtual Vision Series, all of which can be accessed via visionexpo.com.”

With a focus on delivering greater value to the industry and further developing fresh and innovative virtual offerings, Vision Expo is launching a robust 365-digital platform dedicated to bringing the optical community together and allowing business to continue and flourish. The platform will include CE education, allow for direct appointment setting, virtual product showcases, service and product sourcing, and much more. The announcement on Vision Expo’s new virtual platform, its specific offerings and partners will be shared in the coming months.

Attendees and exhibitors who had registered to participate in Vision Expo West 2020 will receive separate, personalized communications in the coming days from the Vision Expo team.

Source: Vision Expo

July 8, 2020June 30, 2020

Frame Designs from PEI by Fellow Earthlings

Jean-François Venne, Optik Magazine’s contributor, spoke with Sydney Seggie about their dream of bringing eyewear manufacturing back to Prince Edward Island, and launching Fellow Earthlings, specialized in sunwear.

Sydney Seggie grew up in the eyewear world. Her father worked at the old Tannereye factory in PEI back in the 1980s. They collaborated with brands like Ralph Lauren and Ray- Ban. Then they moved to the Fukui area in Japan and lived in the thick of the Japanese eyewear industry. As she grew older, Sydney had this dream of making eyewear in Canada and specifically in PEI.

As their name, “Fellow Earthlings” suggests, they are very passionate about sustainability. Their cases are made of organic unbleached cotton and they make sure all production scrap gets recycled into new materials. The frames themselves are handmade from recycled material made in-house, from what would be waste materials. Most of what they make is made to order, so they do a lot of customization. They send catalogues to stores and clients can choose the acetate and the shapes that they want.

Find out how PEI inspires their creations and learn more about Fellow Earthlings HERE!

The full interview with Sydney Seggie, by Optik journalist Jean-Francois Venne is available in the June – July Issue of Optik Magazine.

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020

Marcolin and Moncler Announce Early Renewal of Worldwide Licensing Agreement

Marcolin Group and Moncler announce the early renewal of their worldwide exclusive licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of sunglasses, eyeglasses and ski masks under the branding of Moncler Lunettes.

The partnership, which started in 2015, as reported by Optik NOW, has been extended for an additional five years through December 31, 2025.

Moncler is an iconic brand that has always combined its unique style with constant innovation. The eyewear collection made by Marcolin Group reflects the brand values and stands out for its excellence, technological innovation and combination of aesthetics with functionality.

Marcolin Group will continue to embody the brand’s iconic features in all the eyewear collections as they are made available worldwide.

Click HERE for the full press release.

July 7, 2020May 20, 2026

COS: City Inspired

Code™ uses Canada’s diverse cities and people to inspire and influence frame design. Sketched in Montreal, The Stylish “Bety” takes inspiration from Edmonton’s famous Mural on Whyte Avenue in the heart of the trendy Old Strathcona neighbourhood.

Featured model: CD 1050 C.1

Distributed by COS: canadianoptical.com

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020

Carl Zeiss Vision Canada Announces Two New Additions to the Senior Leadership Team

ZEISS Vision Care announces additions to the Senior Management Team designed to further strengthen partnerships and support Canadian Eye Care Professionals.

Olivier Debregeas joins ZEISS Vision Care effective March 2020 as Business Development Director for Sales and Marketing. Born and raised in Paris, he has lived and worked in France and Spain, until moving his family to Canada 10 years ago. He brings a wealth of international experience in Sales, Marketing and Business Development. “I’m very excited to join Carl Zeiss Vision Canada and will be committed to upholding ZEISS values and supporting Eye Care Professionals with the best in class service in the Optical Industry”

Ob Hussain has been appointed to the new role of Marketing Manager for ZEISS Vision Care Canada effective February 2020. Ob is an experienced licensed Optician, working in the optical industry for over 19 years and joined Zeiss Vision in 2019. Over his career, Ob has held various roles in optical manufacturing, including customer care and sales. In his new role, he will manage all aspects of ZEISS’ products and Go-To-Market strategies. “Over my career, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in our industry and I look forward to bringing them to light with ZEISS. I am passionate about supporting our Eye Care Professionals and look forward to developing a long-term partnership across Canada.”

“As our business continues to evolve, we are adding additional resources in the areas where we can work with the ECP’s to drive ZEISS technology to support and differentiate them in the marketplace. Olivier’s years of business development experience along with Ob’s understanding of the optical industry is a perfect match for this,” says Bryan Rossi President of Carl Zeiss Vision Canada Inc.

Click HERE for the full press release.