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November 29, 2019November 29, 2019

2019 OSI National Summit

The 3rd edition of the OSI National Summit took place from November 15 to 17, in Whistler, BC. Close to 250 optometrists, opticians and visual clinic employees from across Canada gathered at the Fairmont Château Whistler for a weekend of discoveries, training and seminars presented by renowned speakers.

“We strive to foster a strong entrepreneurial culture among owner optometrists in Canada. Through innovation and continuous improvement of our practice management solutions, OSI Group Members can benefit from a full range of value-added tools and services that provide a competitive edge and pave the way to a thriving business model for independently owned clinics across Canada” said Patrice Lacoste, President and CEO of the OSI Group.

Eyewear Fashion and Style

The event was off to an impressive start on Friday night with the presentation of the “Travel Without the Jet Lag” fashion show, which played host to the latest trends in eyewear.

The highlight of the show was the stunning Transitions® dress, made entirely from 200 of the latest innovative grey-coloured light intelligent Transitions® Signature® GEN8 lenses provided by Essilor Canada. The dress was modelled by Vancouver-born Ashleigh McIvor, Canada’s ski cross gold medallist at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Created exclusively for the OSI Group, this distinctive composition was crafted by fashion designers Vincent Knesevith and Branagan Auld.

Supplier Trade Show

More than 30 partners and suppliers were onsite to showcase their latest collections of fashion frames in a variety of colours and styles, as well as present some of the leading-edge technologies in lenses, dry eye treatment and screening instruments.

Conferences and Training

A line-up of keynote speakers and training professionals, such as award-winning entrepreneur and digital marketing expert Darrell Keezer and Dermatologic Surgeon and Clinical Professor Dr. David Zloty shared their expertise on a wide variety of patient care and practice management topics.

Throughout the weekend, participants also took advantage of networking opportunities during summit activities breaks as well as gourmet meals like the Chef’s competition on Friday night and the Black & White theme dinner on Saturday.

The 2020 edition of the OSI National Summit will be held from November 20 to 22, at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto.

Click HERE for the full press release.

November 28, 2019October 18, 2019

Chloé Introduces the New Vintage-inspired Ayla Style

The aesthetic of Chloe’s Ayla sunglasses, inspired by reading spectacles of the 50s, exudes a fusion of fashion forward design and vintage allure. The ultra-thin and ultra-light metal silhouette has a distinctively petite half-moon shape, while the new saddle bridge allows the frame to be worn high or low on the nose for a play on different looks.

Distributed by Marchon: www.marchon.com

November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

Transitions Optical Appoints Christine Zeggil as National Key Account Executive, Canada

Transitions Optical announced Wednesday that Christine Zeggil has re-joined the Transitions North America Sales Team as the National Key Account Executive, Canada. In her new role, Zeggil’s primary responsibility will be to provide support and contribute to the growth and development of targeted national accounts through well-defined strategic sales and marketing plans.

Zeggil has more than 24 years of experience in National Sales Management and Strategic Business Development, having spent the last 19 years in the optical industry. Zeggil re-joins the Transitions organization after spending the last 5 years with Hoya Vision Care as their Regional Sales Manager for Central Canada. Prior to that, she held the role of Transitions Business Manager, Canada for the last 8 of her 14-year tenure with the organization.

“Christine was a valued member of our team as Transitions Business Manager for Canada in the past, and we are excited to see her array of talents and positive attitude return to our Canadian team in her new role as National Key Account Executive,” said Drew Smith, Director of North American Channels, Transitions Optical, Inc.

Source: Transitions Optical

November 22, 2019November 22, 2019

Essilor and Vision Impact Institute Support # glasses4women

Essilor and the Vision Impact Institute firmly support #glasses4women, a movement to highlight the critical role good vision plays in creating a more balanced world for women.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 56% of the world’s blind and 55% of the people with vision impairment are women. Yet one of the most critical gender imbalances exists in the social stigma attached to wearing eyeglasses. The concept of a woman’s beauty has been so deeply ingrained in some societies that women who wear spectacles are often considered unattractive. As a result, young women are waiting too long to correct their vision and it can have serious consequences.

Vision Through the Gender Lens
Recent reports aired by Japan’s Nippon TV and Business Insider Japan revealed that women in Japan working in a number of industries have been instructed by the companies in which they work to refrain from wearing eyeglasses on the job. The same rules do not apply to their male counterparts. Reasons given for the policy range from appearance to safety. This issue is not only happening in Japan but in several other countries across the globe. In South Korea, a female news anchor wore eyeglasses on air for the very first time in 2018, in the history of all live news programs on Korea’s three major broadcasting channels.This bold action challenged stigmas surrounding spectacle wear for women. A study in rural India shows that some people refused to wear spectacles, as they are deemed cosmetically unacceptable. This has led to a fear of rejection from the opposite sex as well as teasing from colleagues.

Users Voice Their Thoughts Online
A series of hashtags including #glasses4women have been trending on Twitter since early November. In line with the Vision Impact Institute, Essilor applauds the thousands of social media users and traditional media outlets that have spoken out against this decision and are continuing to do so.

Watch this video to learn more about this campaign:

Click HERE for the press release.

November 22, 2019December 3, 2019

Seneca Opticianry Student and Instructor nominated for Ontario Premier’s Award

A prominent Seneca Opticianry graduate and instructor, Shan Khan, RO, has been nominated for the prestigious Ontario Premier’s Awards. The Premier’s Awards honour outstanding contributions from graduates of Ontario Colleges in seven different social and economic categories.

Ms. Khan is a prominent and respected member of the optical community. For nearly four decades she has fulfilled her life mission as a dispenser, educator and business consultant.