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The Vision Council Hosts Second Event in Summit Series

Last week The Vision Council hosted the second of four events in their new Summit Series. The Optical Innovation Summit—held June 5–6 in Boulder, Colorado—gathered C-level executives and emerging companies in the vision care space to discuss the inevitable changes affecting optical retail.

With the goal of advancing technologies and business models, participants attended a series of discussions, and ideation and reflection sessions, designed in collaboration with Bart Foster, strategic advisor to The Vision Council, that focused on opportunities in the industry, consumer trends and some of the challenges emerging companies are facing.

Foster led an exercise called “The Future Backwards,” where participants identified the current state of the customer journey, then worked backwards to identify the key events and milestones. The group then discussed the ideal customer experience and the steps it would take to create that experience.

Emerging companies including DITTO, Hue.Ai, Pair Eyewear, Cognivue, Eyes4Lives, NovaSight and King Children engaged with industry leaders during the “My Biggest Challenge” session and received feedback on how to successfully grow their businesses in the ever-changing optical landscape.

Attendees were also given the chance to explore Boulder with hikes and walking tours offered throughout the summit, plus opportunities to discover the city’s famous Pearl Street.

“It’s great to see the second event in The Vision Council’s Summit Series be so successful and this year’s Optical Innovation Summit was a wonderful occasion to engage in meaningful discussions,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. “Gathering the industry’s top executives with startup innovators to dig deeper into the customer experience was a great exercise. I’m looking forward to the next event in the series, so we can continue this positive and productive energy.”

The Vision Council will continue their Summit Series with the Marketing Insights Summit, to be held Oct. 15–16 in Boulder, Colorado.

For more information on The Vision Council’s Summit Series including the Optical Innovation Summit, visit thevisioncouncil.org/summitseries.

Source: The Vision Council

Independent Eyewear Show Successfully Debuts in Vancouver June 4th

Eyewear enthusiasts gathered in Vancouver June 4th to celebrate independent eyewear collections along with the area’s independent eye care professionals.  Over 40 different independent eyewear collections from 15 frame suppliers active in the Canadian market were on display.

The event, hosted by Optik Magazine Fashion/Optical Editor Sheena Taff, was the first of three #OptikEyeStyle Showcase events unfolding across the country this year.  The tour’s next stops are in Toronto on Thursday, August 22nd and Montreal on Thursday, September 5th

Attendees were treated to refreshments and a delicious buffet to compliment the visual feast of designer eyewear available exclusively to independent eye care professionals. The shows provide an opportunity for independent ECPs and designer specific eyewear brands to start a conversation on how differentiated collections can distinguish their eyewear galleries in today’s competitive milieu.

The event was supported by “Friends of Independent Eye Care”, including The Optical Group, HOYA Vision Care and Digital ECP.  A full list of the participating frame collections can be found on the OptikNOW.ca website.

The #OptikEyeStyle tour concept arose from annual research of Canadian ECP’s usage and attitudes toward Canadian frame suppliers showing market footprint gains of independent eyewear suppliers relative to those supplying iconic licensed brands from the fashion and accessories space.  The Toronto and Montreal shows will also include a short presentation by Optik’s parent company, VuePoint IDS President, David Pietrobon, on “Trends in the Canadian Frame Market”, based upon two successive years of research results conducted by VuePoint in collaboration with Jobson Optical research.

The events are a unique mix of “mini-trade show” and a networking opportunity where eyewear enthusiasts can peruse the newest collections, meet with friends and learn from interactions with peers and industry experts. 

Limited attendee tickets are available on a first-come first serve basis.  $150 valued gift-certificate door prizes were awarded. Vancouver event winners will be announced in Optik Magazine in July.  

Links to related information:

Attendee Registration information for the Toronto Event:
#OptikEyeStyle Toronto will be held at the novel Artscape Sandbox in the Toronto Theatre district.

Attendee Registration information for the Montreal Event:
The contemporary art gallery, Galerie GORA, near Place des Arts  area in downtown Montreal. 

Information on Sponsorship Opportunities

OKIA Goes Greener with Dedicated Website, New Sustainable Materials

OKIA keeps up its effort to build a more sustainable future of the eyewear industry.

In order to increase customers’ sensitivity to nature and collect attention towards eco-friendly products, OKIA recently launched www.sustainability.okia.com, dedicated entirely to its green solutions. Properties and advantages of each sustainable product by OKIA are illustrated in detail, using all-new graphics in combination with facts and figures about worldwide pollution and interesting tips about how to try to make the world better and to save the environment.

Besides the green products Reshape and Bio Lens that were launched at MIDO, this fresh, eye-catching website showcases two new sustainable materials developed by OKIA: “BD8 – Bio Plastics” and “Bio Polybag”.

“BD8 – Bio Plastics” is a 100% bio-degradable plastic which can be naturally broken into carbon, water and biomass. In a world where approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into the oceans every day, “BD8 – Bio Plastics” offers an eco-friendly solution: millions or even billions of eyewear and other products can be made of bio-degradable plastics which can be absorbed by the organisms and enrich the soil on decomposition. “BD8 – Bio Plastics” is lightweight, durable, crystal clear, hypoallergenic and good for any colour, design or pattern.

One of the BD8 products is “Bio Polybag”, a bio-degradable plastic eyewear bag which can be naturally broken down in 5 years. With a high tensile and impact strength, this crystal-clear product comes as the best alternative to oxo-degradable plastic eyewear bags, as it can completely biodegrade into carbon, water and biomass without leaving any plastic fragments behind.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Varilux® Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

This year, Varilux® is celebrating its 60th anniversary: it was in May 1959 that Bernard Maitenaz had created this revolutionary solution. To mark this milestone, the Essilor Group has organized a tribute exhibition for its employees.

With 680 million Varilux® lenses sold worldwide since 1959 and a long list of successes, including the recent launch of Varilux® X, the Varilux® brand is an industry reference for progressive lenses in the current optical market. This success can be credited to six decades of customer-focused innovation, research and development, collaboration, production and strategic deployment by the men and women of the Essilor Group.

Varilux® has transformed the lives of presbyopes around the world, becoming one of Essilor’s leading brands.

Since the first pair of Varilux® progressive lenses was manufactured in 1959, the lens has been a cutting-edge innovation in its own right and continues to evolve, further improving the lives of presbyopes.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Artistically Inspired Etnia Barcelona Sunglasses

Etnia Barcelona is a brand well known for eye catching advertising inspired by great works of art. The Navona Sunglass is proof that the inspiration goes beyond their marketing campaign and into the design of their frames. With a two-tone coloured mosaic accent, the simple round frame shape of the Navona is transformed into a work of art. Each of the four frame colours are matched perfectly with gradient, natural mineral glass lenses.

Distributed by : www.etniabarcelona.com

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