More than 18,700 eyecare professionals attended International Vision Expo East in New York City March 22-25 to see what was trending in frames and what was new in lenses and equipment technology. Tom Loughran, vice-president of Reed Exhibitions, a co-owner of the event, reported that there was a ten percent jump in attendance from the previous year.
With 570 exhibitors from 23 countries, show management capitalized on the Groupon and Daily Deal coupon craze of late by offering a “Show Specials Catalog” of giveaways, raffles and celebrity appearances listed by 375 exhibitors. This helped drive booth traffic and generated floor buzz. Since Apple launched the new iPad only days before, many exhibitors including Dynamic Laboratories Inc. and Kodak Lens raffled off the new iPad. The biggest raffle of all was The International Vision Expo East luxury car lease sweepstakes. One attendee won a Mercedes Benz C-class automobile each day of the show.
New this year was the addition of another high-end frame pavilion —The French Loft. It bridged the main show floor with the luxury exhibit space—The Underground. This area showcased the latest in French frame design. It debuted with 12 French exhibitors including Lotho France, Jacques Durand Lunetier and Pierre Eyewear.
New Equipment
Santinelli International debuted the Me 900, a more simplified version of its Me 1200 Multifunctional Edger. The new edger features a radius measurement unit that measures the radius of the lens for proper cut-out and orients the lens for faster processing speed. It includes a “jog-dial” and design color display for ease of use and precision operation.
QSpex Technologies launched the QSpex Premium Lens System, which allows vision care providers to produce top-quality spectacle lenses in their offices in about 35 minutes. Product availability includes single vision, polarized and advanced digital progressive designs with seven-layer hydrophobic and oleo phobic AR treatment.
Briot USA rolled out its all-in-one edger, Emotion. This sleek machine features state-of-the-art capabilities including shape modification, customized grooves and angled drilling. The easy-to-use touch screen makes it suitable even for beginners.
Super-Systems Optical Technologies presented its Fast Grind 2200 Modified Lens Surfacing System. Updated include refined tuning, that results in super smooth grinding patterns to produce digital HD progressives. The machine also features a portable watering system, which can recirculate water from a storage device allowing more consistent lens quality.
Fashion and Frame Launches
In the main eyewear pavilion Carson Kressley, host of the make-over show Carson Nation on the OWN network, served as the emcee of Safilo USA’s Spring/Summer 2012 fashion shows held three times daily on Friday and Saturday. Of course, there were many new designer frame launches that debuted at the show. At the Marchon booth, attendees got to view the company’s recently-acquired eyewear brands: Nine West, Ferragamo and Valentino.
Viva International Group introduced Mark Nason eyewear, a unisex, rock ‘n roll inspired ophthalmic and sunwear collection. One of the most prevalent eyewear shapes on the show floor for both men and women were retro, wayfarer plastic frames. Many were updated through triple laminates in fresh colors like mint green or unexpected finishes such as brushed tortoise. This style was exemplified through Viva’s new Gant by Michael Bastion unisex collection, which was inspired by the ‘70s TV show The Brady Bunch. Each frame was named after a member of the Brady bunch family.
Further echoing this trend was the launch of Danny Gokey Eyewear from Match Eyewear. The line is targeted towards men ages, 22 to 35, that have an artistic edge like Gokey—who is best known for his third-place finish on American Idol season eight as a country/pop singer. Gokey was on hand to autograph Vision Expo East T-shirts on Saturday of the show. Other celebrity sightings included Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb, who was at the Classique Eyewear Booth to promote her new, namesake eyewear collection inspired by the singer’s signature cat-eye glasses.
The Latest in Lenses
On the lower floor of the show, lens manufacturers featured a number of technical innovations. Hoya launched Distortion Free Optics that combines the company’s patented Avanteck tab mounting system designed into the lenses to eliminate the need for obstructive screws, wires or rims. This makes the lenses more durable compared to drill mounts and they are less distorted. The product was voted “Best New Product for 2012” by show attendees.
Carl Zeiss Vision continues to push the advances in personalized progressive lenses through its Zeiss Individual 2. These lenses allow dispensers the option to include extra support in the near or intermediate zones. Zeiss Individual 2 also employs the Rx, frame and position-of-wear customization used in the original Zeiss Individual progressive.
Transitions introduced its new photochromatic Vantage Adaptive Lenses. They are designed to both polarize and darken with UV exposure. The lenses utilize a completely different technology than current photochromatics and polarization. Current photochromatic molecules darken in random patterns creating an even tint. But Vantage lenses have a variable level of polarization, which results in higher-definition clarity of vision.
Essilor unveiled its Eye-Sun Protection Factor System, which is an evaluation system that rates the UV-blocking properties of a spectacle lenses in a similar way to sunscreen. The purpose of the new evaluation system is to improve consumer knowledge about the need for visual health protection and the irreversible dangers of UV light.
The show wouldn’t have been complete without its annual EyeRock concert on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Café. Industry musicians gathered to make music and raise funds for OnSight, a Luxottica Foundation, which is a non-profit group that provides eyecare and eyewear for needy people around the world. Lisa Loeb made a guest appearance at this year’s impromptu gig.
Mark your calendars for International Vision Expo West, which takes place September 5-8 2012 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.