BUSINESS Unaudited Numbers Indicate 15,156 Attendees at Expo East, Organizers Say By Staff Monday, April 20, 2015 12:01 AM NORWALK, Conn.—Focused on a fresh new theme—Visionaries in Education, Fashion, and Technology—this year’s International Vision Expo East featured four days of education and exhibits with preliminary reports of 15,156 attendees, according to unaudited attendance figures show organizers told VM. “From the education hall to the Exhibit Hall, the entire Vision Expo East experience is developed based on what we know matters to the profession now, and where it needs to go,” said Deborah Castor, vice president of shows, The Vision Council. “The exclusive education is informing collaborative care practices, product innovation, and buying activity while the Exhibit Hall is showcasing and previewing what’s on the horizon.” Following two years of research and planning, the popular Galleria and Underground Pavilions were relocated to Level 3, creating a high-fashion hub for buying activity. Buyers asked for a more convenient solution to visit these pavilions, as well as the Eyewear & Accessories Pavilion and International Vision Expo responded, show organizers said. The new show layout also made it convenient for eyecare professionals to easily source and purchase from the hundreds of vendors inside the Medical & Scientific and Lenses & Processing Technology Pavilions located on Level 1. With the relocation of The Galleria and The Underground, Vision Expo hosted the eyewear designers of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (edCFDA) for a standing room only panel discussion on “Speaking of Design,” an opportunity which Christian Roth of Christian Roth Eyewear said helped to “link eyewear and fashion even closer.” “Vision Expo continuously differentiates itself by bringing in experts to challenge ECPs to understand how their environments and customer engagement skills influence their business at every level,” said Tom Loughran, group vice president, Reed Exhibitions. International Vision Expo & Conference announced the winners of the Vision Choice Awards chosen from exhibitors in the New Product Showcase Gallery, located in the Crystal Palace of the Javits Center, where attendees got a first-hand look at the frames, accessories and medical and lens technologies being introduced at the show. This year’s Vision Choice Award winners: Christopher and Andrew Shalhoub with Parkman Sunglasses from Mountainside, N.J. (1st place); Ian Rubinstein with Specs of Wood from Woodmere, N.Y. (2nd place); and Helene Goldschmidt and Brianna Hulburd with Lunette USA from Buffalo, N.Y. (3rd place) represented the top new products at Vision Expo East 2015. International Vision Expo & Conference will conduct a detailed, third-party audit of attendance at International Vision Expo East. Verified figures will be available sometime in May, according to show organizers. Vision Expo East returns to the Javits Center in April 2016 (Education: April 14 to 17, Exhibition: April 15 to 17). Overheard at Expo East NEW YORK—At Vision Expo East, the Vision Monday staff was hard at work on the convention floor, speaking to exhibitors and show goers alike to learn what brings them back year after year and what it is they were hoping to accomplish at this year’s show. Education continued to rank high on attendees list of priorities, while scoping out the latest fashion trends and newest technologies was also a big draw: “We see an uptick in the market. We invested in a new booth this year because we believe in this industry.” —Corinne McCormack, Frames and Accessories Designer “I love going to Vision Expo East because I think the education is phenomenal. You have so many choices so you get to go to all different courses and you can pick what you like. I love that the show floor is right outside the door. You can leave a class and go check out the technology you just heard about. –April Jasper, OD, FAAO, Advanced Eyecare Specialists, West Palm Beach Fla. “This year at Vision Expo, we didn’t come with a specific game plan. Our main goal here was to meet new people as well as strengthen the existing relationships with our current customers. We view this as our mission field, so something as simple as giving encouragement or hope was an accomplishment.” —Amy Schneider, Eyes of Faith, Sharon, Pa. “I wanted to meet a few manufacturers especially for contact lenses. My overall Expo experience has been great. I like how they set up the layout of the show which makes everything easier to see as well the Vision Expo app.” —Sharon Hope, GFK, New York, N.Y.