MILAN—Organizers of the 45th annual Mido eyewear exhibition, held here at the Fieramilano from Feb. 28 to March 2, have released the final attendance figures. The three-day exhibition reported a record number of more than 49,000 people, 56 percent of which attended from countries other than Italy, for an overall increase of 8.7 percent over 2014, they said.

“Over the past months, we perceived a growing interest in our exhibition and in its fast evolution that picked up even more speed this year,” said Cirillo Marcolin, president of Mido. “The new communication campaign, the new logo, the pavilions located closer to the subway, the revamped and more streamlined layout made for a considerably larger exhibition space (+10 percent) and more exhibitors, 150 new companies, who had fully booked the exhibition space in just a few months.”

“The online pre-registration had us very optimistic on the eve of the opening day, because the outcome was very encouraging,” added Mido vice president, Giovanni Vitaloni. “Attendees took advantage of the more visitor-friendly layout to visit all the theme areas: Fashion District, Lenses, FAiR East Pavilion, and Design Lab with the new Lab Academy area, which was particularly successful. The Otticlub info meetings also attracted a keen, interested audience, which is another sign of the dynamic atmosphere pervading the industry.”

Once again this year, organizers offered the “Two Trains for Mido” service to help the number of Italian trade people who wished to visit. According to organizers, Mido’s importance has also been recognized by the Ministry of Economic Development which has included the exhibition in its special Made in Italy promotion program and which, with the valuable help of ICE, organized an event where a significant number of international buyers and journalists were invited.

“The record attendance figures confirm Mido’s undisputed international leadership, are a reason to be proud and encourage us to do even better in order to continue to be the must-attend exhibition for the eyewear industry,” Marcolin concluded.  

Mido 2016 will be held at the Fieramilano from Feb. 27 to Feb. 29.