(L to R) The Vision Council’s Greg Chavez; 
Dr. Tamas Szentes, Deputy Mayor of the
City of Budapest; The Vision Council’s Ed Greene; Ranaan Naftalovich; and
Tibor Gross.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. and BUDAPEST, Hungary—The Vision Council’s European Sunglass Committee, formerly The European Sunglass Association (ESA), kicked off its first meeting for members on May 15 since formally becoming a Committee of The Vision Council. The two-day Spring Conference was held at the Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge Hotel, Hungary with by more than more than 50 vision industry professionals in attendance from 11 difference countries. The ESA officially merged with The Vision Council in October 2012.

The 2014 program features valuable networking opportunities and sessions on topics designed to help industry executives expand their businesses in a global marketplace. Interactive presentations and panel discussions included an exclusive session on the global economy from renowned Professor of Economics Julius Horvath, PhD, of Central European University in Budapest.


Additional presentations focused on the EU and U.S. optical markets, with panel discussions on the impact of 3-D and HD printing on the optical industry as well as the latest in sunglass lens technology, fashion and function. In the evening, members were invited to a networking reception followed by a gala dinner.

The event also featured an update on the latest European regulatory activities and a panel presentation on sunglass and ophthalmic frame marketing strategies for the retailer. The conference concluded with a presentation on wearable technology and the optical industry.