NEW ORLEANS—The unseasonably cold temperatures that froze the Big Easy earlier this month could not put a chill on Essilor of America’s 2014 national sales meeting, held here Jan. 6 to 10.

The energy level was high among the roughly 700 attendees, including Essilor sales consultants, brand managers, independent wholesale distributors and suppliers. Essilor executives mapped out plans to increase the company’s already sizable share of the spectacle lens market. They announced several major new initiatives, including the launch of Transitions Signature VII lenses this month, the rollout of national consumer advertising for Xperio UV prescription polarized sun lenses in second quarter, 2014, the launch of a television commercial for the Crizal lenses that began airing Jan. 13 and a Varilux television pilot ad scheduled for April.

Essilor executives also said the company would “reset” sales and marketing programs for its Varilux S brand of digital progressive lenses in an effort to increase awareness and understanding of the brand’s benefits among eyecare professionals. To further spur growth of Varilux S, Essilor plans to increase the number of labs that can process the lenses to 34, nearly double the current number.

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Miriam Arond, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute, spoke about the quality tests performed successfully on Crizal lenses.

(L)Janelle Routhier, OD, Essilor’s director of ECP education, with Steve Shawler, president, Essilor Vision Foundation.

John Carrier (l) and Kevin Rupp (c) of Essilor caught up with their former colleague, Mike Daley, now of The Vision Council.

Howard Purcell, OD, senior vice president of Essilor’s customer development group, greeted attendees at the general session.

Michael Keating (l) of Spectera with Kim Clynes of Midland Optical.

(L to R) Jean Marc Leroy, Essilor of America, with Cecile Doussinault and Bruno Decreton of Essilor International.

(L to R) Icare Labs’ James Payne and Scott Payne with Essilor IDD’s Nick Turner and Dave Cuffe.

Nicole Wheeler of Vision Craft and Steve Sutherlin of Sutherlin Optical enjoyed the Essilor party at the House of Blues in the French Quarter.

Sherianne James, director of North American marketing for Transitions Optical, listened while baseball great and Transitions spokesman Cal Ripken, Jr. made a point during the general session.