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 Victoria Mar

LAS VEGAS—While some eyecare practices will host numerous trunk shows in a given year, Vision Source Rhodes Ranch’s events are few and far between. Owner Victoria Mar, OD, tries to have one “every few years at least,” she said. Since opening six years ago, her location has hosted two trunk shows.

The trunk shows originated from Mar’s belief that “It's important just to open your doors to your patients for something fun and different.” During the shows, she emphasizes the social atmosphere for patients to differentiate from the scheduled appointments they usually come in for.

While the goal of shows at Vision Source Rhodes Ranch is to make their presence known within the community, Mar also wants give something back to her favorite patients. “We select the designer based on our most popular frame lines and the patient demographic we want to host,” she said, adding that featuring brands still depends on vendor relations and their availability.
 

Vision Source Rhodes Ranch recently hosted a trunk
show in celebration of their six year anniversary.



And though the real treat comes from showing patients entire eyewear collections from their favorite designers, according to the OD, offering food, drinks, promotional discounts and door prizes also creates “a bit of buzz.” 

Since planning her first trunk show 20 years ago, Mar believes today’s are not much different. “The principles have been the same over time, but the way I contact patients now is different with technological advances like e-mail and social media,” she said. Her practice promotes through direct mail, word of mouth, e-mail blasts, Facebook and Twitter. “The Internet has opened another avenue for contact with our patients,” she added.

If everything goes according to plan, Vision Source Rhodes Ranch will test out an evening event for their next show, one that might come sooner than those past. “I have staff who love hosting and getting the word out,”—both of which she attributes to a successful event—“but it still takes quite a bit of effort.”

— Delia Paunescu, Assistant Editor