By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, October 24, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—On October 10, people worldwide, both within and outside of the optical industry, took the time to recognize and celebrate World Sight Day. A day dedicated to the promotion of eyecare and overall eye health, this year’s World Sight Day celebrations were specifically directed at shining a light on eyecare for children. As
reported in
VMAIL, many of the industry’s largest companies and organizations stepped up for World Sight Day—but they aren’t the only ones who made a difference. The work many ECPs do on a local level and in their own communities is just as impactful. Here, we take a look at how some indies recognized this important day for our industry.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, October 10, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—
Prevent Blindness has once again declared October as Contact Lens Safety Month, with the goal of educating the public on the proper use of contact lenses, both prescription and cosmetic. With Halloween on the horizon and some costumes calling for a change in eye color, October is an ideal time to reinforce the importance of proper and safe contact lens use; to do so, Prevent Blindness is offering a variety of resources including fact sheets, social media graphics and
dedicated webpages. For ECPs, there are plenty of ways to prioritize contact lens safety this month. Here, we’re taking a look at the social media push that some indies are using to spread the word.
By Staff
Thursday, October 10, 2024 8:15 AM
NEWARK, N.J.—The
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced that it is cohosting two education events this fall aimed at women entrepreneurs as a continuation of the 2024 National ChallengeHER road tour. The SBA will partner with
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and
American Express (AMEX) on the education initiatives. ChallengeHer is a government contracting education initiative that aims to bring more women-owned firms into the federal government’s supply chain, encourages participation in the SBA’s
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program and provides an avenue for government agencies to meet qualified women-owned small business contractors.
By Liza Amlani and Raj Dhiman of Retail Strategy Group
Friday, October 4, 2024 8:05 AM
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape the way we work. Every sector will feel
its impact. This includes health care, retail and everything in between. As technology evolves,
the question becomes how do we evolve in parallel? John Naisbitt provides the answer in his
book “Megatrends.” Although published in 1982, his insights are as relevant today as they were then.
By Staff
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 10:10 AM
When Kinjal Bhatt, OD, opened the doors to Kind Eyes in Chicago, Illinois, on June 29, 2024, it was a long-awaited celebration. The journey to get there was one of resilience over three years of planning, searching, many hurdles and, finally, success. “It was nothing like I expected it to be like,” Dr. Bhatt says. “I was just an optometrist before; now I’m the optician, optometrist and secretary doing everything. It forces me to think in a different way, and I enjoyed that.” The beginning of Dr. Bhatt’s path to ownership moved slower than she expected, she says.
By Staff
Friday, September 13, 2024 7:20 AM
ST. LOUIS—The American Optometric Association (AOA) is celebrating September as Paraoptometric Appreciation Month, its formal observation of optometric practice staff who support the delivery of patient eyecare. As September winds down, there is still plenty of time for independent ECPs to show support for their paraoptometric teams—and the AOA provides several resources and suggestions to make that even easier.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, September 5, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—
Women In Optometry has announced that it will award nine women ODs with a Theia Award of Excellence on Thursday, November 7, 2024, during the American Academy of Optometry’s Academy 2024 in Indianapolis, Ind., according to an announcement from
WO. This is the ninth year for this annual awards ceremony. Each year,
Women In Optometry asks readers and friends to submit the names of women who have been extraordinarily influential in the industry. This year, more than 200 nominations were submitted; the
WO advisory board votes for the winners.
By Staff
Thursday, September 5, 2024 8:20 AM
GOLDEN, Colo.—In August, Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) issued its 2024 World Sight Day Challenge in support of its mission to eradicate uncorrected refractive error through the growth and expansion of optometry around the world. The Challenge is the organization’s largest annual fundraiser. This year’s theme is Giving Together, Seeing Forever, which OGS said celebrates the collective power of the optometry community to give the gift of sight to millions of people in need. The Challenge runs from now through the end of October, with World Sight Day scheduled to be celebrated on October 10.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—The back-to-school season is officially upon us. Across the country, students are headed back to the classroom; some have already started the fall semester, while others are in the last few days of their summer breaks, but either way, a large portion of Americans are thinking about the upcoming school year. As teachers, families and students get organized, it’s an important time for the optical community to remind them how important eye health is for a successful academic year. Here, we’re taking a look at what some independent ECPs are doing to get into gear for the school year.
By Staff
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 8:15 AM
Nine-in-ten small businesses surveyed are optimistic that their company will achieve its goals this year, according to American Express’ fourth
Amex Trendex: Small Business Edition. "At the mid-point of 2024, we asked small businesses to look back on the goals they set for the year, and we found that they’re satisfied with their progress and successes over the first half,” said Gina Taylor Cotter, executive vice president and general manager of small business products at American Express. “Younger and digitally-native business owners are feeling particularly energized by the possibilities and resources available to them, and they’re thinking creatively about new ways to grow their businesses.”
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, August 8, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Prevent Blindness has again declared August as Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, with the goal of educating parents, caregivers, professionals and policymakers on the important role vision and eye health plays in children’s development. As reported in
VMAIL, Prevent Blindness is marking this month with free materials on children’s vision, including fact sheets, social media graphics,
toolkits, videos and webpages on a variety of topics about children’s vision from infancy through adolescence. The NCCVEH provides
resources on getting children ready for school, taking a child to an eye doctor, preparing a child for wearing glasses or contact lenses and tips for preventing eye injuries.
By Staff
Thursday, August 8, 2024 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—From now through the end of September, aspiring eyewear designers have the chance to see their dreams become a reality with Europa’s seventh annual DB4K Design Duel, a design contest with one winning design that will be produced and appear in an upcoming DB4K collection. As in past years, the contest is easy to enter: ECPs can download the Design Duel coloring sheets for free from Europa
here, and their patients can design to their hearts’ content.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—It’s summertime and the weather is warm, which means many of us are spending more time than usual outside and in the sun—and that the sun is at its strongest. In recognition of this, July is recognized as UV Safety month across the industry, providing another opportunity for ECPs to educate patients and communities about the importance of keeping their eyes protected from UV rays. To close out July, we are taking a look at how some ECPs have used UV Safety Month to shed some light on UV light.
By Staff
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 8:20 AM
BARCELONA—Independent eyewear brand
Etnia Barcelona has launched Moi Aussi, a new art and design project that aims to support artists and bring their work to an international stage. This project begins at the Abbazia Della Misericordia church in Venice, Italy, recently acquired by Etnia Barcelona, which will become the Moi Aussi Creative Lab. Etnia Barcelona will invite two international artists each month to create their own work of art using eyewear at the Creative Lab. These art pieces will then be exhibited in different galleries and museums around the world, Etnia Barcelona said.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—On June 27, sunwear and summer enthusiasts alike celebrated National Sunglasses Day by breaking out their favorite pair of sunnies, snapping a selfie and posting on social media. National Sunglasses Day, which occurs on June 27 every year, is a fun and interactive holiday for everyone—but, most importantly, it creates the perfect opportunity for ECPs to remind patients and their communities just how important it is to keep our eyes protected from the sun. This National Sunglasses Day, independent ECPs took to local news stations, social media and more to educate the public and spread some sunny fun.