NEW YORK—Jobson Research, in a new "Quick Poll " Survey, gauging attitudes and intentions around a specific development or topic, asked ECPs and suppliers from across the country and around the industry their views toward the recently announced plans of Vision Expo East to move its upcoming show to an event taking place June 2-5 at Orlando's Convention Center. The survey, conducted last week, generated 813 responses, however, the survey was tallied and filtered to reflect the views of ECPs and suppliers who have participated in prior editions of Vision Expo East.

As VMAIL reported on Jan. 29, The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, announced that Vision Expo East 2021, will now take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. from June 2-5, 2021.

In the Jobson Quick Poll Survey conducted last week, 53 percent of ECPs were aware of the recent date/venue change. Three-hundred and eighty-nine ECPs who had previously participated in Vision Expo East weighed in with their opinions. Thirty percent said they were unsure about their attendance plans, another 18 percent said they were "still undecided, but likely" to attend, while 6 percent said, "yes" they would attend. Forty-six percent said they did not plan to attend.

Asked if the change to Orlando from New York affected their decision to attend, 26 percent said they were more likely to attend the show in Orlando while 34 percent said they were less likely to attend, and 40 percent said the location had no impact on their decision. When it came to the date of the Vision Expo East show, moving from the previously announced late May dates in New York, to the June 2-5 dates in Orlando, 27 percent of the respondents said they felt "more likely to attend" the show in June, 10 percent "less likely to attend in June" and for 63 percent there was "no impact" on their decision to attend.

In questions to vendors/suppliers, who had taken part in prior Vision Expo East events, there was a mix of respondents among frame, lens, contact lens, equipment, instruments and other companies. Seventy-three percent of them had taken part in a prior Vision Expo East and 93 percent were aware of the new dates and venue in June in Orlando. As of the February Pulse survey, 28 percent of these suppliers said they planned to take part in the Orlando show in early June, while 31 percent were "still undecided, but likely" to attend, 22 percent were "undecided" and 20 percent said they would not take part.

“We appreciate Jobson conducting this timely research as we embark on the planning process for hosting Vision Expo East in Orlando in June. While we look forward to welcoming back the attendees and exhibitors who typically attend the show, we are also energized by the opportunity we have with the show’s new location to expand the accessibility of Vision Expo East to eyecare providers in the southeast region of the U.S.,” said Mitch Barkley, vice president of Trade Shows and Events at The Vision Council.

He added, ”We are working closely with the Orange County Convention Center and state and industry associations to elevate awareness of the show and encourage attendance. Ultimately, we hope to welcome a new set of attendees who may not have attended in the past, alongside our long-standing attendees. We anticipate that as we continue to educate the community about what to expect at the show and the health and safety measures that will be in place, attendance and interest will continue to grow.”

The full Jobson Quick Poll Survey about views toward Vision Expo East being held in Orlando in June can be downloaded here.

Jobson Research has been regularly polling ECPs across the U.S. through 19 "Waves" of ECP Coronavirus Surveys since March of last year and also issues a regularly weekly Jobson COVID-19 Tracker Report, combining data from several sources, to track attitudes and business impact since the COVID-19 shutdown in mid-March 2020.