The full scope of the vision care industry came together to reconnect and do business face-to-face at an energetic Vision Expo West 2022, held Sept. 14–17 at The Venetian Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. Presented by co-owners RX and The Vision Council, the annual sister show of Vision Expo East brought together thousands of ophthalmic professionals and hundreds of exhibiting companies for four days of innovative trends, education and plentiful networking opportunities.

“From reconnecting at networking functions and parties to conducting business on the show floor and taking advantage of the brand new CE program, there was so much energy and enthusiasm throughout the Show,” said Fran Pennella, vice president, Vision Expo, at RX. “Thank you to our attendees, exhibitors and partners, whose support and commitment brought the show to life.” 

In the Vision Expo Exhibit Hall, featuring more than 380 exhibiting companies across several distinct neighborhoods spanning 125,969 square feet, eyecare providers once again had the opportunity to discover trends, interact with new technologies and access the latest and greatest in products and services. Additionally, The Suites offered buyers access to established luxury fashion houses and the latest exclusive upmarket boutiques in a more intimate setting. 

“Vision Expo West 2022 was a successful show for our company in many ways,” said Scott Shapiro, CEO of Europa Eyewear. “We wrote business, we opened new accounts, and we had fun together as a team. It was great to see the aisles busy again and the overall energy was very positive. Most importantly, it was a pleasure to finally catch up with some of the friends and colleagues that I still hadn’t seen since 2019!”

Many exhibitors expressed how essential the Vision Expo shows are to the growth and success of their businesses and said they were happy to experience so much fresh energy and engagement as well as strong showfloor traffic reminiscent of pre-pandemic days.

“Vision Expo is invaluable for us,” said Tina Lahti, vice president of sales and marketing for IOT. “We use this event to reconnect with our customers and our own remote teams. It is a great time to discuss initiatives, announce new products and technologies, and most of all, listen to our customers so we can respond to their business and technological needs. Participating in Vision Expo helps us in so many ways, [and] we consider it to be one of our best marketing investments.” 

Known for its cutting-edge education program, which is driven by the profession and offers premium content designed to enhance overall patient care, Vision Expo West 2022 didn’t disappoint. Its reimagined education program offered more than 320 hours of education, with sessions ranging from the latest business strategies and optical technology to patient care and innovations.  

Returning to the showfloor, OptiCon@VisionExpo offered a showfloor education and exhibit hall experience for opticians, contact lens professionals, allied ophthalmic professionals, optical assistants and office managers, frame buyers and lab technicians. 

Meanwhile, the Innovation Stage served as a main stage destination and hub for collaborative learning as well as the host venue for the EYE2EYE Series panels, an educational series of interactive panels featuring industry experts discussing key industry topics ranging from fashion trend forecasts to tactics for refining patient care. 

The Career Zone-Student Lounge, a destination for students to connect with optical companies that are actively recruiting and explore career resources, also returned to the show. 

“Vision Expo is an essential in-person event for our company, and this year’s show was everything we had hoped for!” said Ken Weissman, president and CEO of Modern Optical International and OCHO Vision. “The strong attendance and robust programming provided countless opportunities to forge new relationships and network with industry partners.” 

He added, “Exhibiting our extensive line of value-oriented eyewear and providing live demos of our virtual try-on platform to hundreds of eyecare professionals over three days is highly impactful to our organization. The Vision Council meetings also provided excellent insight to our industry.” 

This year’s show also brought together key industry groups and supporters, many of which hosted parties, special events and networking sessions throughout the event. Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight, hosted its Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament event on Sept. 14.  

In order to accommodate global eyecare community members who weren’t able to attend the show in person this year, Vision Expo is offering Vision Expo+, a free digital extension of the show experience. Delivered through ShopVISION and available Sept. 15–23, it features online showrooms from Vision Expo West exhibitors and recorded show content, including sessions held at the Innovation Stage in an on-demand format. 

“We loved reconnecting with so many of our members at Vision Expo West,” said Mitch Barkley, vice president of trade shows and events at The Vision Council. “The success of the Show directly impacts The Vision Council’s ability to fulfill its mission of growing the industry through education, advocacy, research and consumer education—so by being here together, we are all helping to elevate the greater industry. Thank you to everyone who made the show so successful.” 

Vision Expo East will return to the Javits Center in New York City March 16-19, 2023, and Vision Expo West will once again take place at The Venetian Expo Sept. 27-30, 2023. 

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