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FMO SHOW BRINGS SERIOUS BUYERS
Practices wanting to enhance their clinical offering, and choice of premium lenses and frames came to the smartest-ever looking Optrafair with a keen focus to invest in the best products available.
Practice management IT systems and shop fitting were also a major draw for the 6,505 visitors who came from every corner of the UK. Although showing a 14% reduction in attendees over Optrafair 2007, many exhibitors reported their best-ever show results, with no less than 56 new companies showing.
“Greater opportunities for the most forward thinking opticians were in abundance, with more overseas exhibitors than ever before. Independents, particularly, are clearly committed to upping their offering – in every aspect of what they bring to patients. The interest was in how independents can differentiate themselves in the market and stay ahead of the competition,” said FMO Chairman, Andrew Actman.
Barney Streeting, Vision Express Head of Product, summed up the mood of many –
“I am very impressed by the show. It is well organised and well laid out, and I was surprised how many people attended, even on the Monday.”
The stylish new entrance and launch of Optrafair TV, with live interviews and news from the show floor, welcomed visitors from the moment they arrived.
Intended to stimulate, and inspire the development of an optician’s role in the 21st century, the plethora of products and services created a tantalising showcase of practice building opportunities.
Technology
Great interest in OCT technology was the clearest sign of the need to differentiate, as Grafton Optical Managing Director, Brian Bowles, explained:
“Successful independents know they have to differentiate and be ahead of the multiples. They are raising the bar to dispensing, since the Vision Express campaign showed that their practices had cameras and this has driven the independent market higher.”
Andy Yorke, Topcon Director of Medical Division, agreed:
“We had a fantastic Optrafair and the star of the Show was OCT. Many optoms are trying to bridge the gap and OCT provides just that.”
All of the major technology companies reported outstanding sales, not just for OCT scanners, but also for slit lamps, combi units, field screeners and other diagnostics.
Exhibitors who had pre-marketed the show, with many starting their marketing campaigns up to a year before, reaped the benefits of pre-booked appointments and incentives to attend the NEC.
OT Live
The central positioning of the OT LIVE arena, offering free CET lectures, proved an outstanding success –
“It was terrific for us and added great vibrancy to the show. The sessions were packed with hundreds of delegates attending the lectures and the quality of the area was excellent – we were delighted,” said Bob Hughes, AOP Chief Executive.
The first awarding of CET points for completing the show’s CET trail was also welcomed by visitors and exhibitors alike, who see the inclusion of CET as an essential element of Optrafair.
Frames
Frame companies offered visitors an extensive choice from the budget through to prestigious collections offered by Luxottica, Caseco, Bolle, Porsche Design and other niche suppliers within the Fashion Quarter. This enhanced area, given greater space and centred around elegant seating and a champagne bar created a mall feel that was conducive to relaxed shopping.
“This was a great improvement over previous shows and we were delighted to be here, so much so that I have booked the same space for the next show. People came to buy and have been serious about buying,” said Robert Morris, Founder of William Morris Eyewear.
Fashion stylist, Nicky Hambleton-Jones, launched her own label collection under the Olympus Eyewear banner and drew a constant crowd to the stand with the first showing of the designs. Due to be launched to consumers in July, opticians were keen to see her designs and versatile marketing material.
Howard Librae, Group Managing Director of Brulimar, said that the profession should be “reassured by the vibrancy and energy shown at Optrafair and that in the current world they should be in good heart that they are in the world of optics and what a good business it is”.
He added –
“Optrafair came at a perfect time, when a lot of optical practitioners, for obvious reasons, have been unsure as to what they should be doing. Those who took the time to visit the show have been totally reassured by the wealth of product on offer and the thoroughly professional way that the products have been presented.”
Niche suppliers such an Omneco, showing probably the most colourful frames of the show, were delighted –
“We launched our collection at Optrafair two years ago and I came back to capitalise on that and I have not been disappointed. I have a very unusual product and I deal with independents and I am delighted,” said Omneco Managing Director, Helena Finden-Browne.
Optra Awards
Fashion came into sharp focus with the Royal College of Art-judged 2009 Optra Awards presented as the show opened on Saturday morning:
Women’s Ophthalmic
1.Scandinavian Eyewear Skaga 2403
2. Luxottica RayBan 5154-2373
3.Caseco Art 1165
Mens’ Ophthalmic
1. Luxottica RayBan 5154-2000
2. Pro-Design International Pro-Design 7604-C6031
3. Eschenbach Brendel 903501
Children’s Ophthalmic
1. Luxottica RayBan 1517-3541
2. Centro Style Active 15682
3. Zoobug Charlie 44A Flexibug
Women’s Sunglass
1. Caseco Aurore 11
2. Scandinavian Eyewear 8324/9501 AG Peace 1
3. Luxottica Vogue VO2512-S
Men’s Sunglasses
1. Rodenstock Porsche Design p8481c
2. International Eyewear Ocean Blue 9022
3. Eschenbach Titanflex 824006
Displayed at the heart of the show in the Royal College of Art Gallery, the winning frames were part of an inspired co-operation with the RCA which opened graduate fashion students’ minds to the opportunities of designing eyewear: a concept they have not been invited to consider before and which brought a tantalising glimpse of what we might see in the future.
Lenses
The means to create the most advanced spectacle lenses were revealed by a host of international companies. Carl Zeiss Vision launched three new marketing initiatives, giving practitioners additional means of conveying the bespoke message of eyewear to consumers.
“We did a lot of marketing before the show and for us it was better than Optrafair 2007. We had a clear focus to talk about specific aspects of our technology and had pre-booked demonstrations with the 25 staff that we had at the show,” said Peter Robertson, Marketing and Communications Director, Carl Zeiss Vision.
John Conway, Director of Seiko agreed –
“We launched a new video centring system with touch screen technology and this helped us to attract a very good quality of visitors. The fact that we had one of the OTLIVE CET Trail posters on our stand also attracted a strong flow of people who were interested in dispensing. It was excellent idea to gain CET points for completing the trail - it attracted just the kind of people we were looking for.”
For Essilor, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Varilux was the essential message, explained Marketing Director, Jacques Desallais –
“We had a good Optrafair, but manufacturers have to create the event. We worked very hard in bringing our customers to the show and did a lot to attract people to our stand. We briefed our sales force in January and by February were talking about specifics.”
For Rodenstock the show “outstripped our wildest imagination” said Managing Director, Barry Dibble, with strong interest it its two new lenses Rodenstock Life Free and Ergo.
“Our stand was jam-packed and the feedback from our customers about our support for them was tremendous,” he added.
Small Businesses
The fast pace of change in manufacturing optics led to many more specialist companies exhibiting and meeting that need was the Small Business Area. This allowed smaller companies, some for the first time, to show specialist glazing and lab skills, along with additional sales opportunities. Good examples were The EyeBag company and Optrex, launching a new dry eye treatment –
“The show was amazing. We gave away 3,000 information packs and 300 people trialled the product. We were launching this product to opticians and people have responded so well. The show has opened up a lot of opportunities for us,” said Jessica Glover, Assistant Brand Manager, Optrex.
Practice Management
IT companies reported excellent results-
“There was a great buzz to Optrafair. We didn’t have time to look up. Those who moan about the recession had stayed at home and those who want to do business had come,” said Alice Austin, Director, Ocuco.
Optix agreed –
“Everyone was here to buy. The quality of visitors was excellent,” said John Regan, Technical Director.
“The quality of visitors was extremely high and we received many new enquiries. There is a great realisation that technology has moved on and there was genuine interest in electronic GOS forms, in dispensing and electronic catalogues along with linking in with new diagnostic equipment,” said Optisoft Managing Director, Keith Sheers.
John Jackman, Sales Director at Ipro said the show had drawn a “high level and better quality of interest than ever. People are looking for a comprehensive system and there was a lot of interest in our low vision module too.”
Recruitment
Those looking for greater security or new challenges were not disappointed, nor were those recruiting –
Boots Opticians, exhibiting for the first time reported strong interest –
“We thoroughly enjoyed the show and were impressed with the breadth of what was on offer and how professionally the show was put together and run. We were delighted with the amount of traffic to our stand and we had good conversations about franchising and opportunities for young professionals,” said Dave Blenkinsop, Regional Manager, Boots Franchising.
Also exhibiting for the first time was Tesco Opticians –
“We had a good flow of people and it has been great to let people know that we are expanding,” said Vikki Blease, Tesco HR Advisor.
Chris Howarth, of Specsavers Recruitment reported strong interest for their opportunities in Australia and New Zealand, aided by specific presentations “that were very well received, along with our support package for relocating”.
Professional bodies and charities
Supporting the industry and profession, all of the major optical bodies had been given free space to exhibit at the show, including the General Optical Council, the College of Optometry, the Spectacle Makers Company, ABDO, AOP, FODO, the BCLA and of course, show owners, the FMO.
New to the show was the LOC Support Unit, set up just eighteen months ago –
“The show worked so well in enabling me to meet over 150 different optometrists and DOs. The show has given me far more direct contact and it was great to discuss live issues and for the visitors to gain assistance and advice,” said Georgina Gordon, Head of the LOC Support Unit.
Optical charities had also been sponsored by the FMO and reported enormous interest. Stephen Thompson, Marketing and Press Officer of Vision Aid Overseas, commented –
“On Sunday we had more than 50 people at one point on our small stand! We were really focusing on our sustainable projects and the interest has been fantastic in what we are doing in supporting universities and courses in developing countries.”
www.optrafair.co.uk
Issued for Optrafair
By Janice English
01372 465265
April 2009
11 April 2009
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