Vision Expo West 2018 Breaks Attendance Records in Las Vegas

October 12, 2018

Vision Expo West celebrated its 30thanniversary by achieving a nearly double-digit increase in attendance compared to the year before. 

Held Sept. 26-29 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, the annual eyecare and eyewear conference and exhibition attracted 12,579 ophthalmic professionals from across the globe, a sizable increase compared to 2017, when 11,790 attended the event.

The show’s attendance increased in nearly every category, particularly in Opticians and Optometrists, as well as in Independent OD and MD practices, multidisciplinary practices, chains/superstores and laboratories, according to show officials.

The conference portion of Vision Expo West was also robustly attended, with more than 4,500 participants taking advantage of 233 leading-edge educational sessions covering key industry topics including contact lens, business solutions, optical technology, retail strategies and clinical concepts. 

Starting at registration and extending throughout the exhibit hall, 422 exhibitors created unique experiences and memorable environments for attendees seeking to discover trends, interact with new technologies and access innovative products and services.

According to show officials, heavy foot traffic was evident throughout showfloor, including at BLOCK and NEXT, new exhibit hall neighborhoods that featured new exhibiting companies and standing-room-only fashion shows and panel discussions.

“Both teams at Reed and The Vision Council worked collaboratively to emphasize marketing programs that would cultivate excitement in the community for the show and the several new initiatives we launched, including new exhibit hall neighborhoods,” explained Joanne Mohr, event director for Reed Exhibitions, which co-owns Vision Expo with The Vision Council.

She continued, “We focused on marketing that allowed us to expand our reach by providing specifically tailored content to third-party databases as well as a dedication to increasing media placements and boosting social media impressions.”

Those efforts resulted in Vision Expo’s social channels garnering more than 3.8 million impressions, an 11 percent increase from the year before, according to show officials.

Exhibiting companies also enjoyed their fair share of accolades, including Europa Eyewear/STATE Optical Co., which won Best Brand Activation in the show’s Best Booth Awards with its 3D virtual experience that provided attendees with an inside look at their manufacturing process, and Costa, which took home the Best Booth Award for Most Creative Booth Design.

The winners of this year’s Vision Choice Award, in which attendees can view and vote for the best product featured in the Product Gallery, included first place winner, Miraflex; second place winner, Lunette and third place winner, Mó Eyewear.

OptiCon @ Vision Expo, a dedicated program for opticians and contact lens technicians, experienced a successful debut at the show by selling almost 700 packages and experiencing record attendee turnout at its welcome party and OptiCon Hub, a dedicated showfloor space that offered pop-up talks, networking, social events and access to special resources and vendor partners.

Throughout the show, a variety of other events and celebrations combined networking with education on and off the showfloor to provide attendees with plenty of opportunities to connect and collaborate. 

“This year, Vision Expo West was extraordinary,” said Micki Lorelli, a licensed dispensing optician from Juno Beach Optical. 

She continued, “I was excited to attend the 30th anniversary (and) the Show had thousands of collections of eyewear to explore! I even discovered a few brand-new collections. Anything you may need for your optical business can be found easily using the mobile app. My absolute favorite part of Vision Expo this year was meeting people that know me on social media from all over the world that are in our industry. It was wonderful to meet them in person.”

Vision Expo West will return to the Sands Sept. 18-21, while Vision Expo East is set for March 21-24 at the Javits Center in New York City.

 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.