It’s a brand new day for Imaginative and prescient Expo East, the trade-only convention and exhibition for eye care and eyewear offered by co-owners RX and The Imaginative and prescient Council. The 2025 version is the present’s debut on the Orange County Conference Heart from Feb. 19 to 22 in Orlando Fla.
“Shifting to Orlando represents a transformative chapter for Imaginative and prescient Expo East, a mirrored image of direct suggestions from our valued attendees, exhibitors and stakeholders,“ defined Ashley Mills, chief government officer of The Imaginative and prescient Council.
“As the one present designed for the optical trade, by the optical trade; the transfer creates the chance for vital reinvestment in immersive, thrilling and memorable present experiences that enhances our core values of innovation, style, training and know-how. The conference middle and surrounding district creates a extra linked and community-driven setting, with convention rooms, exhibit corridor, accommodations and eating in shut proximity, offering the backdrop for guided networking and serendipity.”
At one of many cubicles at Imaginative and prescient Expo East.
Courtesy The Imaginative and prescient Council
This 12 months’s occasion welcomes greater than 300 eye care and eyewear manufacturers to showcase the trade’s main imaginative and prescient services, serving to to develop areas exterior of the States. “Our transfer to Orlando has allowed us to focus on and make sure progress many strategic segments, significantly from Latin America and Southern areas,” the chief mentioned. “We’re seeing elevated curiosity from numerous geographical areas and key trade verticals, reflecting the present’s esteemed model recognition, coupled with rising enchantment and accessibility.”
Orlando will see a reimagined present ground to offer a transparent delineation of key classes and to introduce segments which can be consultant of your entire trade, with distinctive locations for eyewear, eye care, know-how and innovation, and unbiased design. “This 12 months, we’ll even be introducing a devoted house for unbiased labs in addition to a continued partnership with the Italian Commerce Fee and Italian Optical Producers Affiliation with 16 Made in Italy eyewear designers rounding out the Italian Pavilion,” the CEO mentioned.
Mitch Barkley, vice chairman of commerce reveals at The Imaginative and prescient Council, echoed, “The reimagined Imaginative and prescient Expo occasion is designed to profit eyewear boutiques, trade consumers, optometrists and opticians like by no means earlier than. Orlando guarantees an unimaginable environment that enhances Imaginative and prescient Expo’s recent, thrilling expertise.”
On the coronary heart of the improved expertise sits the Primary Stage the place day by day programming — together with thought management classes, skilled panels and keynote interviews — will stay. The stage may also characteristic the Flaunt the Body style reveals offered by the Equipment Council, showcasing choose frames from the expanded Now Traits Showcase.
A rendering of Imaginative and prescient Expo East in Orlando.
Courtesy The Imaginative and prescient Council
“Imaginative and prescient Expo’s Primary Stage will characteristic a strong schedule of panel discussions, style reveals and interviews on subjects equivalent to rising AI in eye care, trade evolution and sustainability, and over-the-counter eyewear,” the CEO mentioned. “You received’t need to miss Caroline Casey’s, president for the Worldwide Company for the Prevention of Blindness, session, the place she’s going to give an inspirational speak about how the optical trade can unite to vary lives and resolve the worldwide imaginative and prescient disaster. We’re bringing style to Orlando with two Flaunt the Body style reveals, and a style traits presentation. We are also extremely excited to host a keynote interview about innovation in enterprise that includes tennis legend Venus Williams and sports activities broadcaster Kelly Tilghman.“
Tennis legend Venus Williams will take part in a keynote interview about innovation in enterprise with sports activities broadcaster Kelly Tilghman.
Courtesy The Imaginative and prescient Council
Different new present ground options embrace:
The Platinum Membership for VIP practices and media: “We’re thrilled to debut The Platinum Membership as an upgraded VIP space for our giant $1 million-plus practices, hosted consumers, members of the media and social media influencers. The Platinum Membership will probably be situated on the present ground in a personal house perfect for networking, conducting small conferences and interviews, and to reenergize all through the day with day by day complimentary facilities.”
The OptiCon Hub offered by the United Opticians Affiliation: “This 12 months, the choice Hub will probably be situated inside Imaginative and prescient Expo’s ‘Useful resource Heart’ close to the primary stage. Imaginative and prescient Expo companions with United Opticians Affiliation and The Imaginative and prescient Council to ship accredited and non-accredited training alongside a one-of-a-kind buying expertise and invaluable networking for spectacle and get in touch with lenses opticians. The optician group at Imaginative and prescient Expo will join in a enjoyable, partaking setting together with candy surprises within the hub, like complimentary ice cream,” she mentioned. Representatives from the United Opticians Affiliation will probably be obtainable throughout present hours for attendees to be taught extra about member advantages and entry sources associated to credentialing and persevering with training.
A brand new centralized Useful resource Heart: “The useful resource middle is a brand new vacation spot, situated proper down the middle aisle of the exhibit corridor, devoted to constructing information and advancing profession progress within the trade. The Imaginative and prescient Council together with the United Opticians Affiliation and lots of different trade organizations and charitable companions are centralized right here to offer a key location for information and alternatives. Guests can make the most of complementary headshots, community over a beverage, soak up content material from the primary stage, check out new modern merchandise and total, study the place the trade goes and how one can develop within the trade,” she mentioned.
Now Traits Showcase: “Returning to Imaginative and prescient Expo East, the Now Traits Showcase and Awards will highlight the most recent traits in eyewear and a number of the hottest merchandise throughout the present ground. This 12 months’s showcase will invoke themes of sensorial design, spotlight trade innovation, nod to timeless classics and heritage designs, and have eco-conscious and sustainable frames. We look ahead to honoring manufacturers and their frames throughout seven completely different classes on the Now Awards, offered on the Imaginative and prescient Expo predominant stage on Thursday night. Choose frames from the Showcase will probably be featured within the Flaunt Your Body style reveals going down on the Primary Stage on Thursday and Friday,” she mentioned.
OTC Showcase that includes direct-to-consumer merchandise and Indie Lab Speakeasy: “Debuting in Orlando, we’re excited to unveil two new locations aimed toward partaking new audiences that haven’t all the time had a house at Imaginative and prescient Expo. Our Indie Lab Speakeasy will present an area for members of the Impartial Lab group to share details about their respective labs, educate the broader imaginative and prescient trade on unbiased labs, conduct conferences and, after all, have some enjoyable. The OTC, or Over-The-Counter Showcase, will supply a number of the trade’s finest direct-to-consumer manufacturers the chance to show their model and merchandise and permit attendees to interact with this rising revenue middle.”
On the middle of the present, 12 months after 12 months, is a deal with group and networking. “Networking is on the coronary heart of Imaginative and prescient Expo East,” the CEO burdened. “We’ve created a number of devoted areas and experiences to foster connections, from the Useful resource Heart to the Indie Lab Speakeasy, V Bar and numerous networking lounges. With greater than 300 exhibitors and 270 hours of constant training, attendees may have unprecedented alternatives to attach, be taught and develop.”
An Attendee at Imaginative and prescient Expo East.
Courtesy The Imaginative and prescient Council
Off the present ground, the occasion is profiting from the brand new location with a wide range of particular occasions and events deliberate for attendees. The brand new Opening Night time Occasion and Music Fest will take over a number of bars at eating places at The Pointe, situated strolling distance from the conference middle, “and can supply one thing for everybody,” she mentioned, with a wide range of expertise together with a DJ, nation music opener and a stay rock band. Attendees are additionally invited to the brand new Tropical Poolside Cocktail Reception on Friday night time that includes a stay calypso band, unique birds and different themed activations.
Again once more this 12 months, the Italian Pavilion produced in partnership with the Italian Commerce Fee and the Italian Optical Producers Affiliation, will showcase 16 Made in Italy firms. “These designers improve the range and class of the eyewear showcased at Imaginative and prescient Expo. Presenting extraordinary eyewear collections, that spotlight the fusion of conventional craftsmanship with fashionable design aesthetics. Attendees can count on to witness a various vary of types and improvements that showcase Italy’s continued dedication to excellence within the eyewear trade,” Mills mentioned.
Imaginative and prescient Expo East serves as a hub for cutting-edge applied sciences and product launches. “From AI and AR/VR to superior diagnostic instruments and medical improvements, the Tech & Innovation neighborhood will showcase the way forward for the optical trade,” the CEO defined. “This occasion version may also debut a pattern of our future progress space for brand new know-how, Launch Pad situated within the Useful resource Heart. This new vacation spot to find probably the most cutting-edge innovation within the trade will characteristic eight firms debuting superb know-how that actually expands the way forward for affected person care. The imaginative and prescient trade as an entire is consistently evolving and innovating to offer higher eye well being services to individuals in every single place, and that’s what we’re showcasing right here.”
The training middle on the present.
Courtesy The Imaginative and prescient Council
Further occasions embrace the Optical Ladies’s Affiliation Champagne Breakfast: Celebrating Ladies in Management celebrating our 2025 OWA award recipients; the seventeenth annual Imaginative and prescient Monday Summit on the Dr. Phillips Heart for the Performing Arts, a dive deep into how collaboration drives the trade ahead; the Forestall Blindness Particular person of Imaginative and prescient Dinner, celebrating Purcell on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“Imaginative and prescient Expo East is greater than only a commerce present — this present is a complete providing for the trade with persevering with training, a present ground that includes new merchandise and galvanizing and academic predominant stage programming,” Mills mentioned. “We’ve created an setting that celebrates creativity, innovation and group, providing one thing invaluable for each skilled in eyewear and imaginative and prescient care.”
