Optical Prism October 2017 | Page 40

A view of VEW By Denis Langlois Vision Expo West truly was the "place to be" for those in the eyewear and eyecare industry. The annual event, which took place Sept. 13 to 16 in Las Vegas, featured exhibits by 525 companies, according to The Vision Council, which co-owns the trade-only Vision Expo events with Reed Exhibitions. Two hundred companies were in the Eyewear and Accessories Pavilion, 45 companies - representing 155 brands - were in The Suites, 60 showcased their products in the Galleria, 85 companies had booths in the Lens Processing Technologies area and 135 com- panies could be found in the Medical & Scientific Pavilion. "Reports from exhibitors indicate that this year’s show has been their strongest in recent years, with many indicating record show sales and buyers who are thrilled with the latest collections," said Melissa Ashley, Reed Exhibitions senior vice-president. She said social media buzz reached an all- time high for Vision Expo, surpassing two million impressions by mid-day Friday of the conference. Highlights of the event included: two panel presentations by Women’s Wear Daily, which were livestreamed to their four million follow- ers; a fashion panel by Women’s Wear Daily and Transitions Optical featuring style icons and designers Coco and Breezy as well as Patience Cook of Transitions and Brandy Joy Smith of WWD; and Digital Marketing Talks in the Partners Connect Lounge with Google Campaign Strategist Brandon Lawlor and Premier Partner Marketing4ECPs. Here are some images from VEW: 40 Optical Prism | October 2017 Coco and Breezy Dotson, co-founders of Coco and Breezy Eyewear and Transitions ambassadors, were special guests at this year’s Vision Expo West. Isabelle Mongeau, left, president of Nikon Optical Canada and North America, and Trudi Charest, co-founder of 4ECPs, at the VIP Google Connect event at VEW. A sample of new Safilo frames were on display in the Safilo suite at VEW.