Alexandria, Va.—The deadline for submissions for Vision Expo’s new contest in innovation, the $10,000 Fast Pitch Challenge: Retail and Marketing Game Changers for Your Office, is Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. Submissions should be related to retail or marketing ideas used to grow business in one of the following areas: 1. Clinic or retail space design; 2. Innovative use of technology; 3. Staff development: training, retention, team building; 4. Internal or external marketing programs. Ten finalists will be selected to present in a special event held in the Exhibit Hall, and the winning contestant will be awarded a $10,000 prize. Finalists will be notified via email no later than Tuesday, Feb. 20. Click here to access the submission form.

Hosted by David Ziegler, OD, FAOO, the event will be held at Vision Expo East on Saturday, March 17, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM in the new Innovation Stage on Level 1. Attendees can show their support for their favorite contestant while gaining valuable ideas that have generated proven results.

Each of the ten players will have five minutes to present their retail concept to a panel of five judges:

• Bill Gerber, Creative Director, OMG! Optical Marketing (session emcee)
• Jay Binkowitz, President, GPN Business Consulting
• Sharon Carter, President, Eye Care Optometric Consulting
• Trudi Charest, Co-Founder, 4ECP’s & Total Focus Consulting
• Gary Gerber, President, The Power Practice

Each judge will have one minute to ask questions of the presenter and to critique the idea. The judges will select the winner, who will be awarded a check in the amount of $10,000. The audience will then have the opportunity to ask questions of the top three finalists.

To register or learn more, visit VisionExpoEast.com.