NEW YORK—This year, over 100 hours of free education will take place on the show floor in addition to the 320+ hours in the classroom with the profession’s most respected leaders. This year’s education offerings, coupled with thousands of new product launches, have drawn more optometrists and high-end buyers than before.

“As an eyecare practice dedicated to providing our community with top-level eye exams and the latest styles of eyewear, we love Vision Expo,” said Scott Mann, OD, of Invision, with offices in Christiansburg and Salem, Virginia. “We have three ODs and nine staff traveling, as we have done in past, to take over 60 hours of total CE. Having everything in one place—the education, products, trends and solutions – makes it easy to stay updated on best practices and provide the best possible care and treatment for our patients. Meeting in Manhattan adds spice as well!”

“The people who come to Vision Expo think differently, challenging the status quo,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. “Third-party research reports that ECPs who attend Vision Expo believe the conference is a quality event that keeps them connected to advancements in eye care, and the best place to source new products and find the latest trends in eyewear.”

“It’s with this forward-thinking mentality in mind that Vision Expo delivers unique programs and education that enhance practice profitability, including the collaboration with Google and Marketing 4ECPs as well as the new Optical Profit Center,” said Melissa Ashley, Senior Vice President of Reed Exhibitions. “You’ll be more profitable and provide higher level patient care by connecting with a network of leading experts who care about learning and advancing the profession.”

To read today’s copy of the Show Daily Edition, click here. And stay tuned for more VMail from Vision Expo East on Sunday.

DALLAS—Essilor of America announced earlier this month that, for the first time, it will sponsor no-interest financing for up to six months for qualified patients who purchase any of Essilor’s premium lenses, which are Varilux, Crizal, Transitions, Xperio UV and Eyezen.

The offer, a key part of the Power of Vision promotion, is offered exclusively to independent eyecare professionals, Essilor noted. And it demonstrates the “company’s commitment to drive more patients to independent eyecare professionals’ practices,” according to the announcement.

According to Essilor, a recent study found that 55 percent of ECPs and 43 percent of patients are interested in such a financing offer. Of interested patients, 77 percent would buy at least once a year and 40 percent would buy two pairs, the survey found.

The promotional financing offer is designed to incentivize patients to visit their ECP and maximize the available rebates. Without it, consumers typically purchase a pair of eyeglasses every two years and only 5 percent purchase a second pair, according to Essilor.

“With Power of Vision, patients can receive promotional financing and $10 rebates per eligible product with a maximum of $30 in rebates per pair of glasses,” Essilor said in its announcement. The rebates will be paid with a Visa Rewards card that is mailed to patients.

“The combination of a consumer rebate coupled with the opportunity for customers to pay for better vision over time is a one-two punch in terms of making sure ECPs are not only seeing more patients this year, but are selling more glasses as well,” Essilor of America chief marketing officer Carl Bracy said in the announcement.

“It also reinforces our commitment to innovation. We are the first and only manufacturer that offers no-interest promotional financing and a rebate, driving educated consumers who are ready to buy.”

The Power of Vision program will be supported by Essilor’s national advertising campaigns including television and online media, which will encourage consumers to find an independent ECP through an exclusive online locator tool.

For more information, visit the website PowerofVision.com.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The AOA and Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation announced the 2017 National Optometry Hall of Fame inductees. Since 1998, the National Optometry Hall of Fame has recognized and honored doctors of optometry who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to the optometric profession.

The three inductees—Paul Berman, OD, from New Jersey (posthumous); John Casto, OD, from West Virginia; and James Sandefur, OD, from Louisiana—will be honored at a ceremony during Optometry’s Meeting in Washington D.C. on June 22.

The late Dr. Paul Berman was the founder of the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes Program. Dr. Berman advocated for the need for vision care for intellectually disabled children and adults worldwide. Dr. Berman originally developed the program as a project for the former AOA Sports Vision Section (SVS) during his term as president of the section in 1991.

Dr. John Casto served as chief of eye services in the U.S. Army in Verdun, France after completing his optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry. He then returned home to St. Albans, West Virginia and began his private practice as well as service to the West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians (WVAOP). Dr. Casto later became the oldest practitioner in his state to successfully pass the injections course mandated by the state board of optometry to practice the highest level of care for his patients.

Dr. James Sandefur provided eyecare to the citizens of his community for 30 years, and has served as executive director of the Optometry Association of Louisiana since 1997. During his tenure, membership has nearly doubled. Working with his membership, Dr. Sandefur has spearheaded dozens of bills helping doctors of optometry better serve their patients. He also helped defeat other proposed legislation and resolutions that would have been detrimental to the profession and the public's access to eyecare.

Visit www.optometrysmeeting.org to register for Optometry’s Meeting, which takes place Jun. 21 to 25. For more information on the National Hall of Fame, click here.

MIAMI—The North American subsidiary of the independent Barcelona eyewear brand, Etnia Barcelona, announced the opening of a new, custom built multifunction showroom. The showroom is designed to offer customers an extensive immersion into the brand as well as facilitate a unique buying experience for American, Latin American and Canadian customers, the company said.

Boasting nearly 5,000 square feet of space, the multifunction showroom features offices for regional leadership, a showroom allowing for effective sales and exposure of the brand’s unique selling proposition as well as a warehouse allowing for more efficient distribution across the Americas.

Designed by Miami architecture studios KoDA Miami and Daniel Villa, AIA, the space received the 2016 Merit Award of Excellence for Unbuilt Work from AIA Miami and is the largest in size after the company’s Barcelona headquarters.

“Since acquiring full distribution of the brand in the Americas in 2015, Etnia Barcelona has been aggressive about driving growth in the Americas to parallel the company’s European market share,” said Miquel Huguet, North American general manager, Etnia Barcelona. “The opening of our new space in Miami allows us a strong gateway to the region and positions us as a strong contender in the eyewear category for customers looking for quality design and product.”

With a commitment to tapping into culture to influence the brand’s creative spirit, the location for the new facility was purposely chosen in Miami’s Little Haiti, one of the fastest growing business districts with deep roots to the city’s cultural landscape the company said.

The design and structure of the new multifunction showroom features freestanding walls that will serve as canvases for local artists to help tell the brand story and live into Etnia Barcelona’s creative, stylistic freedom; offices for regional leadership and staff; flexible open floor plan that allows for collaboration, innovation and future growth; spacious and contemporary interior, inspired by the brand story of art, culture and design and a display of the full current collection of Etnia Barcelona products, a total of over 1,000 different references.

UNITED KINGDOM—Optrafair partners FMO and MA Exhibitions announced that a new alliance with Opti-Munich https://www.opti.de/en/ will be launched at Optrafair on April 3.

“This is a great strategic alliance,” stated Andy Yorke, chair of FMO. “Opti is one of the fastest growing eyewear shows in Europe and Optrafair showcases the best of the U.K.’s manufacturing, distribution and supply of ophthalmic optical products and equipment. This partnership will benefit both shows. “

The alliance is another step for the revolutionized Optrafair taking place April 1 to 3, which visitors and exhibitors will experience at the show and will ensure that both shows will be promoted to potential exhibitors and visitors to maximize their success.

To keep up with the latest financial news in the optical industry, go to VisionMonday.com and click on Financial under the Business category.

During MIDO we met William Chui in the pavilion dedicated to companies from Hong Kong. More