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ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, today announced plans to consolidate Vision Expo East, due to be held March 26-29 in New York City, with Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, Sept. 23-26. The decision, according to an announcement sent this afternoon, "is based on active and close monitoring of ongoing developments related to the COVID-19 virus; recent reports from public health officials and in line with national and regional authorities and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, together with extensive consultation with Vision Expo’s partners at The Vision Council and in the global vision care and services community."

The statement said, "Vision Expo’s top priority is to provide a safe environment for everyone involved, while continuing to provide the best customer value to the community. Leading up to the Vision Expo West event, the Show organizers will continue to serve the industry, creating ways to connect, collaborate and keep our world moving during this difficult period." They noted:

1. During March, Vision Expo will work to develop virtual meetings between contracted exhibitors
and pre-registered attendees.

2. Vision Expo will work to create customized services for participants in order to maximize
successful outcomes at Vision Expo West.

“This was a difficult decision for our organization, but ultimately The Vision Council’s Board of Directors believes the safety and well-being of our members, exhibitors, attendees and staff must come first,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council. “Furthermore, we want to be respectful to the exhibitors and attendees who would not be able to attend Vision Expo East due to travel restrictions.”

Yancy Weinrich, COO of Reed Exhibitions, said, “Vision Expo East is a pivotal event that brings together our diverse industry to celebrate advances in eyewear, eyecare, technology and fashion. Over the past year, our Vision Expo staff and the entire show community worked tirelessly to plan a completely reimagined show that we were looking forward to unveiling in March. This will now take place Sept. 23-26 in Las Vegas and we’re excited for the show at that date.”

The announcement continued, "The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions express their sincere gratitude to exhibitors, members, attendees, suppliers and staff for their support during this challenging time and look forward to bringing the vision community together at Vision Expo West."