MUNICH—Show organizers are preparing for opti 2024, scheduled for January 12 through 14 in Munich, Germany. This year’s show features four full halls with around 390 exhibitors and 44,000 square meters of exhibition and meeting space. For the first time, the trade show is set up to showcase four opti Hubs: trend, myopia, sustainability and career. The Trend Hub is located in Hall C3, and will feature a mix of trend presentations, hands-on technology demonstrations and digital experiences where attendees can search for the latest trends themselves.

Cathleen Kabashi, opti director, said, “With its finger on the pulse of the times, opti in Munich provides impetus for recognizing and exploiting business opportunities in good time—in the form of the results of the first Optics Trend Radar by opti. Technical gadgets can also be tried out on site: From smart holotables to VR glasses used in eye diagnostics. While concise trend stand-ups by international and German industry insiders will keep guests up to date quickly and effectively, the opti Runway Bar will have drinks just around the corner.”

In Hall C4, the opti Myopia Hub, supported by Hoya, will feature international experts and practitioners. Sponsors, including Hoya, CooperVision, Essilor, Rodenstock, Oculus, Visall, SwissLens and MPG&E ,will comment on research results, insights and best cases. The extensive program with a total of 22 specialist presentations will be available online at www.opti.de from the end of December.

The opti Sustainability Hub, supported by Focus with Sustainability Award, is also located in Hall C4. This hub will offer lectures and discussion panels on the topics of ecology, economy and social issues. The fist-ever opti Sustainability Award will also honor outstanding initiatives in the field of sustainability; this is a further development of the goals of the Sustainability Interest Group (IG), which forms the jury for the award.

The IG is an association of experts from manufacturers and opticians who have been committed to greater sustainability within the industry since opti 2022. In an official statement, the jury members said, “We are delighted to see the three selected finalists pitching for the first award at opti 2024. This year's popularity shows how much this topic moves our industry and how intensively optical companies are already working on solutions. Every idea submitted is a win—for everyone—and for the industry itself.” The award ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 12, at 3:00 p.m.

Finally, the brand new Career Hub, supported by eyebizz, will be located in Hall C3. In this Hub, employers and jobseekers can meet. There will also be a job wall, presentations on career topics and live discussions with professionals at informal themed tables.

At this year’s show, attendees can also book free tours on all three days. All topics and dates are available online here. The #WEAREopti party also returns this year, in Restaurant C1/C2 after the first day of the show.

opti is also debuting opti Connect at the show, a digital networking platform that will allow year-round interaction between visitors and exhibitors. The platform also offers targeted trade show planning, as well as personalized and interactive functions to bolster the exchange between exhibitors and visitors, extending it beyond the show itself.

The 2024 edition of opti is scheduled for January 12 through 14, 2024. Registration is open online at www.opti.de/en/.