KINGWOOD, Texas—Vision Source said its online Virtual Exchange set records in member attendance and participation, volume of purchases and total proceeds over its recent seven-day run, which ended in late September, according to an announcement Monday. Initiated in 2016, the Virtual Exchange brings Vision Source optometrist members and vendors together in a virtual event that has been tremendously successful for all involved, Vision Source said. Members can buy top-tier equipment and optical products at discounted prices while vendors are able to generate significant revenue in a highly efficient manner. The event has grown every year since inception, Vision Source noted. Next year's event is expected to be held in the September/October time period, but the exact dates have not yet been determined, a spokeswoman told VMAIL.

“At Vision Source, we are constantly working on new, innovative ways to create value for our member optometrists and vendor partners,” Vision Source president and chief executive officer Jim Greenwood said in the announcement. “This particular event is highly unique and fundamentally different than any other show in the optical industry. It was created to provide another channel through which vendors can reach our collective membership with great product deals.”

During the "completely online" event, Vision Source members visited virtual booths supported by participating vendors. The 2019 session featured nearly 39,000 visits to the virtual vendor booths. “It has been amazing to see this grow into what it is today,” Vision Source executive vice president and chief clinical officer Dr. Amir Khoshnevis said. “Anytime we receive highly positive feedback on an initiative from both Vision Source members and our vendor partners, we know we are onto something good.”

Among the participating vendors companies was CooperVision and Bausch + Lomb, according to the announcement. CooperVision senior corporate account manager Ranjan Misra said in the announcement, “We had a tremendous experience this year and will absolutely be back in 2020.”

Founded in 1991, Vision Source is North America's most extensive network of independent optometrists consisting of over 4,500 optometrists.