MUNICH—At the upcoming opti show, to be held here May 13-15 at Fairgrounds Munich, a dozen young designers will be showing their new interpretation of spectacles and competing to win the first opti BOX Award. The criteria are design, sustainability, functionality, technology and marketing. The 12 start-ups will present themselves in the YES independent design area.The awards ceremony will take place live on Saturday May 14 at 12.30 p.m. in Hall C2 in the opti BOXES.

The companies' products will be judged by an expert jury consisting of representatives from opti, eyebizz and fashion/eyewear bloggers who will select the best start-up. The opti BOX Award prize is endowed with a voucher for opti stand rental for 2022 and 2023 of €1,000 each, plus marketing PR support from the partners eyebizz and Ebner Media Group worth a four-digit amount, opti organizers said.

The 12 participating opti BOX start-ups are described here. A full list of participating opti exhibitors can be found here.

In particular, opti 2022 will shine spotlights on sustainability and myopia management. The setup at opti 2022 will be the same as in previous years, with its four-hall concept. Bettina Reiter, head of opti, explained, “The tried-and-tested four-hall concept guarantees our specialist visitors a concentrated, efficient visit to the trade show, after the long break due to the pandemic.” Halls C1 and C2 will contain the spectacle frames collections of the licensed brands and manufacturer brands, the YES independent design area and the opti BOXES with exciting start-ups.

"Hall C3 will present additional licensed brands and manufacturer brands in the frames area, as well as everything for the stationary optician stores. In Hall C4, the focus is on spectacle lenses, contact lenses and accessories, refraction and diagnostics, as well as IT and machines," Reiter said.

Lenses designed both to control and slow myopia will be presented at the show, alongside multifocal daily disposable contact lenses, as well as orthokeratology night lenses, show organizers said. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to see how many ECPs are using artificial intelligence to reliably detect AMD, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

opti 2022 will also focus on sustainability and climate protection in the eyewear industry. Companies will showcase their newest sustainable collections made from bio or recycled materials, as well as 3D printing. In addition, opti offered two editions of its opti FORUM XT webinar series that focuses on how climate protection can be a revenue boosting feature. The webinars are available online here.

Tickets for the May edition of the international trade show for optics and design are only available online at www.opti.de/tickets/. In addition to contactless access, the generous planning and intensive cleaning at short intervals will ensure safety and well-being at Fairgrounds Munich on all three days of the trade show, organizers said.