Three-day VisionPlus EXPO 2021 extravaganza ended on a high note on Oct 28, setting new benchmarks for Dubai. It celebrated excellence in eyewear with state-of-the-art booths, knowledge sharing sessions at the VP Academy, and unparalleled networking opportunities.
- Exhibitors from 16 countries showcased the latest in eyewear, eyecare design and technology
- Winners of the coveted VisionPlus Awards announced
- VP Academy experts conducted sessions on industry trending topics
This year, the maiden edition of the VisionPlus EXPO 2021 witnessed participation from over 1252 eye care professionals from across 59 countries. Organised by FourPlus Media, the event helped opticians capitalise on Dubai as a centralised location, taking advantage of its world class infrastructure, influx of business and leisure travellers, and a lot more. As the three-day event concluded, Dubai emerged as a new hub, ready to reinvent the optical business in a big way.
The Grand Display
VisionPlus EXPO 2021 showcased the latest and finest designs from global brands including ZEISS, Schneider, Eschenbach, Minima, Menrad, Morel, Jaguar, Lafont, Etnia Barcelona, Montegrappa, Monogram, Coburn Technologies, Stepper Eyewear, and Hello Kitty Eyewear, impressing visitors with impressive displays at exquisitely designed booths. It offered attendees a mix of sunglasses, spectacle frames, niche brands, lenses, contact lenses, solutions and cleaning products, RGP lenses, retail equipment, lab machinery, products for colour blindness, Virtual 3D Tryon, AR VR and OEM, among others.
The star attraction was the glamour, enhanced by the VP Awards gallery featuring all its nominated entries.
The fact that 80% of exhibitors have confirmed their participation for 2022, with 30% already signing contract renewals, is testimonial to the event’s success.
Baudouin Series, Managing Director of ZEISS Vision Care Middle East & Africa stated that VisionPlus EXPO 2021 offered an amazing opportunity for ZEISS to showcase their innovations to visitors from around the world.
“We are humbled as well as proud that we could pull off this exhibition successfully despite the challenges of a pandemic and travel restrictions that are still in place in certain countries. With this success, we have taken our first step towards realising our dream of making Dubai one of the big-five international exhibition destinations for eyewear”, says Jasbir Bolar, Marketing Director, VisionPlus and FourPlus Media.
VP Academy
Another major highlight of the expo was the lineup of celebrity speakers and specially curated sessions by the VP Academy. Under the theme of Vision Care In The Digital Era, these sessions were a huge hit with attendees.
They had the opportunity to learn from experts in the field like Devyani S Kumar, Clinical Opt, Orbit Eye Centre for Pediatric and Oculoplasty. Dr. Christian Lappe, Dir. Scientific Affairs & Technical Communication of ZEISS Vision Care, Dr. Jameel Rizwana Hussaindeen, Head of Academy, Rivoli Vision, Dr. Yaseer Habrawi, Senior Ophthalmologist and Eye Surgeon, Fakeeh University Hospital, Dubai, Fahima Karolia, Orthoptist, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, Maher Adnan Al Salhi, Education & Professional Services, Essilor Middle East, Dubai, Mona Kazim, Special Needs & Learning Disabilities Consultant, Irlen Trainer and Diagnostician, Alef Centre, Nilesh Thite, Director of Educational Programmes (IACLE);
Eye care professionals travelled from across the MENA region, adhering to all pandemic-related protocols to attend the sessions. After all, who would miss a chance to learn from experts, be certified, and use those insights to grow their business?
VP Awards (Arabia) 2021
One of the biggest attractions of VisionPlus EXPO 2021 was the VisionPlus Awards, eagerly awaited by opticians. A grand jury involving big business names from the Middle East announced a shortlist, which was followed by a session of voting by opticians from the region. It culminated in the VisionPlus Awards — Night Of The Winners.
It was a night of fun, frolic and entertainment, as winners were announced in each category. There were some surprises as well – like awards for Most Outstanding Stall Design at VisionPlus EXPO 2021, Most Outstanding Brand at VisionPlus EXPO 2021 and Most Outstanding Product. Participants were judged during the VisionPlus EXPO itself.
For a complete list of winners, please visit vpawards.com
VisionPlus EXPO 2021 has set new benchmarks, and the response has been overwhelming. The grand event concluded with organisers bidding adieu, and signing off with a promise of an even more impressive next edition!
