O-Show, the boutique eyewear and eye care event hosted by the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) in Sydney, has been heralded an industry success, having attracted attendees numbering 1,320 including visitors, industry members, and exhibitors.
Exhibitors were happy with visitor attendance, agreeing that business was strong, even if not entirely consistent across the two-day event.
Describing O-Show24 as an event that “brought health and fashion together”, ODMA CEO Amanda Trotman said that along with valuable education and equipment demonstrations, O-Show had become an event “that cannot be missed”.
Exhibitors were quick to agree, with Jacque Katsieris from ProOptics, which was celebrating its 15th anniversary, enthusing, “I loved the relaxed atmosphere… I loved the fact that there were lots of people from the industry just coming to enjoy their time with their colleagues and their friends, and catching up with their suppliers.”
But aside from the social aspect, Ms Katsieris said as an exhibitor, attending O-Show is an important marketing decision. “As a small company, you have to invest in your own business and so we see this show as a really invaluable part of our business structure.”
VALUABLE CONVERSATIONS
For Tristan Parker from Ophthalmopro, O-Show presented an opportunity to reach optometrists who are not so easily accessible during regular business hours.
“One of the challenging things with eye care professionals is because they are client/customer facing, it can be challenging to coordinate a time when they are not treating their patients,” he said. “Having the opportunity to have everyone in one room, guide them through the functionality of devices, showcase our product range, and dedicate quality time to them was invaluable.”
Nigel Goldsworthy, National Sales manager at Lumibird Medical, said for many of his prospects and clients, O-Show was an opportunity to gather information.
“These shows are a great opportunity for them to do that. In our case we had a lot of interest in diagnostics and treatments for dry eye. Visitors could see other devices and make comparisons. And I think that’s good, they can make an informed choice.”
He said shows like O-Show are important to business because “having everyone here in one space is much easier for us than going and seeing everyone individually”.
“We attend as many conferences as possible for that reason. Eye care professionals can be very hard to access, they’re very busy people, so conferences like this are crucial.”
BRINGING COLOUR TO INDUSTRY
At The Elusive Miss Lou, the crowds were consistent. As well as buyers, when mivision visited, fellow eyewear designers like Francis Huang (Frank Seed and Green Infinity), who was exhibiting at O-Show for the first time, were taking the opportunity to network.
Teiger Sceats, who was there with his mother, Louise Sceats (The Elusive Miss Lou) and father Jono Ross Hennessy Sceats (Jack de Ross), said O-Show felt like a chance to catch up with old friends.
“At my first O -Show, I was so scared and at the second, mum had just had two surgeries, so I was pretty much on my own.
“This time, it’s like seeing old friends… it’s just really fun and exciting. We broke even on the first day, so the rest has been about finding new people and spreading joy… and just being generally colourful and very loud.”
Acknowledging the support of Amanda Trotman and ODMA, he said O-Show is “like an extra tool” that sits alongside the sales reps. “It’s all so personal… we’re very lucky to be in the optical industry.”
Jono Ross Hennessy Sceats agreed. “The whole thing about the optical industry is that we are surrounded by good people. It’s a medical industry, so they’re actually looking after people. And when we make frames, we end up looking after people as well. When I see somebody walking down the street with one of our frames or one of Louise’s frames and they look fabulous, then I’m happy. That’s the joy of it.”
