Australia’s premier optical trade show – ODMAFair – delivered its strongest performance yet, with more than 4,000 industry professionals converging on Sydney for three days of cutting-edge innovation, sustainable solutions, fashion-forward frames, and networking opportunities galore.
The numbers of people attending this year’s ODMAFair tell a positive story of an industry in robust health: 3,547 onsite practice visits across the weekend (1,254 on Friday, 1,292 on Saturday, and 1,001 on Sunday), complemented by approximately 700 supplier staff, creating a dynamic environment where innovation met opportunity at every turn. From practice management powered by artificial intelligence (AI), to revolutionary recycling programmes, ODMAFair25 showcased an industry confidently embracing both technological advancement and environmental responsibility.
AI Revolution in Optometry
Presentations by media personality and mathematical genius Adam Spencer, delivered a wake-up call to optometrists about the transformative potential of AI in practice. At the opening breakfast and a follow-up workshop, Mr Spencer told his audiences that while AI won’t replace practitioners, those who embrace it will outperform those who don’t. He warned that in most industries, “you won’t lose your job to AI, but… you could lose your job to someone else who’s using AI to do your gig 20% more efficiently than you are”.
The breakfast session highlighted AI’s applications in clinical diagnostics, patient documentation, and practice management. Mr Spencer showcased platforms like Deep Research for comprehensive literature reviews and discussed medical scribing technologies that can dramatically reduce administrative burden.
His workshop featured optometrists Laura Reale, Wilson Luu, and Michael Jones who shared real-world AI implementations – from automated patient notes to sophisticated marketing campaigns that increased engagement by 575%. “Don’t bury your head in the sand because it’s coming,” urged Mr Jones, reflecting the session’s central message: embrace AI now or risk being left behind.
“Sustainable, eco-friendly, Australian designed, and Australian made concepts are what we are interested in”
Consumer Insights Drive Change
Brendan Dowd from NielsenIQ delivered critical market intelligence on evolving buyer behaviour, emphasising how consumer values drive purchasing decisions. Mr Dowd’s research revealed Australians prioritise thriftiness and value-for-money over lowest prices, with 49% preferring lower cost-to-use products versus 12% seeking cheapest options initially.
Cost-of-living pressures are reshaping shopping patterns, with consumers increasingly shopping across multiple retailers. Online channels now represent 30% of global contact lens sales. The presentation highlighted the paradox of heightened health awareness alongside declining health outcomes, with obesity rates impacting eye health through diabetes and related conditions. Myopia management emerged as a crucial growth area, showing 26% growth compared to 6% for standard contact lenses, driven by increased screen time, particularly among teenagers.
Women in Optics
Corporate wellbeing expert Carli Phillips led a powerful session addressing the unique challenges facing women in optometry. With 69% of Australian optometrists being female and twice as likely to report burnout, Ms Phillips shared sobering statistics: 76% carry primary caregiving responsibilities while 90% report no time for self care.
“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness,” Ms Phillips warned, sharing her personal hospitalisation story. The session introduced five practical wellbeing strategies, including setting morning intentions, swapping stimulants for superfoods, and implementing micro-breaks. A distinguished panel featuring practice owners Jacque Katsieris, Alisha Shastri, Hannah Kim, and Rowena Beckenham shared experiences from burnout to resilience, stressing the importance of saying no, outsourcing tasks, and supporting fellow women. The Women in Optics breakfast builds on ProVision’s growing WhatsApp community of 60+ female optometrists and Amanda Trotman, CEO of the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA), said the breakfasts will become a regular event at ODMA and O-Show events.
Into the Trade Show: Spotlight on Sustainability
ODMAFair25 showcased groundbreaking sustainability initiatives and creative design processes shaping the industry’s future. Heather Joseph from Circular Eyewear presented Australia’s first closed-loop recycling system, transforming discarded optical waste into high-fashion frames. The innovative process collects old spectacles donated by practices and separates materials by colour and type. Acetates are granulated ready to be transformed into new sheets of unique, marbled acetates for the production of more eyewear.
Circular Eyewear co-founder Chris Savage, a longtime optical industry professional, has designed a collection of seriously high-quality frames, branded Objekt, that are now being made with the recycled acetate. No two pairs are identical due to the natural crystal formations in recycled materials, and each frame is uniquely identified so that practices can track exactly how much waste they’ve diverted from landfill while sharing the story of transformation with customers. Over the weekend, Circular Eyewear recruited 30 new optometry practices to join its revolutionary recycling programme.
Nicola Sawyer from Ballina Optometry in the Northern Rivers region of NSW told mivision her practice had already embraced the Circular Eyewear recycling programme, with collection boxes in place for customers to donate old spectacles. “They like the fact that they can (donate), whether it’s just to declutter or to contribute to environmental goals,” she said.
The concept also resonated with Shirley Sneddon from Panoptic Vision in Bellingen on the mid north coast of NSW. “Sustainable, eco-friendly, Australian designed, and Australian made concepts are what we are interested in,” she said.
Global Design Trends
AM Eyewear’s Simon Ponnusamy demonstrated how authentic cultural immersion drives creative innovation. His recent three-day trip to the Greek islands Milos and Aegina directly inspired his upcoming collection, translating volcanic stone patterns and Mediterranean blues into custom acetate designs. Despite a dramatic accident requiring stitches, Mr Ponnusamy captured thousands of reference photos, showing how successful brands blend authentic inspiration with sophisticated manufacturing.
The exhibition floor buzzed with established distributors reporting strong sales despite mixed market conditions. At Safilo, where the new Stuart Weitzman collection was being showcased, Marketing Manager Matthew Bradshaw observed that ODMAFair had been an important opportunity to develop face-to-face relationships. Mondottica had a raft of new brands to showcase – among them Sunday Somewhere, AllSaints, Rip Curl polarised sunglasses (which can be scripted within a highly affordable price point), alongside their biggest brand Mako, which has its own prescription sunglasses programme.
Other exhibitors included newcomer Moshe Eliyahu from Minerva Optics seeking Australian representation for the American heritage brand Erker’s, highlighting the show’s role in fostering international partnerships and market expansion opportunities.
Adding fresh energy to the trade floor was Brooke Hutchesson showcasing Bask Eyewear. Since taking ownership of the brand, Ms Hutchesson has evolved its look from its original boho aesthetic into something “more fun, more bold”. Consequently, Bask frames are now being distributed in 60 doors nationally.
Celebrating Heritage Innovation
With an impressive dual-space exhibition, OptiqueLine showcased marked Stepper Eyewear’s 55th anniversary. John Nicola from OptiqueLine explained that Stepper’s foundational principle of designing frames “from the bridge out” as medical devices first, then adding fashion elements, is what has always made it a standout. The company also showcased its in-house designed Aiko range and redesigned convertibles featuring innovative front-loading clip systems that accommodate plus lenses.
Having acquired McCann Optical Parts, OptiqueLine also had an area dedicated to accessories and optical parts and was offering workshops so that optometrists and dispensers could learn about how to make in-store repairs. Workshop attendees, including dispensers from Adelaide’s HoldfastBay Optometry, praised the hands-on training for rimless eyewear. Explaining the complexity of working with rimless eyewear Ashmi Lama observed that success is, “all about how you position your tools as well as the frame”.
Advanced Dry Eye Treatment
Optometrists Jason Holland and Martin Robinson demonstrated cutting-edge dry eye treatment technologies at the Good Optical stand, showcasing the Rinsada ocular irrigation system and Zocular biofilm removal treatments. The Rinsada device, originally designed by retinal surgeons to flush residual betadine after surgery, features a patented eyelid hook that delivers saline irrigation to both upper and lower conjunctival fornices.
Pointing to the upper conjunctival fornice as he demonstrated the technique on Mr Robinson, Mr Holland said, “it’s like a little petri dish up the top there where biofilm grows that’s very hard to get to traditionally”. The system targets chronic anterior blepharitis patients with heavy eye drop usage, makeup users as well as complex dry eye cases, chemical burns, foreign body removal, and recurrent corneal erosions. The single-use device comes with two syringes per pack, delivering precise volumes determined by the developers – two-thirds for the upper lid and one-third for the lower.
In front of a growing audience, Mr Robinson then demonstrated ZEST (Zocular eyelid system technology) – an eyelid debridement procedure – on frame distributor Aaron McColl.
Revolutionary Lens Technologies
Tokai Optical and Shamir unveiled groundbreaking lens innovations addressing long-standing industry challenges. Justin Chiang introduced Tokai’s new photochromic technology that maintains consistent performance in hot temperatures, addressing the traditional weakness where photochromic lenses perform poorly above 23°C.
“Most photochromic lenses perform less in high temperature, and this is where we need the glasses,” Mr Chiang explained. The new technology maintains consistent darkening between 2°C and 40°C, reaching peak darkness of 89%. Tokai also launched Myogen myopia control lenses featuring 1,330 honeycomb structures and using 1.6 material. This lens is also available in 1.7 high-index for aesthetic appeal. Mr Chiang said both are particularly scratch resistant, making them ideal for active children.
Nicole Hibbert demonstrated Shamir’s revolutionary Metaform technology, which thermo-fuses a film onto pre-coated lens blanks, creating lenses 18 times more impact-resistant than United States Food and Drug Administration requirements while maintaining superior optical quality. “We used to use polycarbonate for kids all the time, but you lose optical quality – with this, you keep your optical quality and it’s tough,” Ms Hibbert explained.
“This has been our best show ever, even better than the days of Jono Hennessy exhibiting in Paris”
Exhibitor Success Stories
The energy and optimism on the exhibition floor was palpable, with exhibitors reporting exceptional results across all three days. Teiger Sceats from The Elusive Miss Lou captured the sentiment perfectly: “This has been our best show ever, even better than the days of Jono Hennessy exhibiting in Paris.”
Operating their first 6×3 metre stand, The Elusive Miss Lou experienced unprecedented demand, with Mr Sceats noting: “We’ve been three layers (of buyers) deep. At some points it’s been crazy.” He said the success reflects growing appreciation of The Elusive Miss Lou’s limited-edition approach and constantly evolving collections, with customers eager to “grab them while you can”.
Tim McCann from Rodenstock echoed this enthusiasm, describing the event as “superb” with “nonstop, constant new leads, new introductions” alongside valuable time with existing customers. Mr McCann highlighted the show’s role in connecting with numerous new practices opening across Australia: “There are lots of new practices opening, which is fantastic. People are interested in what’s new, what’s the latest, what’s the best; they’re the kind of conversations we’re having.”
Mr McCann’s optimism about the industry’s future was infectious: “I think the industry’s about to go through a resurgence. I really do. The population in Australia is increasing. The demand for good eye care is increasing. The number of optometrists that are coming out is increasing. The number of green fields that are opening is increasing; and for independents, I think this is a good future.”
The NACBO conference underway
Running in Tandem
Adding to the importance of ODMAFair25 were two conferences: The National Australasian College of Behavioural Optometry conference (NACBO) and the annual Super Sunday conference, hosted by Optometry NSW ACT.
Both clinical conferences attracted hundreds of members to hear the latest from local and international speakers. At NACBO, a member dinner raised almost AU$5,500 for the Susan Larter Vision Trust, which was established to honour the memory of former ACBO President, Susan Larter, and provides funding to cover a substantial part of the cost of vision therapy programmes for disadvantaged families.
In 2026 ODMA will stage O-Show in Melbourne from 16–17 August.
More pictures from ODMAFair2025 are available from mivision’s online photo gallery.
