A new venue, entertainment, new sponsors and some happy winners were the hallmarks of this year’s Optician Awards which saw 16 trophies awarded in an evening of celebration.
For the first time Optician held the Awards in the Vox, part of the Resorts World complex next to the National Exhibition Centre which housed last weekend’s Optrafair.
Among the delighted recipients were double winners Observatory the Opticians. Its Southwold practice won the Independent Practice of the Year Award, sponsored by Hoya and its Muswell Hill site the Fashion Practice of the Year Award.
Specsavers scooped three trophies on the night with Torquay taking the Multiple Practice of the Year Award and Chelmsley Wood the Contact Lens Patient Engagement Award sponsored by Johnson and Johnson. The Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year Award, sponsored by Alcon, was won by Suzanne Czerwinski of Specsavers Nottingham.
More than 500 guests gathered at a drinks reception on the third floor viewing area overlooking the lake which frames the entrance to NEC. Those attending were led through to dinner for a welcome from Optician editor Chris Bennett plus an appeal by Kevin Alderton on behalf of the event’s chosen charity Blind Veterans UK.
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A three-course meal in a lavishly-dressed room followed where guests were treated to a video review of the year and took part in a fund-raising game of heads or tails.
The £500 prize was won by Krysten Williams, director of Heidelberg Engineering. Guests raised a total of £3,900 through the purchase of chips to play the charity casino.
Before the arrival of the celebrity host for the night, the News Quiz presenter, writer and comedian, Miles Jupp, guests were treated to a live-edit audio visual show of the guests arriving at that night’s event and a comedy set from Jupp.
Once the trophies had been presented guests were invited to dance to the live band or play the charity casino.
Optician Awards 2016 Roll of Honour: winners and shortlisted
Technology Practice of the Year
Sponsored by Grafton Optical and its technology partners Visionix and Easyscan
Winner: Keith Murphy Opticians
Buchanan Optometrists
Cameron Optometry
Parley Optometrists
The Community Eye Service Award
Winner: The Eye Clinics, Leicester
A1 Optician
Anstee & Proctor
Querido & Davidson
Simon Berry Optometrist
Specsavers, Burnham on Sea
The Family Optician of the Year
Sponsored by OCCS
Winner: Keith Holland & Associates
Buchanan Optometrists
Lynne Fernandes Optometrists, Wells Road
Matheson Optometrists
Mongey Opticians
Urban Optics
Fashion Practice of the Year
Winner: Observatory the Opticians, Muswell Hill, London
Albert Road Opticians
Bespoke Eyewear
Concept Eye Clinic
Hammond and Dummer Opticians
The Specky Wren
Contact Lens Patient Engagement Award
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson
Winner: Specsavers, Chelmsley Wood
Classic Eyes
Dipple & Conway, Norwich
Hammond and Dummer Opticians
Window Display of the Year
Winner: The Eye Studio
Bespoke Eyewear
Davies & Jones Optometrists
Patrick & Menzies Opticians
Amar Shah Optometrist
Multiple Practice of the Year
Winner: Specsavers, Torquay
Specsavers, Chippenham
Specsavers, Salford
Independent Practice of the Year
Sponsored by Hoya
Winner: Observatory the Opticians, Southwold
Buchanan Optometrists
Cooper & Barr Opticians
The Specky Wren
Contact Lens Product of the Year
Winner: 1-Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal, Johnson & Johnson
Clearcolor Phantom, Clearlab
Ortho-k, No 7 Contact Lenses
OptiExpert, CooperVision
Lens Product of the Year
Winner: ZEISS DriveSafe Lenses, Carl Zeiss Vision International
Eyezen, Essilor
Glacier Coatings, Shamir UK
Visual Lifestyle Analysis, Waterside Laboratories
Frame of the Year
Winner: Cocoa Mint CMS2000, Eyespace
Break 243, ROLF Spectacles
Find Me Connected Sunglasses, iHuman Nanovista, Optical
TAFT, SALT. Optics
WL4134, William Morris London
Optical Supplier of the Year
Winner: Waterside Laboratories
Heidelberg Engineering
Prospect Health
Thea Pharmaceuticals
Vanalstynes
Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year
Sponsored by Alcon
Winner: Suzanne Czerwinski, Specsavers, Nottingham
Nick Black, BBR Optometry
Keith Pearse, Eye Emporium
Keith Tempany, Leightons & Tempany
Dispensing Optician of the Year
Winner: Andrew Oliver, Tompkins, Knight and Son Optometrists
James Dawson, Serendipity Optical Consultants
Shafik Haji, Eye Opticians
Sophie Johnson, Eyesite Opticians
Aziz Mohammed,
Specsavers, Salford
Luke Smith, Specsavers, Nottingham
Optical Assistant Team of the Year
Winner: Eglinton Eyecare
David Burghardt Vision Care
Eyewise
Hague Optical, Wolverhampton
Specsavers, Nottingham
Turners VisionCare
Optometrist of the Year
Winner: Lynne Fernandes, Lynne Fernandes Optometrists
Ravi Chawda, Specsavers, Nottingham
Umarfarouq Jussab, The Eye Clinics
Elaine O’Donoghue, Urban Optics
Rama Venkatasubramanian, Specsavers, Burnham-on-Sea
