The Ophthalmic Exhibitors' Association (OEA) has announced that the ground floor, mezzanine level and gallery level of the Islington Business Design Centre (IBDC) will be exclusively for frame and sunglasses suppliers. The IBDC's conference hall, venue for the fashion shows taking in eyewear from across the world, will also house accessories exhibitors. The gallery hall will display lenses, contact lenses, accessories, instruments and machinery. Exhibitors, many of whom have replied to a introductory letter sent at the end of last month, will then be notified as to how much of the total 5,000sq m they have been allocated. It is understood that more than half the stand space is booked, and the organisers are confident that the allocated area in the IBDC will be filled. The OEA hopes for 3,000 or more visitors to the exhibition. The three-day show will take place from Friday March 31 to Sunday, April 2. Opening hours are 12 midday to 6pm for the first day of the show which will include 'VIP visits' and press previews, and 10am to 6pm for the following two days. Optrafair's 'Optra' awards, launched this year, will be one of the 'prime features of the exhibition'. Stand prices for members of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians were set at &\#163;145 per sq m for a shell scheme, &\#163;130 per sq m for an open stand (for non-members the prices were &\#163;155 and &\#163;140 respectively). An announcement of details of next year's rival show to Eyefashion, London International Optics (LIO) is expected soon. LIO was held for the first time earlier this year at Olympia, and was originally scheduled to take place at IBDC until demand for stand space meant its organisers decided it needed a larger venue (News, May 15 1998). - Optrafair, which took place earlier this year, attracted more than 12,000 trade visitors.