Optrafair organiser The Federation of Manufacturing Opticians has confirmed that 64 per cent of the available space for next year's Birmingham show has now been booked, seven months ahead of the event.
, a doubling of space for some of the larger suppliers and keen interest from technology providers and contact lens innovators.
Optrafair director Malcolm Polley said: 'As the momentum for the show builds and the feature areas take shape - including six themes for the CET education - UK and international suppliers are seeing the value of the Optrafair brand. We are committed to maximising the number of visitors to the show and are drilling down on CET topics of dispensing, fashion, retina, business, contact lenses and technology.'
The FMO has set a target of 200 exhibitors, 500 brands and 7,000 visitors for Optrafair 2015, representing a significant increase over previous shows.
Polley added that it had invested some of the profit from Optrafair London back into Optrafair 2015 and this would mean a greater spend on holding down floor space prices, marketing education and achieving an impressive footfall.
The 80-strong audience at the meeting enjoyed a presentation from psychology graduate Simon Naudi on 'Preparation is key - maximising your exhibition investment', with advice on gaining more from a show presence.
'First impressions, and what we do to get people to converse, are vital. Ten to 12 seconds is all it takes for the average show visitor to walk past your stand. They will be checking out your graphics, your stand and you, so you have this time to ensure that they stop,' he said.
He stressed the merit in setting team objectives for the event, ascertaining what visitors expected to achieve from visiting a show and the time that should be spent with each potential customer.
Other advice included having tidy, open and inviting stands, a uniform dress code for the team and a defined stand manager to run the company's presence at the event. Pre-marketing of the show with PR and email, and ensuring a busy stand from the outset, were fundamental to ensuring a successful event.
The FMO AGM and annual luncheon will be held at The Hilton Hotel, Paddington on December 5.