Speculation that Mido's organisers might have to reduce the number of exhibition halls at the 2010 event as a result of lower exhibitor numbers has proved to be unfounded, Optician has learnt.
Conjecture that the number of exhibition halls at Mido 2010 (March 5-7) would drop from the usual five arose after the event's organisers failed to send stand details to exhibitors until the end of January.
A regular exhibitor who wished to remain anonymous told Optician that by the end of January they had still not been given a stand number or been told which hall they would be exhibiting in. The exhibitor said that in the past this information had been sent much earlier.
Another exhibitor said: 'Mido told us that the map [of the exhibition halls] will arrive soon, but last year it came earlier, so for the moment we're in the fog.'
However, by February 2, exhibitors had begun to receive stand details or had discovered them after contacting the organisers. Mido's press office had failed to respond to questions on the delay by the time Optician went to press.
2010 will be the 40th incarnation of the Italian optical exhibition and to mark the occasion Mido said it would donate one euro for every visitor to a charity aiming to prevent avitaminosis A, a form of blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency. Charity CBM Italia will use the donations to instruct people in third world countries about the importance of eating fruit and vegetables.