Mixed blessing of rugby clash

Fantastic weather and a feast of sport were added bonuses for visitors to this year's Silmo in Paris but the 40th edition of the French trade show also had some unexpected difficulties to overcome.

A mixed blessing for the annual exhibition was its clash with the final of the Rugby World Cup. As well as proving a massive incentive for southern hemisphere optical buyers it also had a drastic impact on the availability of hotel rooms.

Several exhibitors Optician spoke to said they were surprised by the lack of UK visitors compared with previous years. Some speculated that this may have been exacerbated by the French transport workers strike and the difficulty in booking rooms.Most Metro and RER services remained cancelled throughout the weekend and the few trains that did run were packed.