Next year's Optician Award winners will be the first to walk away with the newly commissioned, hand-made trophies designed to tie in with the event's stunning new look.
Art Deco glamour is the theme behind the new image for the Awards and marks 15 years of recognition and reward for optometrists, dispensing opticians and practices.
Since their inception as the Optician Eyecare Awards, a lunch-time event to recognise clinical excellence, the Awards presentation has been expanded to include all sections of the optical profession and industry and is now the landmark, celebratory black tie dinner in the eye care calendar.
Entries will soon be welcomed through www.opticianawards.com where full details of how to enter will be found. Over the coming weeks Optician will publish a profile of each award category to help readers decide which one is best suited to them and what their entry should include. Each profile will provide some pointers to what the judges will be looking for from entrants.
This year's Awards include some perennial favourites plus some new categories and the return of some big-name sponsors. Johnson & Johnson has returned as a sponsor of the Vision For Life Award while The Vision Care Institute is supporting the Education Award. BBGR is this year's sponsor of the Optometrist of the Year, Luxottica continues as sponsor of the Dispensing Optician of the Year and CIBA Vision is sponsor of the Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year.
Continued support is being provided in the Technology category by Grafton Optical and its technology partners, the Independent Practice of the Year is sponsored by Hoya Lens UK, the Premium Lens Practice of the Year by Transitions and the Fashion Frames Practice of the Year by Vogue Eyewear. Other practice categories include the Multiple Practice of the Year and the Optical Assistant Team of the Year.
Optician will once again be searching for the Optical Supplier of the Year and outstanding products. Trophies will be presented for the Frame of the Year, the Sunglass of the Year, the Lens of the Year and the Contact Lens of the Year.
This year the Awards will return to the Hilton on London's Park Lane.
