As hundreds of eye care professionals arrive at the Birmingham NEC for Optrafair, between April 14 and 16 at the NEC in Birmingham, event organisers will be proud to deliver a show with four decades of heritage.
Turn the clock back to 1978. The minority government of the day survived a vote of confidence, there was panic buying of bread and Gordon McQueen became the UK’s first £500,000 footballer. It was also the first time a new optometry show called Optrafair was held, in London.
Now fast forward 40 years. Whether today’s government would survive a vote of confidence is up for debate, the only bread shortage is through choice in the cupboards of calorie counting carb-dodgers and £500,000 barely buys you the big toe of a Premier League footballer. Optrafair, however, is still going strong.
A partnership between the FMO and Optician’s parent, the Mark Allen Group, Optrafair is preparing to celebrate its 40th year. The event has now grown to become the UK’s major optical showcase, seen throughout the profession as the launch pad for all that is new in the field, championing innovation and celebrating advances in technology and manufacturing.
For four decades an entire community of practitioners, suppliers and educators have chosen Optrafair to help eye care professionals expand their knowledge through CET, new products and services and to grow their businesses.
Organisers have promised Optrafair 2018 to be ‘a celebration of optics, gathering of friends and family’.
One man who knows Optrafair better than most is Andy Yorke. The FMO chairman has been attending the event for 38 years and seen it grow and evolve in many ways.
Prof Mo Jalie at a book signing
He says: ‘Optrafair has united the British optical industry since 1978, continually building on its heritage to support every sector across the industry. For leading brands, and for newer companies aiming to get a foothold on the market, Optrafair is without doubt the leading exhibition for the UK optical industry.
‘It is trusted by everyone who works in the industry – eye care professionals, manufacturers, laboratories, suppliers and distributors, professional bodies and educators.
‘There’s always something new emerging out there and Optrafair is the best possible place to keep up to date with what’s trending in the world of frames, how lens technology is evolving and how science is allowing us to gain an even greater understanding of the human eye.’
Optrafair was first held in London in 1978. While its overall offering has changed beyond recognition since then, it has always tried to stay true to its ethos of ‘by the sector, for the sector’.
Now firmly stationed in Birmingham, Optrafair organisers have recognised not everyone is willing to travel to London for an exhibition.
In the NEC, Optrafair has found a venue where 70% of the English population are able to reach it within 75 minutes and a purpose-built hall that is capable of staging product launches, educational seminars and fashion shows.
In addition to an unrivalled selection of exhibitors, showcasing the latest equipment, frames and solutions and CET accredited education and business training, Optrafair 2018 promises to provide a feast of dedicated features covering all aspects of practice life. Back by popular demand are the CET Theatre, ABDO CET Theatre, Window Dressing, and after their successful inauguration at this year’s show, the Business Theatre and FMO Networking Bar.
Meanwhile, there are three brand new features for 2018, the dedicated BCLA Contact Lens Hub, a fully choreographed Catwalk and the Independents’ Lounge – a networking space dedicated to independents offering one-to-one access to guest speakers.
For more information and to register visit www.optrafair.co.uk