Last Friday saw the biggest ever gathering of judges and entries to the Optician Awards at our home, Quadrant House.
Many familiar faces from the profession and industry gave up their time to read, debate and decide upon winners from the shortlisted professionals and practices in 15 categories, putting in even more effort than a referee at an England rugby match. And if the categories I was involved in judging are anything to go by there were some particularly impressive entries, any of which in previous years may have walked away with an Award.
As it was, judges had to single out an overall winner from as many as six shortlisted practices, and in some instances, take the Multiple Practice of the Year, that proved a difficult task. In this category, as indeed many others, each of the shortlisted practices was inspiring in both the range of services and the efforts they went to over and above the norm. The quality was similarly high in Fashion Frame Practice of the Year, proving that for every practice that pulls out the stops with shared care schemes, there are outlets that are similarly committed to finding all that is new and up to date in eyewear. That extends too to specialist providers of sports eyewear, individualised lenses and contact lenses, users of new technology as well as suppliers, for both service and in new products.
Developments abound in every sector and simply being on the shortlist in this bumper year is an achievement in itself.