When you’ve been around the optical block as many time as me, the idea of spending another weekend pounding the halls of another optical trade show begins to have the same sort of appeal as a trip to the dentist.
There was a slight sense of apprehension before heading to Mido recently, brought on mostly because of the sheer size of the event and what it would mean for my feet, but also because every trade show since the pandemic has left me feeling like something was missing.
However, I needn’t have worried about the event being lacklustre as it was a real return to form for the Milan event. In the main, the six halls were packed over the course of the weekend, but more importantly, there was a buzz and a sense of atmosphere. A full report will feature in a future issue. I was right to be worried about my feet, though.
Hopefully, this momentum can continue to 100% Optical in a couple of weeks (February 25-27), when UK optical professionals descend on the Excel in East London. It has been nearly a decade since Media 10 launched the event and it continues to go from strength to strength, differentiated from (now defunct) competitors by enthusiasm for putting on a show and not necessarily wringing out every single penny for profit.
Many were quick to write off trade shows in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but Mido showed, for the first time, there is the appetite among optical professionals for meeting face-to-face again. Whether browsing for new frame inventory, finding a new lens supplier or even taking in CPD, all are better in-person.