The cloak and dagger world of optics

I can't remember a time when I have had so many secret meetings. Hardly a week goes by without someone or other asking for an off the record chat about this that or the other.

Why has everyone become so secretive?

One thing which had been secret until recently was news of a new exhibition. Could this be a rival to Optrafair? I say rival, the problem is I couldn't find anyone who had heard of it. News of the event is now out there but the mystery hasn't stopped. I've seen glossy brochures, I've see a website and I've even seen a foorplan but I have yet to seet  the name published of anyone signed up to go or meet anyone who says they intend to go.