Most British practitioners' experience of trade fairs is restricted to the NEC. David Challinor says many will do well to consider Opti Munich, where he received a warm welcome
Most British practitioners' experience of trade fairs is restricted to the NEC. David Challinor says many will do well to consider Opti Munich, where he received a warm welcome
Munich's optical show is a bit of an unknown quantity to most Brits.
Less well known to UK practitioners and buyers than Milan's Mido and Paris's Silmo, and less accessible than the once-every-two years Birmingham Optrafair show for the British profession at least, Opti Munich is often the forgotten European event on many professionals' trade show calendars. This appears to be changing, albeit slowly.
I too, had never visited the show until last month, and before I left for Munich in early January I was informed by all who had that it was cold, a crucial factor I'm told that puts most potential UK visitors off.
However, I found nothing but a warm welcome and an impressively busy show.
Over 34,000 visitors from 69 countries came to the three-day event this year, 4 per cent up on last year despite the recent difficulties of the domestic market. This year's Opti Munich found Germany's optical profession in recovery mode after its fall from grace in 2003-2004. Health insurance reforms saw the market decline by 20-30 per cent, and last year we reported that some practitioners had allegedly watched in horror as volumes fell by as much as 60 per cent.
Things are looking up, I was told by many exhibitors at the event.
British interest is increasing in the show, and it was notable this year that numbers of those from the UK had risen up the top 10 countries of origin for visitors. Nevertheless, British delegates are few and far between, and that's a shame because it's an exemplar of a well-run, optical trade show whose swift rise quickly overtook the previous premier German show based in Cologne.
Optical innovations
And for those who want to visit the country which is the driver of progress in Europe's optical innovations, Munich is a good exhibition for seeing new products and technologies closer to source.
Take for instance giant manufacturing name Rodenstock, which is based in the city. Utilising the famous German aviation name, Rodenstock released a four-model collection of Lufthansa sunglasses at the exhibition. The 'pilot sunglasses' come in titanium, and the company is so confident of the range's success it says that there are further models and material variations on the drawing board.
The launch also comes with point of sale backing for the practitioner, and Rodenstock offers to help to provide 'a decorative presentation display and high-quality Lufthansa accessories in the popular retro-look' for window or in-store display.
The company also launched new models to its ProAct sports eyewear at the show, adding to its 'crossover' trend which the company says is expressed in sporty shapes and intense colours.
Two new models with a face-form angle of 20 degrees and a six-base curve were added to the ProAct collection at the show, and the two new frames, one men's model and the other a women's design, come in a wide range of colours. The business also launched a new Colormatic range of lenses at Opti Munich, and its lens fitting technology, ImpressionIST.
Following the show, Rodenstock chief executive officer Dr Giancarlo Galli was bullish about the lens and frame giant. 'A whole series of new products has enabled us to again confirm our role as the innovation leaders in the industry.
'We enjoy an excellent position both with our already existing product portfolio and with our competence in engineering and R&D in particular in the future-based and currently strongly growing industry segments such as sports optics or individually optimised lenses.'
For lens manufacturer Rupp & Hubrach the show was also an opportunity to show off new products, and the company added to its Ysis range. At Munich it launched a new 1.74 index, and airium polycarbonate.
'We can really offer a whole family of lens products,' said Anne Hausmann, product manager <2212> marketing Rupp & Hubrach.
Her assessment of the German market is that the worst is over, and she was confident that R+H's expansion would pay off.
In addition, Sentoris, R+H's progressive, was released in 1.6 index plastic, and specifically for smaller frames, Sentoris mini in extra-short progression length will be launched in Britain in the spring.
British brand Booth & Bruce used the German show to launch six stainless steel frames at the show, and two other metal models.
'Although we have a German agent we think it's important to be seen at Opti Munich,' said director Peter Booth. 'Also, for visitors, it's a good show to buy at. It's manageable <2212> you can do the show in a single day and stay overnight.'
Booth said the show was 'definitely becoming more international', adding to its importance for his London-based company.
'Last year I saw virtually nobody from the UK <2212> this year is different and I saw three groups of British visitors on the first morning of the show,' he said. 'In terms of Europe, visitors to Opti Munich are coming from further afield than the countries neighbouring Germany and I would say the show's importance is increasing.'
For fellow British exhibitor Neal Grimason, sales and marketing director of Continental Eyewear, Munich's importance is also growing. The north west-based business chose the show to launch a dozen new styles to its X-eyes frame collection, bringing the total number of designs to over 50.
'There's a vibrancy and liveliness here,' he enthused, 'and because of its efficiency, it's an easy show to do.'
Continental is on a run of European show successes, he said, and ranked the company's appearance at Silmo last year as its best ever trade show appearance. 'It was the best show in turnover and the best show in new accounts.' Now, with an expanded range of X-eyes and developments, he hopes for even greater success following Munich.
'We do have a distributor in Germany, who has a stand here, but as it's a show that's growing every year, becoming more international, we feel it is important to have a presence here and speak to those visitors from outside Germany.'
Another British exhibitor, Bierley, the designer and manufacturer of electronic low vision aids, exhibited all six of its products. These included the Mono Mouse which is claimed to be the world's first fully integrated USB 2.0 video magnifier, now readily available, and the most ergonomic hand-held CCTV video magnifier in the world.
The company also took a space effective point of sale display, and has launched low vision products under 100.
Ian Bierley president said: 'We've had several opticians here, including visitors from the UK, and they are not aware that there is low-cost low vision equipment. They assume it's costly, and with an estimated near to three million visually impaired people there is a real need for this sort of equipment.'
He said that while there were only 60 or so opticians using the product in Britain the company had 'only just scratched the surface' of the potential market.
I assume the majority of Optician subscribers reading this have never visited the Opti Munich show, and almost as many may have never visited the Bavarian city. But I'd advise at least trying it out, if for nothing else as a practice team-building exercise.
Flights and accommodation are cheap, the exhibition venue is easily accessible by Munich's efficient tube network, and unlike Britain the city's transport links do not grind to a halt after a flurry of snow.
Fair enough, it is chilly, but there are no unwelcome surprises as long as you dress appropriately, and the city centre restaurants and bars are as warm as the weather is cold.
For those practice owners and managers thinking their practice staff deserve a post-Christmas trip mixing business with pleasure, a visit to Opti Munich 2007 may represent the perfect low-cost alternative.
Opti Munich will next take place from January 26-28 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.
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Munich's optical show is a bit of an unknown quantity to most Brits.
Less well known to UK practitioners and buyers than Milan's Mido and Paris's Silmo, and less accessible than the once-every-two years Birmingham Optrafair show for the British profession at least, Opti Munich is often the forgotten European event on many professionals' trade show calendars. This appears to be changing, albeit slowly.
I too, had never visited the show until last month, and before I left for Munich in early January I was informed by all who had that it was cold, a crucial factor I'm told that puts most potential UK visitors off.
However, I found nothing but a warm welcome and an impressively busy show.
Over 34,000 visitors from 69 countries came to the three-day event this year, 4 per cent up on last year despite the recent difficulties of the domestic market. This year's Opti Munich found Germany's optical profession in recovery mode after its fall from grace in 2003-2004. Health insurance reforms saw the market decline by 20-30 per cent, and last year we reported that some practitioners had allegedly watched in horror as volumes fell by as much as 60 per cent.
Things are looking up, I was told by many exhibitors at the event.
British interest is increasing in the show, and it was notable this year that numbers of those from the UK had risen up the top 10 countries of origin for visitors. Nevertheless, British delegates are few and far between, and that's a shame because it's an exemplar of a well-run, optical trade show whose swift rise quickly overtook the previous premier German show based in Cologne.
Optical innovations
And for those who want to visit the country which is the driver of progress in Europe's optical innovations, Munich is a good exhibition for seeing new products and technologies closer to source.
Take for instance giant manufacturing name Rodenstock, which is based in the city. Utilising the famous German aviation name, Rodenstock released a four-model collection of Lufthansa sunglasses at the exhibition. The 'pilot sunglasses' come in titanium, and the company is so confident of the range's success it says that there are further models and material variations on the drawing board.
The launch also comes with point of sale backing for the practitioner, and Rodenstock offers to help to provide 'a decorative presentation display and high-quality Lufthansa accessories in the popular retro-look' for window or in-store display.
The company also launched new models to its ProAct sports eyewear at the show, adding to its 'crossover' trend which the company says is expressed in sporty shapes and intense colours.
Two new models with a face-form angle of 20 degrees and a six-base curve were added to the ProAct collection at the show, and the two new frames, one men's model and the other a women's design, come in a wide range of colours. The business also launched a new Colormatic range of lenses at Opti Munich, and its lens fitting technology, ImpressionIST.
Following the show, Rodenstock chief executive officer Dr Giancarlo Galli was bullish about the lens and frame giant. 'A whole series of new products has enabled us to again confirm our role as the innovation leaders in the industry.
'We enjoy an excellent position both with our already existing product portfolio and with our competence in engineering and R&D in particular in the future-based and currently strongly growing industry segments such as sports optics or individually optimised lenses.'
For lens manufacturer Rupp & Hubrach the show was also an opportunity to show off new products, and the company added to its Ysis range. At Munich it launched a new 1.74 index, and airium polycarbonate.
'We can really offer a whole family of lens products,' said Anne Hausmann, product manager <2212> marketing Rupp & Hubrach.
Her assessment of the German market is that the worst is over, and she was confident that R+H's expansion would pay off.
In addition, Sentoris, R+H's progressive, was released in 1.6 index plastic, and specifically for smaller frames, Sentoris mini in extra-short progression length will be launched in Britain in the spring.
British brand Booth & Bruce used the German show to launch six stainless steel frames at the show, and two other metal models.
'Although we have a German agent we think it's important to be seen at Opti Munich,' said director Peter Booth. 'Also, for visitors, it's a good show to buy at. It's manageable <2212> you can do the show in a single day and stay overnight.'
Booth said the show was 'definitely becoming more international', adding to its importance for his London-based company.
'Last year I saw virtually nobody from the UK <2212> this year is different and I saw three groups of British visitors on the first morning of the show,' he said. 'In terms of Europe, visitors to Opti Munich are coming from further afield than the countries neighbouring Germany and I would say the show's importance is increasing.'
For fellow British exhibitor Neal Grimason, sales and marketing director of Continental Eyewear, Munich's importance is also growing. The north west-based business chose the show to launch a dozen new styles to its X-eyes frame collection, bringing the total number of designs to over 50.
'There's a vibrancy and liveliness here,' he enthused, 'and because of its efficiency, it's an easy show to do.'
Continental is on a run of European show successes, he said, and ranked the company's appearance at Silmo last year as its best ever trade show appearance. 'It was the best show in turnover and the best show in new accounts.' Now, with an expanded range of X-eyes and developments, he hopes for even greater success following Munich.
'We do have a distributor in Germany, who has a stand here, but as it's a show that's growing every year, becoming more international, we feel it is important to have a presence here and speak to those visitors from outside Germany.'
Another British exhibitor, Bierley, the designer and manufacturer of electronic low vision aids, exhibited all six of its products. These included the Mono Mouse which is claimed to be the world's first fully integrated USB 2.0 video magnifier, now readily available, and the most ergonomic hand-held CCTV video magnifier in the world.
The company also took a space effective point of sale display, and has launched low vision products under 100.
Ian Bierley president said: 'We've had several opticians here, including visitors from the UK, and they are not aware that there is low-cost low vision equipment. They assume it's costly, and with an estimated near to three million visually impaired people there is a real need for this sort of equipment.'
He said that while there were only 60 or so opticians using the product in Britain the company had 'only just scratched the surface' of the potential market.
I assume the majority of Optician subscribers reading this have never visited the Opti Munich show, and almost as many may have never visited the Bavarian city. But I'd advise at least trying it out, if for nothing else as a practice team-building exercise.
Flights and accommodation are cheap, the exhibition venue is easily accessible by Munich's efficient tube network, and unlike Britain the city's transport links do not grind to a halt after a flurry of snow.
Fair enough, it is chilly, but there are no unwelcome surprises as long as you dress appropriately, and the city centre restaurants and bars are as warm as the weather is cold.
For those practice owners and managers thinking their practice staff deserve a post-Christmas trip mixing business with pleasure, a visit to Opti Munich 2007 may represent the perfect low-cost alternative.
Opti Munich will next take place from January 26-28 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.