Recently I saw a survey of its customers carried out by one of the country’s leading optical companies. The purpose of this survey was to see whether it was considered sensible to have a presence at any of the leading trade shows this year.
Traditionally these shows were gung-ho affairs where every leading manufacturing company would have a large presence. In the 1980s it could even have been agreed that the size of the stand and the novelty of the attractions on the stand could be considered as a measure of the company’s success. Of course those were the 80s when expense budgets seemed to be almost bottomless. This made for shows that were highly successful and were great social occasions where people would meet to catch up on each other. Old students would reunite to see what they had been up to in the previous year and generally they were grand occasions with practically every player in the optical marketplace in attendance.
It is clear things have changed radically over time. Nowadays many of the major players no longer appear at these shows. Modern methods of communication have overtaken traditional shows and it is noticeable how more and more the main reason for customers to attend these events is actually to acquire CET points rather than to see what these companies have to offer. It is clear these events are enormously expensive to stage and the trade companies are mindful of this fact. Like all of us they need to see a return on their investment and more and more companies seem to be concluding the shows no longer provide value for money.
Are we therefore seeing the end of the big trade shows? Clearly those who stage them would probably argue not. In fact it would probably be pointed out that there are now two large shows where there only used to be one and no doubt the organisers of each would claim that their show was an enormous success. But is this really the case? Is there really a need for two major shows a year? From the results of the survey I saw it is clear the views of the potential attendees is very different from those of the show organisers. Few had any intention of attending both shows and the number that would attend either show was remarkably low.
What, if anything, is to be done to reverse this trend? I would like to suggest a way forward. Traditionally the optical profession has proved to be stoically inward looking on many if not all fronts. Given the way modern optometry seeks to go I would suggest the time has come to consider a major show that crosses the barriers of optometry and ophthalmology. A great deal of the equipment used by both professions is the same or similar. Many of the major equipment companies supply both optometry and ophthalmology so there is a major opportunity to bring both sets of equipment together in one event and to bring both professions together to see how each other uses this equipment.
Here is a major chance for the two professions to meet and learn from each other. So often I hear that ophthalmology does not understand the constraints that optometry works under within the GOS and how ophthalmology has a dim view of the quality of optometric work. Often optometrists have little clue as to the pressures that exist within an NHS hospital eye department. The opportunity for each profession to meet and talk with the other, not at the glorious refined ivory tower level but at the ‘shop floor’ level, is waiting. The opportunity for optometrists and ophthalmologists to meet and receive presentations, one discipline to another, while also sharing ideas about everyday practise seems to represent a great opportunity for the show organisers. Is this likely to happen in the future?
Sadly I am not sure. These major shows are organised by some very traditional groups who almost seem impervious to new ideas. I know this format was suggested some years ago and, while greeted as a novel way forward that had great potential, was never acted upon.
It is clear these shows are going to find that, year on year, fewer of the major companies will attend and as a result fewer and fewer potential customers will attend. This cannot be a healthy business model. It is also clear more and more companies see the vast expense of attending these shows as a poor use of their budgets in their current format. What we do not need is yet another show. What is needed is the existing shows to come together to look at novel ways of recreating themselves as one major event that truly encompasses the modern eye care field. That way the future is bright for one major annual event that crosses traditional barriers and brings two great professions to meet and develop together on the ground and not in ivory towers.