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Hot List: December 2009

1 This Will Be the Year I…

It's the time of year when people start thinking about how next year is going to be different. The website www.newyearfestival.com cited the following as the most popular resolutions.

1. Getting into shape

2. Getting more organized

3. Giving up smoking/drinking

4. Getting or changing a job

5. Keeping a check on expenses and pay down debt

5. Buying a house/renovate/relocate

7. Finding a mate

8. Learning something new

9. Enjoying and traveling more

10. Spending more time with family

11. Working on a hobby

12. Helping others/doing service to society

2 Oops Lang Syne

According to the website www.proactivechange.com, 40 to 45 percent of American adults make one or more resolutions each year.

And while we all tend to resolve to make big changes, the rates of success vary wildly. The odds are that those who make resolutions will make it past New Year's Day. But after that.…

How do we do?

Past the first week 75%

Past two weeks 71%

After one month 64%

After six months 46%

3 Best Business Wishes

Businesses are just as likely to make resolutions for the year as individuals. A few goals for retailers to strive for, from Shari Waters at www.about.com, include:

1. Reduce shrinkage (including employee theft and shoplifting)

2. Increase sales opportunities

3. Improve customer service

4. Add new products or lines

5. Buy from vendors with best value

6. Increase marketing

7. Lower expenses

8. Get out of the store (and attend a trade show)

9. Add one new time- or money-saving piece of technology

10. Provide training for staff

The Vision Council, OLA Consider Synergies

Weighing their options for the future, the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) and The Vision Council are slated to meet this month to discuss ways the groups can pool their efforts.

They have announced an ongoing discussion to explore ways that the two associations can combine their efforts and activities for the benefit of their respective members. "OLA and The Vision Council have always worked together on projects of mutual interest," says J. Larry Enright, president of OLA. "It just makes sense to look at the full range of our memberships and activities to determine how we can each best serve the ophthalmic industry."

An open forum to review the synergies being explored between OLA and The Vision Council will be held during the General Session at the OLA 2009 Annual Meeting this month with representatives from both organizations.

In particular, a proposal will be discussed to co-locate the OLA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas and share the exhibit hall at International Vision Expo West. An update on the overall status of the potential collaboration of OLA and The Vision Council will also be discussed.

"We realize the first question on everyone's mind would be regarding the combining of the OLA annual exposition with International Vision Expo West. However, there are various other considerations for OLA and The Vision Council, including overlapping memberships, activities within the organizations, and the priorities of each organization," says Mike Daley, chairman of The Vision Council.

"At the start, there are more questions than answers," notes Kevin Bargman, Hawkins Optical, "but the underlying question is always, 'How will this benefit our members?'"

Fire at Vision-Ease Lens Jakarta Shifts Manufacturing

A major fire at the Vision-Ease Lens manufacturing facility in Jakarta, Indonesia, has temporarily shifted Jakarta lens manufacturing operations to the company's facility in Ramsey, Minn. Vision-Ease expects to meet customer demand with existing inventory at key distribution centers.

"Our priority now is ensuring employee and customer needs are met," says Doug Hepper, CEO of Vision-Ease. "The Jakarta facility is a vital part of our operation. We will leverage the skills and knowledge of our Jakarta employees to rebuild a world-class facility."

The 80,000 square foot facility, opened in 1997, employs approximately 500 employees. All employees evacuated safely and damage is being assessed.

WebWatch

Bausch & Lomb has launched www.CenterforPatientInsights.com, an interactive website to support its new Center for Patient Insights. The Center delivers news, insights, and trends to ECPs to help them better understand and meet patient needs, with the website aggregating this information as an easy-to-use port-of-entry. Features include PatientPoints, summaries of industry trends, market research, and insights on how this data can be used to improve ECP practices.

The American Optometric Association and Optometric Historical Society have issued Historical Gems, an email series that details significant milestones, occurrences, and stories about the optometric profession over the last 60 to 100 years. The full-length stories are archived at www.optometryscharity.com and on the historical society's website at www.opt.indiana.edu/ohs/optohiso.html.

ODs can submit stories, events, and comments via email to the group at www.Foundation@aoa.org.

PPG is now featuring the accounts of optical professionals who are successful with Trivex material on www.PPGTrivex.com/testimonials. The "True Life Testimonials" page features the personal experiences of various-sized practices and labs. The professionals offer product reviews, share specific selling tips, and demonstrate how Trivex material is being used to boost sales and strengthen customer loyalty. Additional testimonials can be submitted to Nathan Troxell at troxell@ppg.com.

In addition, a redesigned website at www.PPGTrivex.com provides access to the latest Trivex P.O.S. materials, features links to research related to Trivex material and to industry groups.

OLA Names Hall of Fame Inductees

The OLA named the individuals to be inducted into the OLA Hall of Fame for 2009. Bob Dziuban, executive director of OLA, recently announced the names of the industry veterans who will be honored at the 10th annual OLA Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held on the evening of Dec. 3, 2009, the evening before the OLA 2009 Annual Meeting.

The 2009 Hall of Fame Honorees are:

Edward A. Dietz, III; James W. Drain; Morley Gwirtzman; Don Rahn; Henry Shyer; Ralph L. Woythaler

Posthumously: Brian Barns; Mike DiSanto

The OLA Hall of Fame began as the Optical Pioneers in 2000, for the purpose of "recognizing the contributions of those who participated in the establishment of the wholesale optical industry in its founding years." Over time, the recognition has progressed to persons from any era and any part of the optical lab industry, and thus the name was changed to the Hall of Fame.

Alcon, Essilor Foundation Team Up for Kids' Vision

The Alcon Foundation and Essilor Vision Foundation have launched an initiative to help kids attending Everman ISD in Tarrant County, Texas, get the vision care they need to succeed in school and life.

Kids Vision for Life-Tarrant County program will be conducted at all five Everman ISD elementary schools and one intermediate school during the 2009-10 school years. The long-term goal is to expand the program to Fort Worth ISD and other Tarrant County school districts.

The centerpiece of the program is the new Mobile Vision Van, a vision clinic and lab. Around 3,000 Tarrant County students will receive free eye screenings, including all students in grades one through six and eye exams and glasses to children who currently can't afford vision care and don't qualify for other programs. The program is currently inviting partners and donors in Tarrant County to join the coalition so vision care programs can be expanded.

On the Town

1. Signet Armorlite receives a SunSensors plaque. (l to r) John Bradshaw, Signet Armorlite; Lyle Rubin, Corning; Bruno Salvadori, Signet Armorlite. 2. The staff of Sonoran Desert Eye Center enjoys the Briot Jackpot award. 3. Revo's special in-store event in Boulder, Colo., features Jimmy Chin shown with guests and Revo's Diane Thibert (r). 4. LensWorks co-owners (l to r) Lyle Olsen, Debbie Schmitz, and Brian Workman

Corning Incorporated is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of SunSensors monomer, the first photochromic monomer used by its customers to manufacture plastic photochromic lenses. The company is designating lens manufacturers as certified SunSensors casters. "We celebrate SunSensors' 10 years of success with our lens manufacturers, labs, and eyecare professionals," says Pierre-Jean Baron, general manager of Corning Ophthalmic. "With their help, the SunSensors brand continues to be successful in the photochromic market."

Sonoran Desert Eye Center in Chandler, Ariz., was the winner of the Briot USA Vision Expo West Jackpot Drawing. Sonoran Desert Eye Center will receive $15,000 over the next five months, which will subsidize business expenses or improvements.

Performance eyewear maker Revo and specialty retailer Sunglass Hut, both parts of Luxottica, hosted an in-store event in Boulder, Colo., featuring Revo ambassador and adventure photographer Jimmy Chin. During the event, customers who purchased a pair of Revo sunglasses received a complimentary copy of "Galen Rowell: A Retrospective." Sunglass Hut donated 20 percent of proceeds raised during the event to the Galen Rowell Photography Memorial Fund a non-profit organization that advocates for nature preservation.

Eyetique is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Norman Childs opened his first Eyetique location in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood in 1979 and he brokered the deal that made Eyetique the first store in the world to carry Oliver Peoples frames. Today, Childs operates six Eyetique shops, employs 45 people, and offers 45 exclusive designer collections, including his own line of Norman Childs Eyewear. As part of Eyetique's 30th anniversary celebration and sale, a portion of Child's profits will go to Gilda's Club Western Pennsylvania.

LensWorks, an independently owned, full-service wholesale lab based in Plymouth, Minn., has tripled the size of its facility to nearly 9,000 square feet. The company celebrated with an open house at the end of October, where more than 50 attendees received lab tours followed by food, entertainment, and prize drawings.

Hong Kong Optical Fair: 2009

The HKTDC Hong Kong Optical Fair attracted more than 530 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions, including group pavilions from the Chinese mainland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. At the fair, the Brand Name Gallery was a new element this year. The stylish section housed International optical brands and was also the venue for fashion parades of Gallery products. Returning in 2009, shop design and layout, as well as contemporary styles in shelving, showcases, lighting, and other fittings, were covered in the Retail & Shop Design, Equipment, and Technology sections. In addition, Anfao, the Italian Association of Optical Goods Manufacturers, brought a group of 20 companies representing Made in Italy eyewear to the VoS or Visionaries of Style space.

The Hong Kong Optometric Conference and the Asia-Pacific Optometric Congress were also a big draw for the fair, bringing together experts from around the world to present the latest research on Asia optometry. Research consulting firm Gfk Asia Pte Ltd., also provided an insider's look at eyewear trends in Asia and the general market outlook, with topics including development trends of sunglasses, frames, and contact lens.

For more information on next year's Hong Kong Optical Fair, visit the show's website at hkopticalfair.hktdc.com.

1. The ribbon cutting at the opening ceremony for the annual Hong Kong Optical Fair; 2. Guests at the networking reception were welcomed by Raymond Yip; 3. and 4. The networking reception featured entertainment, as well as a brand-name frame fashion show with styles from around the globe; 5. Members of the media spoke with frame company representatives; 6. and 7. Innovative frames vied for honors in the design competition

Accessories: Optical Shines at ACE Awards

Optical mixed with the fashion elite at the Accessories Council's ACE awards held recently in New York.

The 13th Annual ACE Awards honored individuals and companies who have furthered the awareness and use of accessories. The ACE Awards are presented to designers, brands, retailers, celebrities, and media who have promoted accessories. The event was hosted by Robert Verdi and Marchon was the title sponsor.

Honorees included Burberry, Brand of the Year; Tomas Maier for Bottega Veneta, Designer of the Year; Lady Gaga, Stylemaker Award; Diane Von Furstenberg, Accessory Visionary Award; Barbie, Fashion Icon; Fred Allard of Nine West, Influencer Award; Blake Mycoskie of Tom's Shoes, Humanitarian Award; Zappos.com, Retailer of the Year; Gilt Groupe, Retail Innovation; Hal Rubenstein, InStyle magazine, Marylou Luther Award for Fashion Journalism; and V Magazine, Magazine of the Year.

Guests and presenters included Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Betsey Johnson, Molly Sims, Alexander Wang, Christian Siriano, Agyness Deyn, Eric Daman and Accessories Council president Karen Giberson.

At the ACE awards: (top to bottom) Fred Allard of Nine West (l) and "Gossip Girl" costume designer Eric Damon; Marchon's Claudio Gottardi (l) and Al Berg (center right) with designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Calvin Klein; stylemaker Lady Gaga with designer Marc Jacobs

STAR Gazers

1. Enjoying its continued return to the fashion forefront, Safilo Group's Carrera eyewear recently took center stage in the latest Lady Gaga music video. The vocalist wore the Carrera style Champion sunglass while performing "Bad Romance," the lead single off the singer's upcoming album "The Fame Monster."

2. Actress and mom, Marcia Cross of "Desperate Housewives," has her hands full. She was spotted wearing Jee Vice's Spicy shades while spending a weekend afternoon out with her family in Los Angeles.

3. You can bet your bottom dollar that celebutante Kim Kardashian knows how to work her style and her business. In addition to her on-screen work in the reality TV universe, she's also a partner in boutique chain, Dash, and the host of a workout DVD. She's shown here in Sean John style SJ515S from Marchon.

4. Julia Roberts wears Luxottica frames while filming her new film "Eat, Pray, Love" (set to release in July 2010). The woman with the world-famous grin wears Persol style PO2873S 95/31.