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Hot List: June 2013

Alicia Hoglund

1 Top Tools

A survey by Constant Contact Inc. revealed that small businesses are heading online to attract and engage new and existing customers. The following are the tools respondents said were most effective:

2 Scan and Save

According to Borrell Associates, mobile coupons get 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons and mobile ads get three times the clicks of traditional advertising.

4 Get it Together

Google reports that 40 percent of mobile consumers turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile Web experience, and 57 percent wouldn’t recommend a business with a bad mobile site.

The Vision Council Hosts Low Vision Briefing on Capitol Hill

The Vision Council, in partnership with the American Optometric Association (AOA) and the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), recently sponsored an educational lunch briefing on Capitol Hill, “Veterans and Low Vision 101: Cost-Effective Solutions Improving the Lives of Our Men and Women in Uniform.” The briefing was attended by more than 40 Congressional offices and featured a variety of speakers discussing low vision and its effects on veterans, including Tom Zampieri, PhD, director of Government Relations for the Blinded Veterans Association, AOA member Dale Lervick, OD, FAAO, and Ken Bradley, CEO of Eschenbach Optik of America, Inc., and chair of The Vision Council’s Low Vision Division.

After the briefing, members of Congress and their staff were invited to view and interact with various low vision products and technologies, which were made available from several members of The Vision Council’s Low Vision Division.

1. Ed Greene, CEO of The Vision Council, welcomes attendees; 2. Tom Zampieri, PhD, director of Government Relations for the Blinded Veterans Association, informs attendees about the low vision program with the Veterans Affairs Administration and how it affects veterans; 3. Dale Lervick, OD, FAAO, owner of Dr. Dale G. Lervick and Associates in Lakewood and Dillon, CO, discusses low vision care and services from the perspective of an independent eyecare provider

Vision Source Holds Meeting

The Exchange, the newly named annual Vision Source member meeting, attracted more than 3,100 attendees at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In addition to many managed care sessions, Vision Source introduced a new vendor and product line through MODO, a national television advertising campaign with Transitions Optical, new marketing resources for members, and a doctor and staff educational series.

The alliance also announced an initiative in which both Optos and Vision Source are investing to drive the best patient care and experience possible through the use of the Optos Daytona in Vision Source practices. The event also saw the launch of Alcon’s newest product, Dailies Total One contact lenses.

Michael Wilson, founder and CEO of Healthcare Highways, and Neil Godbey, principle of Advanced Plan for Health, discussed the opportunities and obstacles surrounding the Affordable Care Act. Gary Gerber, OD, hosted his live radio show, The Power Hour, on site. And baseball legend and Transitions lens wearer, Cal Ripken, Jr., held an exclusive meet and greet with 30 Vision Source members.

1. Jim Greenwood, Vision Source president and COO, addresses the crowd at the company’s annual member meeting in April, The Exchange; 2. A Vision Source member tests i-Optics’ corneal topography device at the exhibit hall; 3. The Vision Source Leadership Team with Cal Ripken, Jr.; 4. April Jasper, OD, FAAO, of West Palm Beach, FL, discusses her success using Marco equipment in her former and new offices; 5. The Bella Electric Strings warm up the stage before performing instrumental versions of Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You” and Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen”; 6. Marco entertains the crowd with a unique art presentation by American performance painter, David Garibaldi

Wear and Share

At The Exchange meeting, Eyes of Faith Optical presented a $5,000 Wear & Share donation check to Christian mission organization Sight Ministries. For every frame sold from its house and licensed brand collections, the Eyes of Faith foundation donates funds to the charity to help purchase eyewear for distribution during global missions. The donation resulted from its February and March ophthalmic frame and sunglass sales. (l to r) Eyes of Faith Optical co-founder and president Jim Schneider presents a $5,000 Wear & Share donation check to board member and Vision Source founder Glenn Ellisor, OD, and Scott Settegast, director of Sight Ministries

License Lineup

Essilor and Safilo recently signed an exclusive 10-year licensing agreement for the design, manufacture, and worldwide distribution by Essilor of polarized ophthalmic lenses under the Polaroid brand for use in eyewear product in general.

Essilor recognizes the need to raise awareness of ECPs and consumers about the need to protect eyes from the sun and UV hazards and promote the use of all solutions, including sun prescription and polarized lenses.

Word Search

By jenean Carlton, BA, ABOC, NCLC

This Ocular Emergencies and Maladies word search includes terms related to ocular emergencies and other conditions. For answers, turn to FYI on page 82.

Celebrating Innovation

Schneider Optical Machines played host to more than 140 lab owners, managers, and technicians from more than 90 different labs throughout the U.S. and South America at the company’s second digital lab conference, DigiCON US. With a theme of “Discover the Innovation,” this year’s conference was held from April 18 to 20 at Schneider’s Dallas subsidiary. Schneider kept true to the theme by giving attendees a glimpse at a range of new developments and innovations for surfacing, coating, and finishing.

Gunter Schneider, founder and president of Schneider, and Kurt Atchison, president of Schneider North America, brought their guests through the “new world” of Modulo, an integrated lab system solution, and LMS Modulo, the company’s lab management system. Also on display was the HSE Freestyle edger, a five-axis wet and dry edger with an intuitive shape editor.

The DSC Prolab System surfacing center, and its new non-alloy blocking solution, the CB Connect, was also highlighted throughout the conference. An all-in-one center, the DSC Prolab is ideal for start-ups and small to medium-sized labs. And Schneider unveiled its first-ever coating solution, beginning with the AR coater EBC 400. The entire portfolio of coating equipment, to be launched soon, will range from small to large solutions for hard coating as well as AR, mirror, gradient, and absorption coating.

The conference also included educational seminars and troubleshooting workshops regarding the ever-evolving world of digital surfacing, before ending with golf and Segway tours of historic Dallas.

INFO: Schneider-om.com

1. Gunter Schneider, second from right, and some of his guests; 2. Gunter Schneider demonstrates Modulo; 3. (l to r) Gunter Schneider and Kurt Atchison welcome conference attendees; 4. Kevin Cross talks about the polisher CCP 103 and the Advanced Polishing System; 5. DigiCon attendees see historic Dallas on Segways

On the Town

Transitions Optical, Inc., was at April’s Twilight Terrapin Criterium Cycling race in Athens, GA, demonstrating its Adaptive Sunglasses. An interactive booth experience allowed visitors to cycle on stationary trainer bikes while viewing a “through the lens” video representing the enhanced visual experience of Transitions Adaptive Sunglasses. The company also handed out the Transitions Optical “Out of Sight” award to the male and female cyclists who achieved the longest break of the evening.

Aspex Eyewear’s EasyClip was featured on NBC’s “Today” show on May 6 during a segment highlighting the hottest eyewear styles for summer.

Aspex’s EasyClip; Transitions Optical’s booth at the Twilight Criterium Cycling race; Transitions’ Out of Sight Awards

Good Ideas HOME SWEET HOME

Volunteers from Santinelli International gather for a photo at the build site; President Gerard Santinelli was one of many Santinelli employees to dedicate his time to the Habitat for Humanity event

Last month, Santinelli International employees volunteered their time, joining forces with Habitat for Humanity to help build a home for a local family in need on Long Island, NY. Through generous donations from colleagues, friends, and family, the company was also able to raise $2,500, which was put toward building materials for the project.

In addition to helping out a worthy cause, the event was a great team-building activity for its associates, say company representatives. This was the second year in a row Santinelli has worked with Habitat for Humanity, and the company plans to do so in the future by making it an annual event.

Shaista Vally, a second year student in the OD program at the SUNY College of Optometry in New York City, has developed a free, new art program for blind and visually impaired adults. Set to launch this month, the SUNY Blind Art Program, supported by a grant from the Optometric Center of New York, is a foursession tactile art workshop designed specifically for adults with no previous art experience. Vally and her fellow students will act as artist assistants during the workshop to help participants with their projects. The Blind Art Program will take place at the SUNY College of Optometry on June 1, June 8, June 15, and June 22 from noon to 3 p.m. Participants must be willing and able to participate in all four workshops. The program is free and available for visually impaired or blind adults who are 18 years or older. INFO: svally@sunyopt.edu Shaista Vally, creator of the SUNY Blind Art Program

Star Gazers

1. Jessica Alba in Carrera 6000L style sunglasses by Safilo. Alba recently published a new book, “The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to You,” in which she shares tips about how to make healthy living fun, real, and stylish.

2. Actress Chloë Sevigny in GUESS style GU7230 shades by Viva International Group. Catch Sevigny alongside James Franco and Olivia Wilde in “Black Dog, Red Dog,” which will be released later this year.

3. “Scandal” star Kerry Washington in Chloé style CE601S sunglasses by Marchon. Washington stars alongside David Alan Grier in “Peeples,” which hit theaters last month.

4. Michael Bublé looking dapper in DSquared2 eyewear style DQ5106 by Marcolin on the cover of his latest album, “To Be Loved,” which was released in April.

Cool Clicks

Briot USA and Visionix Inc. have introduced a new website, briot.com/usa. Offering a contemporary and streamlined user experience, the site features enhanced resources and functionalities custom designed to invite interaction with Briot and Vision teams based in the U.S. Visitors to the site can browse equipment and instruments, download and print brochures, view accessories, browse technical support questions, view career opportunities, and much more.

ODLean Consulting will be launching a series of e-learning modules based on more than 300 ODLean consulting engagements and observations across the U.S. and Canada. The modules will be available through ODLean.com later this year. The first module will address the “Lean” business philosophy of making improvements to drive change across every aspect of your business. Future module topics include scheduling, clinical balance, communications, and change management, among others. The modules range in from five to 20 minutes, and are intended for quick learning and implementation.

This year marks Tura Inc.’s 75th anniversary. To help celebrate, the company has debuted a video showcasing the its fashion history on its YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/turanyinc.