Snapping Up Business

DO YOU KNOW SPECTACLES?

The coveted, camera-enabled eyewear from Snap Inc. (formerly known as Snapchat) debuted in September to much fanfare in the tech and social media scenes.

Spectacles record 10-second digital videos from a wearer's point-of-view via a 115-degree-angle lens. The recorded videos then upload to the wearer’s Snapchat app account. The Snapchat app delivers serious social media clout today, with 150 million active users and 10 billion video views per day.

The wildly popular Spectacles ($129.99, spectacles.com) are elusive; they’ve been sold only at Snap’s New York City holiday-season store and its pop-up Bots—vending machines that spontaneously appear in popular and obscure locations, but never stay long.

ECPs can now join in on the Spectacles craze, thanks to Rochester Optical. The wholesale lab that's made itself known as a leader in Rx solutions for wearable technology (such as Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, Epson Moverio, and Intel Recon Jet) is now making Rx lenses for Spectacles.

Though consumers can order the Rx lenses (single vision + PALs) via Rochester’s website, ECPs are welcome to order for their patients via the wholesale channel. The lenses are available in clear, sun, or photochromic materials.

INFO: rochesteroptical.com

—Susan Tarrant

Snap Inc.’s wildly popular Spectacles, shown here fit with +5.00 lenses from Rochester Optical

Education + Inspiration

Relationship-building opportunities and education on key topics lead the charge at the fast-growing Optometric Management Symposium

this year’s Optometric Management Symposium (OMS), produced by Eyecare Business’ parent company, PentaVision, drew more than 500 attendees—an impressive growth of 23% over last year’s conference attendance.

Held Dec. 1-4 at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the symposium delivered 50+ hours of COPE-approved CE, a lineup of lunchtime speakers covering the industry’s hottest topics, and an exciting exhibit area packed with best-selling products. OMS also included a 1 1/2-day Global Specialty Lens Symposium CE program plus a full-day Eyecare Business Retail Track.

The symposium served up all this plus the opportunity to meet with—and pick the brains of—the event’s speakers and sponsors. “This year, we held a reception that included both our speakers and attendees,” explains Maureen Trusky, OMS conference manager. “Our speakers are incredibly knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and accessible.”

The 2017 Optometric Management Symposium will be held Nov. 3-5 at the Disney Yacht and Beach Club.

INFO: OMCONFERENCE.COM