June 10, 2021 — Vision Expo East 2021, the first in-person Vision Expo since 2019 (prior to the Covid-19 pandemic), concluded on Saturday, June 5. The event took place June 2-5 in Orlando, FL. 

“With the support of the Orange County Convention Center, we were thrilled to host a successful, safe event for the community to network, learn, and conduct business,” says Fran Pennella, vice president of Vision Expo at Reed Exhibitions. “Based on the feedback from our exhibitors, we know this was a truly impactful event, with new business being conducted and invaluable relationships formed and solidified over the course of the show.” 

Show organizers have shared that Vision Expo East 2021 featured more than 200 exhibiting companies, 120 continuing education sessions, and more than 160 hours of custom clinical contact. OptiCon@Vision Expo also returned to the show to offer educational content and an exhibit hall experience for opticians, contact lens practitioners, and ophthalmic allied professionals. 

The Seen, a new main stage destination, served as a hub for attendees and hosted the EYE2EYE Series panels and the Career Zone. The ShopVISION Lounge—also new to Vision Expo—allowed attendees to discover ShopVISION, a new global sourcing platform. It was also the voting destination for the Vision Choice Awards, of which Carl Zeiss Vision received the award for best new product. 

The show fused various industry groups: the Professional Opticians of Florida offered Florida-required education at Vision Expo East, and the National Optometric Association hosted its regional meeting at the show. Prevent Blindness hosted its annual Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament on June 2. 

Show organizers also offered Vision Expo+, a free digital extension of the Vision Expo East experience that was available from June 3–5 through ShopVISION. Nearly 1,000 industry members attended the virtual experiences, including online showrooms from Vision Expo East’s 200-plus exhibitors and livestreamed Vision Expo East content, which is available to view on ShopVISION.

Vision Expo West 2021 will take place Sept. 22-25 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. In addition to the return of The Suites, new “neighborhoods” are slated for the Vision Expo West show floor. The OptiCon program and hub will return, and students and young professionals can also plan for the return of the Career Zone. The Seen, the main stage destination that made its debut at Vision Expo East, will also host special events, panels, and programming at the show in September. Vision Expo+ will again be offered as a digital extension of the in-person trade show. Registration for Vision Expo West opens mid-July.

“Following an incredible Vision Expo East in Orlando, we are more excited than ever to bring the vision care community together again in Las Vegas this September,” says Mitch Barkley, vice president of trade shows and events at The Vision Council, co-owner of Vision Expo. “With Las Vegas fully reopened as of June 1, we are looking forward to an exciting show and even more opportunities to connect with the community through special events, programming, and education.” 

For an inside look directly from the Vision Expo East show floor, EB editor-in-chief Erinn Morgan hosted livestream sessions with Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council, on Thursday, June 3 and Friday, June 4.