One of the Australian optical industry’s signature events O-SHOW24 has concluded with close to 1,000 visitors turning out over two days, and a strong showing from independents from NSW and beyond.
The boutique trade fair, which took place at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion over 17-18 May 2024, has been hailed as a success with several adjustments made to this year’s program to improve the attendee experience.
With O-SHOW having a strong commercial focus, the biennial event was also timed to coincide with Optometry NSW/ACT (ONSW/ACT)’s Super Sunday CPD event so optometrists can engage in trade and education across the same weekend.
Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) CEO Ms Amanda Trotman hoped for a 1,000+ event, and that was exceeded with over 1,300 total industry professionals coming together for the event including suppliers, media, students and other industry representatives.
“This is the first time we’ve opened late on the second day until 7pm, the intention was to allow those that had a busy day in practice on Saturday to still come and see the show. Whilst some people have made the effort to come down the Saturday evening did not end up as busy as the Friday night and likely Sydney’s polar blast weather on the Saturday worked against us,” she said.
“We’ve asked attendees whether they are a single independent practice, have multiple practices or are part of a chain, and the numbers show there were at least 800 visitors from independents in attendance; that’s a significant representation and the key market for our exhibitors.
“This is unashamedly ODMA’s commercial show, and it’s all about the quality of people that come here with the intention to buy products and services – and I think we have delivered on that.”
Of the 1,000 attendees, approximately 30% were classified as owner/director, 30% optometrist, 30% optical dispenser and 10% miscellaneous.
“We’re happy with the mix. It’s clear businesses see the value of sending multiple people from their practice. We’ve also had 100 people from Queensland and 100 from Victoria registered, as well as some international too. That indicates people will travel for this sort of event even without the clinical component.”
In addition to later opening hours (10am-7pm both days), this year’s event included a Frames Central zone in the centre of the trade floor. While exhibitors didn’t hero one of their brands as anticipated, Trotman said it still served its purpose.
“These more affordable booths have allowed smaller suppliers to exhibit and be part of the show. We’ve had great feedback about the breakout areas where people could sit and network over a free cup of tea. It made for a nice casual atmosphere where people enjoyed mulling around, so I would like to put more of those areas in the next show.”
The short educational sessions, held in an upstairs room overlooking the trade floor, were a small, yet important, aspect of the show.
Highlights included the joined session by Eyecare Plus’s Mr Philip Rose and ProVision’s Mr Mark Corduff who delivered some important truths about buying and selling independent practices, getting deep into the financials that lead to a successful transaction for both parties.
Meanwhile, Ms Fatin Tobia, from eye2eye marketing 360, offered key insights into the art of patient recalls, promoting a switch back to the traditional method of personalised phone calls as one of the best methods to ensure patient retention.
Apart from the education sessions, Trotman said the equipment demonstrations were another highlight of the show.
“For those who would prefer not to have the one-on-one demo, it’s a nice way to get a general feel for the instrument, and maybe book a more comprehensive appointment later. It’s been a nice approach that we will take forward,” she said.
“This year we’ve also collaborated with Optical Dispensers Australia for the eyewear making workshops with Chris Savage, which a handful of people have taken part in. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about: collaboration and ensuring there is something for everyone in the optical industry all under one roof.”
As for the future of O-SHOW, Trotman hinted that while the essence of the show would remain, ODMA is considering a change in location. More details are expected to be announced soon.
More reading
O-SHOW24 to feature free educational sessions with expert speaker lineup
O-SHOW24 – a guide to some of the key exhibits
O-SHOW24: Unlocking practice potential
