Planning continues for the return of the popular trade fair in Sydney next year. Insight talks to the event’s key organiser about what people can expect to see, what’s new and how the industry can benefit.
The future of the optometry industry sometimes keeps Ms Amanda Trotman up at night.
Other people might count sheep as they lay back and surrender to slumber, but it’s questions that often rumble around the head of the Optical Distributors and Manufacturer’s Association (ODMA) CEO.
She’s thinking about the increasing corporatisation of the industry and the many challenges and opportunities that go with running independent businesses in a tough economy.
“It’s about how I can help buck some of those trends? How do we ensure new and health fund clients are being referred to independent practices, not just to chains? How do I utilise a website that shows where independent practices are located? How do I get messaging out to consumers? How do I help independent practices partner with suppliers for mutual benefit? How does the optical industry embrace the latest technology confidently?”
Luckily for those independents and others, Trotman and her team are working to answer those questions, bringing experts, experienced speakers and industry representatives together for the ODMAFair25, running from 27 to 29 June. The popular event is returning to Sydney at the International Convention Centre (ICC).
One of those speakers is Mr Adam Spencer, who will kick off the event during a lively and entertaining breakfast and networking session.
A well-known and engaging speaker, with many years of experience in TV, radio and events, Spencer is particularly focused on the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and Chat GPT, cyber security, and the future of work.
How to use technological advances for good and avoid potential risks can keep business owners awake at night, but Trotman hopes Spencer’s presentation and others will help optometry practitioners sleep a little easier.
“We made the decision that it would be nice to have someone like Adam who has a broader perspective,” says Trotman. “Someone who was going to be inspirational and make us maybe think outside the box more.”
Other key speakers will include Provision’s Mr Mark Corduff and Mr Philip Rose of Eyecare Plus on How to Become a Practice Owner; Dr Soojin Nam and Ms Heidi Hunter, both independent practice owner-optometrists, on Establishing Your Practice Point of Difference; and 2022 International Optician of the Year Mr Grant Hannaford, of The Academy of Advanced Ophthalmic Optics, dissecting Myopia Management for the Optical Dispenser.
An opening breakfast event and keynote speaker are not the only innovations planned for next year’s fair.
Trotman and her team recently announced new awards for the event, with fresh categories including Best Independent Practice of the Year, Best Independent Practice Window Dressing, Versatile Frame of the Year, and Top Customer Service Team.
Other awards include those for the best supplier and sales representative.
At the centre of the large exhibition space will be a Knowledge Centre.
That’s where the short but informative education sessions will be run.
“We have found in the past that it can be hard to run these sessions given the background noise, so we are going to do presentations with headsets here for the first time; people will be able to sit and listen to those sessions and not feel like they can’t concentrate,” says Trotman.
These will be in addition to the three education streams highlighted at the event, which will run in conference rooms outside the fair: business; practice management; and dispensing.
Back to the future
Trotman says the fair is returning to Sydney, in part as a response to a number of calls from the industry. More details are yet to come about what will happen with O-SHOW, run in alternate years, and ODMA’s event presence in Melbourne.
Importantly, the venue in the Darling Harbour precinct will provide plenty of room for exhibitors keen on more space, as well as the Knowledge Centre and catering to support people at the event.
Some of that space will be used by Optometry NSW/ACT, which has joined forces with ODMA to have its Super Sunday clinical conference aligned with the trade fair and under the same roof.
Trotman is particularly excited about this collaboration – another example of listening to industry feedback.
“We’re very mindful that other associations and not-for-profit groups are all running events as important parts of their offering too, and the ODMAFair event is a chance for us to help others get some efficiencies from scale and save some costs whilst each event helps bolster attendance at the other’s event.
“ODMA is very focused on the business and practical advice, and we wanted to put together a program for that and have that complement the other associations’ CPD focus,” she says.
“Other associations must deliver CPD sessions to members, whereas ODMA, with its strong trade industry focus, is very good at the business, practice management and dispensing focus. By collaborating on Super Sunday and also with ACBO for their annual conference, we are avoiding stepping on any toes, whilst being able to also incorporate a CPD element, so we just think this model we have initiated achieves the best of both worlds and ultimately increases return on investment for both practice attendees and exhibitors.”
She sees that collaboration and events like ODMAFair25 as vital as the industry, and independent practices in particular, face a number of challenges and opportunities.
“We’re seeing new offerings such as Optometrist Warehouse by Chemist Warehouse and some lens companies increasing consumer marketing budgets, and I think we’re going to see more brand awareness of the different lens options and benefits amongst consumers, and with all this I see a need for the independent practice messaging to gain cut-through with consumers.
Myopia management will be an even bigger focus in future, with messaging aimed at parents given the children’s high level of screen time.
“I’d love to start to see the messaging: you go to the dentist twice a year, why don’t you get your eyes checked regularly even if you do not need glasses currently.”
Innovation and new technology will likely be hot topics at the fair too.
“AI and intelligent glasses, seeing how excited everyone is about their advancement, but now the question is turning to: ‘what does this mean for privacy? What does this mean for safety? And so we are hoping to find some speakers willing to have a good question and answer session on some of these topics that are still new and emerging and help us all get up to speed.”
Trotman doesn’t expect all those questions to find answers at this one event, but she believes the networking opportunity it presents, and the bringing together of so many optometrists, practice owners, suppliers and associated professionals in one place means a lot of progress will be made.
A unique opportunity
It will also mean a great opportunity for suppliers too, despite the significant cost of attending and exhibiting for some.
“It’s not cheap to have a sales rep on the road, trying to cover practices across large areas, and often not able to show a full product range despite lugging around a lot of product,” says Trotman.
“Rather than attending optical practices trying to get them to spend the required time to look at your products, and they’re rushed and they’re distracted, events offer a nice alternative where people that come to this event come to do business and focus on their business future away from their place of work. It’s a unique opportunity.
“People are going to go there to see certain suppliers, plus for sure something else will catch their eye, and that might never have happened, if they didn’t walk down an aisle.”
The impact is positive for everyone involved, she says.
“I’m still a very, very big advocate of live events.
“It’s such a unique opportunity, and you can’t put into words that when you’re there, the buzz, the positivity and the optimism at our events is inspiring.
“And it’s conducive to doing good business and fostering good business relationships,” she says.
At time of writing, three-quarters of the booths were already accounted for, and Trotman and her team were now looking wider than the traditional exhibitors, to those many other companies that support the optometry industry. “I’d like to get some of those miscellaneous services, whether that’s insurance, banking, fit-out companies.”
She is confident that the fair will be a success, but she does have one plea for those exhibiting and others considering it.
“We’d like to get exhibitors to do a better job of telling us what they’re going to have on their booths, so we can then help them market that better; tell us what’s newly released, what has not been seen in Australia before, about the new technology.”
If that can be done, and it helps people realise it is a must-attend event and it contributes to a great result, then Trotman believes ODMAFair25 will help build a better, stronger optometry industry.
“There’s room for both – the corporates and the independents – but we don’t want to get to a point where the independents feel that their only succession plan is selling to a corporate chain.
“So we are here to support those conversations with our program and speakers and networking opportunities and that is also why we work closely with the buying groups and their immense expertise.
“We hope to attract both experienced and young optometrists to the event, and some of our talks may inspire some to grow their business or set up a specialisation and for some to start their own practice down the track,” she says.
“And maybe, people who already have an optometry business can start thinking about their succession plan well in advance and bring on people that will buy into their business, which is a real positive for the continued strength of the independent sector.”
Fostering these connections and helping them grow will likely mean a more restful night’s sleep for all.
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