The Fielmann Group bids farewell to its founder and long-standing Chairman of the Management Board Günther Fielmann. After a long and fulfilled life, the German entrepreneur passed away on January 3, 2024 at the the age of 84 at his home in Lütjensee in Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), peacefully surrounded by his family.
With great sadness shared The Vision Council the passing of Steve Sutherlin on December 28. He died of a heart attack at the age of 70. Steve was The Vision Council’s Lab Division Liaison from 2015 to 2020 when he retired.
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Dutch Ophthalmic Research Center (International) B.V. (D.O.R.C.) from the investment firm Eurazeo SE, Paris, France. The acquisition will enhance and complement Zeiss Medical Technology’s broad ophthalmic portfolio and range of digitally connected workflow solutions for addressing a wide variety of eye conditions, including retinal disorders, cataracts, glaucoma and refractive errors.
The offer for newcomers to make their presence felt at opti 2024 is expanded once more: the new Optics Start-up area in Hall C3 is dedicated to young start-ups of optical products and services, this making it the second start-up area in addition to the popular opti boxes for new frame designs.
Eyewear show Silmo Istanbul, first held in 2013, confirms its leading position and continues its expansion throughout Turkey as well as Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa. More than 500 exhibitors and brands gathered there for these four dynamic days. A record total of 13,385 visitors (+13% versus 2022) – including 80% from Turkey and 20% from abroad, hailing from no fewer than 93 countries – came to explore the Silmo Istanbul experience
MEI, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-tech machinery for the optical industry, keeps growing. Expansion work will soon begin on the Ponte San Pietro headquarters, doubling from 10,000 m2 to 20,000 m2. In addition, a newly expanded site is under construction in the United States to meet the needs of a team of more than 70 employees.
Lorraine Berton has been elected to lead ANFAO, the National Association of Optical Goods Manufacturers.The new President, the first woman in this position who will be leading the Association for the next four years, succeeds Giovanni Vitaloni, President from 2017. The appointment was made at the end-of-year Meeting, in the splendid setting of the Scuola Grande della Misericordia in Venice.
Registration now open for MAFO – The Conference 2024, the special event in Milan for optical labs and the ophthalmic industry. A top-class program with eleven speakers awaits you next year. This conference following the motto NEXT GENERATION is all about: Additive manufacturing of ophthalmic coatings, blockless manufacturing, smart glasses and many more exciting topics.
The new website of the international eyewear tradeshow Mido, that will take place at Fiera Milano Rho from 3 to 5 February 2024, is online. It is not just a graphic restyling, but a substantial change, aimed at ensuring digital accessibility, encouraging user participation, and avoiding discrimination of all kinds.
Ocuco has announced the dates for its Innovations User Group Meeting 2024: SEAS THE DAY. The event will take place from April 11th to 13th, 2024, at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Florida, USA. The meeting aims to bring together optical lab professionals from around the world for three days of education around key market trends, insights into the Innovations roadmap, and practical training with Ocuco’s LMS.
