This was MIDO 2023
MIDO 2023 marks the beginning of a new era for the eyewear show with numbers that confirm its leadership position as it closed its doors 6 February on the 51st edition. The next MIDO will take place Saturday February 3rd to Monday February 5th 2024, at Fiera Milano Rho.
Attendance peaked at 35,000 industry professionals; 80% of them from Europe and 20% from the rest of the world. That is a 60% increase over 2022 visitor numbers. Also on the rise, Italian visitors made up 53% of the total.
Of the more than 1,000 exhibitors representing the entire supply chain – from machinery to lenses, along with frame manufacturers, and from the industry’s top name brands to young independent designers – 72% were international and 28% from Italy. Among the overseas exhibitors, 51% were from Europe, 42% from Asia and 7% from the rest of the world. The data, both for visitors and participation by industry professionals, once again confirm the unmistakable global reach of the show.
“We have an exciting responsibility that comes with being the gold standard global eyewear event and that is, to bring together supply and demand for professionals who participate in MIDO,” stated MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. “This year we attracted many first-time presences among exhibitors and visitors who expressed their positive surprise at walking through the doors of our show. The ‘wonder’, that is part of the show’s DNA, is precisely this – to delight those who participate to such an extent that they cannot help but be here every year,” he concluded.
For visitors, there were myriad innovations and events, with a special focus on opticians – from the “How to?” cycle of OTTICLUB meetings – to the presentation of specialized books in the “Book@MIDO” program. The all-important focus on sustainability, with accolades and dedicated areas. But there were also occasions for glamour, with appearances by VIPs and personalities from the world of entertainment with flash mobs, exhibitions and awards in the popular MIDO squares.
The eyewear show has become a not-to-be-missed appointment for the Italian and international press as well – with more than 380 accredited journalists in attendance, more than 100 articles published in just the 3 days of the show, and about 500 in the preceding weeks. A sizable number of TV crews also captured ‘fair life’ as they moved among the stands for the duration of the show.
In addition to substantial live participation in the event, there was equally significant online activity – users from around the globe connected to the MIDO social profiles, enlivening them with more than 15,000 shares between posts and stories. Communication, in just the 3 days of the fair, exceeded 1.4 million impressions, growth also reflected in the 50,000 interactions on the pages, a more than 30% increase over last year.
The mido.com website was visited by more than 30,000 people (+50% over 2022) while the digital platform counted 12,000 members, 650 showcase pages and more than 40 events that will continue to be available until December 2023. The combination of in-person participation and online posts means MIDO 2023 successfully and positively integrated the real and the virtual.
