The 50th edition of the Mido eyewear trade show has been scheduled for Feb. 6-8, 2021.
“The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in Italy and its swift spread to the rest of the world, along with doubts about when the crisis will normalize globally, have forced us to make the painful, but crucial, decision to safeguard exhibitors and visitors, buyers and stakeholders, staff and everyone involved in the organization, management and operation of the show,” said Mido President Giovanni Vitaloni. “The 50th anniversary edition is being moved to 2021 and we are convinced it will bring a new lease on life to the eyewear industry in Italy and abroad. Our focus, and that of all industry professionals, is to inject new vitality into a healthy economic system that – although slowed by the public health crisis – has never lost its driving force.”
In February, the show’s board of directors announced that it would postpone the 2020 edition until dates, not yet determined at that point, between the end of May and mid June because of the coronavirus outbreak. The show had originally been scheduled for Feb. 29 to March 2, 2020.
The dates for the event in 2021 are about three weeks earlier than the show is normally held each year. It will be held at Fiera Milano Rho.
“A significant change, one we had planned to announce during the 2020 edition,” Vitaloni said. “By
moving the date forward several weeks, we can give an additional boost to the eyewear business globally and in Italy.”
Vitaloni continued: “During these perplexing times, in an ongoing scenario of diminishing revenues and increasing costs, national and international businesses are struggling to strike a balance between the need to keep working and the essential task of ensuring the safety of their employees. This is why we must make certain that, once the pandemic has peaked, businesses know they can count on MIDO to showcase their collections, machinery, ophthalmic innovations, tech inventions and, each in their own field of specialization, get back to doing business. By fostering an alliance between exhibitors and visitors, in a climate of restored confidence, MIDO can play a crucial role in the recovery.”
While awaiting MIDO 2021, the MIDO4U digital platform is a key resource that connects exhibitors with international buyers.
“Of course, the digital platform cannot replace an actual fair, where people can mingle and talk business,” Vitaloni said, “but it is an accessible means of real, albeit virtual, interaction that ensures the industry a viable way to continue to build business relationships.”