The Business: Mike Daley: The Big 3-0

The year was 1986. It was the
first gathering of eyecare leaders
from The Vision Council at what
would later become International
Vision Expo & Conference. This
month marks the 30th anniversary
of International Vision Expo, an
event that has served as a conduit
for progress and a catalyst for the
transformation of our industry over
three decades of rapid change.

For 30 years, International Vision
Expo has built its reputation as a
leader in world-class education. It
has been a turning point for vision
care professionals, designers and
businesses to develop the ideas,
trends, and technology that help
people see better.

But beyond the visible influence
of what we see each year in New
York and Las Vegas there is an even
larger impact.

International Vision Expo has
reinvested more than $136 million
in consumer awareness initiatives
through The Vision Council, most
notably the Think About Your Eyes
consumer campaign to help educate
all Americans of the importance of
comprehensive yearly eye exams.

Here are a few examples:
5 The Vision Council was the eyecare
industry’s strongest advocate
for bringing consensus to the phrase
“digital eyestrain” as an accepted
term, and we’re working to build
consumer awareness about the
dangers of — and solutions for —
combatting DES. The rise in usage
of products and services to help
consumers resolve this important
issue is evidence of just how influential
these efforts have become

The Vision Council’s Eyecessorize
fashion eyewear campaign
generates consumer media
coverage of eyewear and sunwear
as must-have accessories, and
also gives consumers a reliable,
go-to source for the latest trends in
frames (not to mention the health
risks associated with ultraviolet
light on the health of the eye).

As a long-standing supporter of
the Think About Your Eyes awareness
campaign, The Vision Council’s
efforts have contributed to an
increase of more than 1 million new
eye exams. Last year, the program
yielded nearly 1.3 billion consumer
impressions and is on track to reach
as many or more patients this year
with news messages focused on eye
health and comprehensive annual
eye exams.

Today’s patients and consumers
are savvy, engaged and more aware
of their options. Programs that
focus on eye health, eyewear trends,
DES, UV protection, and lens technology
are not only improving the
quality of life for patients, but also
contributing to a healthier business
environment for all of us.

Without International Vision
Expo, the state of the industry
wouldn’t be as strong as it is today

Although we gather at Expo only
twice a year, International Vision
Expo’s impact can be seen 365 days a
year through its community of leaders
and visionaries who are creating
the opportunities and nurturing the
ideas that make a difference.

We should all feel challenged to
contribute to the advancement of
our industry and the profession.
Supporting International Vision
Expo gives us each a chance to
contribute by coming together and
bringing about changes.

What will the next 30 years bring?
International Vision Expo East in
New York City is the next step in our
journey to fuel our industry and successfully
create new opportunities
out of the many changes we all face.

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 edition of INVISION.