ALEXANDRIA, VA – New dates and a new location have been set for Vision Expo East 2021.
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, announced that Vision Expo East 2021 will take place June 2-5 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The show was originally scheduled for May 25–28 at the Javits Center in New York City.
The changes were based on the current restrictions on large gatherings in New York State and the successful track record of previous events held at the Orange County Convention Center, according to a press release.
The show’s educational program, together with OptiCon®@Vision Expo, will open June 2 and exhibits will open June 3.
“It is our mission and responsibility to the vision care community to provide a platform to effectively show products and conduct business,” said Mitch Barkley, vice president of trade shows and meetings at The Vision Council. “With strict limitations on large gatherings still in place in New York, we wanted to find a suitable location that would allow us to provide the exceptional Vision Expo experience that the community needs and deserves. Given its track record of successfully hosting more than 50 in-person events between March 2020 and December 2020, we are confident the right decision is to move the show to the Orange County Convention Center as the new 2021 host site in order to give our customers every opportunity to network and share their new products.”
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The Orange County Convention Center has strict health and safety precautions in place and complies with all nationally recommended precautions, including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing, the release notes. Additionally, the center is part of a collaboration between Orlando Health and Visit Orlando, providing convention groups with personalized medical planning and support. It was one of the first convention centers in the nation to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s GBAC STAR accreditation designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention.
“The decision to adjust the show dates and location is a positive solution in the midst of a challenging time for everyone,” said Fran Pennella, event vice president, Vision Expo, at Reed Exhibitions. “As we continue our planning efforts, the health, wellbeing and safety of everyone in attendance at the Show continues to be our top priority, and we will be working closely with the Orange County Convention Center to ensure all health and safety guidelines and procedures are maintained.”
Barkley added: “In the spirit of coming together as an industry to emerge from the challenges of the pandemic stronger than ever, The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions invite other industry organizations in the midst of planning events to consider joining us in Orlando in June. We are committed to getting back to business and growing our industry, and we are stronger together.”
Additional information on Vision Expo East 2021 will be announced soon, along with registration details. Organizations interested in co-locating their event with Vision Expo East can contact Barkley at mbarkley@thevisioncouncil.org or Fran Pennella at fpennella@reedexpo.com.
