ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Preliminary reports indicate strong sales across the show floor and a record amount of social media activity as the industry returns from Vision Expo West 2017 in Las Vegas. “Crowded events and buying activity remind exhibitors and attendees alike why Vision Expo is the premier destination for shopping and networking in the eyecare industry,” according to a statement from show organizers who are awaiting the results of its third-party audit of attendance figures.

“Social media buzz has reached an all-time high for Vision Expo, reaching almost 12 million impressions shortly after the show floor officially closed on Saturday,” said Melissa Ashley, Reed Exhibitions senior vice president. “We’re thrilled that attendees are sharing their excitement about the new collections and latest product launches previewed on the show floor, and engaging with the connections they’ve made via our new events and programs.”

In addition to over 320 hours of education, and over 20 hours of sessions taking place right on the show floor, this year’s Vision Expo West offered 182,000 square feet of exhibit space with more than 60 new fashion brands debuting fall lines, accessories and new eyewear trends throughout the high-end fashion pavilions.

“Reports from exhibitors indicate that this year’s show has been their strongest in years, with many reporting record show sales and buyers who are delighted with the latest collections,” said Mitch Barkley, The Vision Council Vice president of Trade Shows and Meetings.

“We also saw record attendance at many of the special events taking place in and around the show, including the more than 800 individuals who gathered for the hit ODs on Facebook event at TAO Nightclub and more than 100 young professionals who participated in the Young Professionals Club (YPC) Happy Hour at LAVO. The excitement and energy felt across all three days was truly remarkable,” he said.

Vision Expo also announced the winners of the Best Booth Contest. Winning booths were voted on by Show attendees, who casted ballots for their favorite exhibitor booth in each of two categories: “Most Creative Booth Design” and “Best Use of Technology.”

The winner in the category of “Most Creative Booth Design” was Article One, located at Booth #G21020. The winner in the category of “Best Use of Technology” was Kuusoft Software Corp., located at Booth #MS3047.

Winning exhibitors received $1,000 in credits to use toward sponsorship options at future Vision Expo shows. All attendees who voted in the contest were entered to win a $500 AmEx gift card, with one winner selected for each day of voting. The winning attendees were Paul Becker, Associated Eye Care; Jenny Besaw, Dr. Jill's Optical Shoppe; and Mychan Mai, Omni Eyecare.

Vision Expo announced last Friday that Lunette USA, a distributor of a unique line of eyewear, was the first-place winner in the 2017 Vision Choice Awards. Lunette USA is exhibiting at Vision Expo West at booth #G21033.

The second-place award went to FGX International, an Essilor company and a world-leading designer and marketer of non-prescription reading glasses, optical frames and sunglasses. FGX International is exhibiting at Vision Expo West at booth #19023

Miraflex of Doral, Fla., which markets plastic frames with no metal parts as a safe option for children’s protective eyewear, received the third-place award.

The products were on display in the Product Gallery, where attendees were able to view them and cast their ballot throughout the show.

Mark your calendars for Vision Expo East, to be held at the Javits Center in New York City from March 15 to 18, and Vision Expo West, held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas from Sept. 26 to 29.

To learn more about Vision Expo, or to pre-register, visit VisionExpo.com.

To catch up on highlights from Vision Expo West, read the Show Dailies here.