PARIS—Organizers of the 52nd edition of Silmo Paris The Optical Fair, held here last month, reported that over the four days of the exhibition, more than 37,000 professional visitors (56 percent of whom were from outside of France) came through the fair to see the creativity of 965 exhibitors in attendance. Among those, 230 companies were first-time exhibitors to the fair. “We are living up to our slogan, ‘So much more than just a fair,’” stated Eric Lenoir, Silmo director. “The event is a truly multifaceted instrument designed for all the facets of the sector. It optimizes the array of exhibitors by additionally providing information, training and trend monitoring for a 360-degree view of our industry.” Added Amelie Morel, chairwoman of Silmo, “It is marvelous to see all the creativity and energy in the aisles of the trade fair.”



At the show, Silmo NEXT took a look at the future with The Selection, a range of on-trend products featured in the Trends by Silmo digital magazine. The concurrent and complementary FUTUROLOGY forum presented the products, services and technologies of tomorrow, drawing connections between well-established brands and start-ups to highlight four themes of


sports, well-being and health, entertainment, and 3D printing segments.

In addition to a range of workshops and education programs, the show also featured an original exhibition on the theme “Two Centuries of Eyewear History,” featuring work from the eyewear museums of Oyonnax and Morez regions of France to create a special perspective on the history of the industry in France.

Silmo d’Or honorees for 2018 were announced during the weekend, as VMAIL reported.

Next year’s Silmo Paris 2019 will be held Sept. 27 to 30.