The world’s leading eyewear event

 On the heels of its successes of recent years and record exhibitor and visitor attendance, this year’s MIDO in Milan is fully booked again and continues to get bigger and more complete, with the inauguration of its 47^th session today.

“MIDO 2017 reconfirms the exhibition’s leading role internationally – pointed out President Marcolin – and is even bigger with more than 1,200 exhibitors from around the world, of whom 130 are new entries. This is a clear sign of the industry’s vitality and is reflected in the great variety of offerings on display: Made in Italy excellence, leading international players, small artisanal and avant-garde companies, young designers, all-new start-ups at their first debut, top brands in sports eyewear, companies driven by technological innovation and research into design. A hallmark of MIDO’s growth is the MORE! Pavilion, inaugurated in 2016, which has doubled in size this year and is hosting what is one of this session’s most interesting new features: The Glasses Hype exhibition. The exhibition focuses on how communication in the industry has evolved, an element that further adds to MIDO’s offerings, underpinning its strong identity as a business forum but also as a platform where trade people can meet and be inspired. MIDO is, in fact the No. 1 appointment for the international eyewear trade, where business is done and market trends defining the standards in style originate. An event and an industry – Marcolin continued – that keep on growing despite the economic situation which has not been particularly favorable for a decade now”.

The Glasses Hype, Advertising & Eyewear: from medical device to icon is an extraordinary narrative tour of the history of eyewear and lenses seen through advertising from the early 1900’s to the present, and shows how the perception of eyewear has changed, making it the must-have style accessory it is today. The 5,000 pictures that make up the main part of the story have been arranged to emotionally engage and surprise visitors, taking them on a journey through time that brings back memories and aims to build up a sense of belonging among the trade.

“As organizers, we face the constant challenge of offering new inputs and sources of inspiration – commented Giovanni Vitaloni, Vice President of MIDO – so that trade people will continue to consider MIDO a must-attend event. In addition to ensuring the most complete and widest roundup of products on display, MIDO is also the venue where trade people can preview and buy new products for their stores, assess the assortment against the latest trends, learn about emerging trends, meet with their counterparts from all over the world and professionally network with the industry’s top players”. 

The importance of MIDO is also recognized by the authorities, as shown by the commitment of the Ministry of Economic Development, which considers MIDO to be strategic in promoting the growth of Italy as a whole. For this reason, as a result of the incoming activities organized by ITA – the Italian Trade Agency – which promotes the internationalization of Italian companies, in addition to the tens of thousands that have already pre-registered, 140 top international buyers coming to MIDO will have the opportunity to visit the showcase and get a first-hand view of the finest offerings from the industry.

The calendar of appointments in the Otticlub conference area in Pavilion 3 is also a busy one, with the presentation of research and studies on the industry, starting with a survey by OMO on purchase behavior in 4 new countries (USA, China, Japan and Russia), and by Francesco Morace’s Future Concept Lab which surveyed international trends, particularly in China and the west coast of the United States, with forays in Europe. The findings of both will presented on Sunday, February 26 at 11 am.

Also on a larger scale this year is the FAiR East Pavilion, with catwalks of eyewear from the Asian exhibitors at the show, and the addition of tastes and flavors from the brand-new Asian Gourmet Restaurant.

The exhibition’s technological and social focus is in evidence again this year: with the MIDO app your entry pass is always handy, and you can look up the list of exhibitors, have a map of the exhibition at your fingertips and receive updates from social networks, as well as real-time news and info on what is happening at the show.