OShow’s Sydney success

Returning to Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, this year’s O-Show went down a treat with 1,320 optical folk sampling the latest industry news and earning CPD while mingling with colleagues.

Given the alignment with Super Sunday, it was no surprise this year’s fair attracted many visitors from New South Wales (about 70%), said Optical Distributors & Manufacturers Association (ODMA) CEO Amanda Trotman. “It was great to see Sydneysiders and the NSW region well represented, along with visitors from across Australia and New Zealand too. We had fantastic independent practice attendance of 850 people and we loved the buzz of connections being made.”

One of the Kiwis in attendance was MSO’s Gethin Sladen, who said the O-Show was an opportunity to network and get to know new brands and products. “It’s always great to catch up with our fellow teams from Eyes Right Optical, Modstyle and Sunglass Collective, but most importantly, we entertained and looked after our Kiwi customers who made the trip across the ditch.”

With more than 70 exhibitors present, all the eyecare product and service categories were represented, showcasing new offerings and the latest technology, said Trotman. “The new Frames Central area was very busy, as were the education sessions, including the scheduled equipment demonstrations, and the popular Optical Dispensers Australia frame-making workshops with Chris Savage.”

Outstanding frames

This year’s People’s Choice ODMA Award winners were Modstyle Eyewear’s Avanti Pride (optical under $300); Maui Jim’s Kahiko (sunglasses under $300); Camilla Optical’s Nefertari (optical over $300); and Cutler & Gross’ Rocket Man (sunglasses over $300).

Seamlessly blending current trends with a meaningful cause - the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Modstyle’s heart-shaped Avanti Pride sunglasses symbolise inclusivity while offering a bit of colour and fun, said Trotman. Another winning nod to Elton John was Cutler & Gross’ archived frame, Rocket Man. First worn by the iconic singer, the frame has since been reworked resulting in the bold 9126 optical, which also won the award for best optical design at Silmo 2023.

ODMA returns in 2025

The ODMA Fair is returning next year from 27-29 June at Sydney’s Darling Harbour International Convention Centre.

ODMA’s O=Mega brand is used only when the fair is held in partnership with Optometry Victoria South Australia, said Trotman. Since O=Mega 2023 was huge, given it was held in conjunction with the World Congress of Optometry, it was decided it’s too soon to do another massive event in Melbourne in 2025, she said. When surveyed, exhibitors also expressed a preference for having the next big event in Sydney, thus bringing back the ODMA Fair concept, she said.