“Silmo is the place to be”

The president of Silmo, Amélie Morel, told OT that practice owners have an opportunity to differentiate themselves by attending the Paris exhibition.

“The optician has to be different, so it is good to come to the show to see some new products,” Ms Morel shared.

Speaking to OT on the opening day of the event (28 September–1 October), Ms Morel said areas of the show, such as Silmo Next, present opportunities to learn about new technologies, while its app, Silmo M@tch, aims to pair “the best product with the best optician.”

Ms Morel added: “Silmo is the place to be and Silmo is for all opticians. It’s a great point de vue for all opticians and the industry.”

The 2017 edition of Silmo welcomed 37,000 visitors through its doors and Ms Morel expects a similar number this year. A total of 967 exhibitors featured at Silmo 2018, including 240 new companies and 1326 brands available to view.

When asked about challenges and opportunities for the industry, Ms Morel said: “The world is changing, so Silmo is changing too – we try to adapt ourselves. Silmo is great because we have big players with some small designers and it is great that they are all together.”

Highlighting trends, Ms Morel noted the rise of 3D printing, colourful frames and the combination of metal and acetate materials.