Vision Expo East cancelled

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organisers of the Vision Expo East event, due to take place from 26 to 29 March have announced the event will be consolidated with Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, taking place in September.

The organisers expressed that the decision was taken based on the ongoing developments related to coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as recent reports from public health officials and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

“This was a difficult decision for our organisation, but ultimately The Vision Council’s Board of Directors believes the safety and well-being of our members, exhibitors, attendees and staff must come first,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council, on the announcement.

“Furthermore, we want to be respectful to the exhibitors and attendees who would not be able to attend Vision Expo East due to travel restrictions,” she continued.

Organisers explained that throughout March, Vision Expo will work to develop virtual meetings between contracted exhibitors and pre-registered attendees.

Vision Expo will also work on creating customised services for participants in order to maximise successful outcomes at the Vision Expo West event.

Calling Vision Expo East a “pivotal event,” Yancy Weinrich, COO of Reed Exhibitions, commented: “Over the past year, our Vision Expo staff and the entire show community worked tirelessly to plan a completely reimagined show that we were looking forward to unveiling in March. This will now take place 23 to 26 September in Las Vegas and we’re excited for the show at that date.”

In a statement the event organisers expressed “sincere gratitude” to exhibitors, members, attendees, suppliers and staff “for their support during this challenging time.”

The organisers added: “We look forward to bringing the vision community together at Vision Expo West.”

OT endeavours to keep the most up-to-date news on our website and this information was correct when published. However, the situation regarding COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. Please check OT’s rolling optics-specific coverage for the latest news and guidance on COVID-19.