UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM AT MIDO 2024: 40,000 ATTENDEES OVER 3 DAYS,
+11% OVER LAST YEAR

The 3-day eyewear show concludes at Fieramilano Rho

President Giovanni Vitaloni: “Prior to the show opening, we had hoped for an increase in visitors compared to last year. Thanks to everyone’s efforts and the industry’s trust in us each year, we achieved the ambitious goal we had set for ourselves”

		The international eyewear trade show hosted more than 1,200 exhibitors in the 7 pavilions of exhibit area and welcomed more than 40,000 attendees during the 3-day show, an 11% gain over last year. The upswing was equally distributed among Italian and international participants. The latter, specifically, came from 160 countries, from Asia to the United States and all of Europe. “Prior to the show opening, we had hoped for an increase in visitors compared to last year. Thanks to everyone’s efforts and the industry’s trust in us each year, we achieved the ambitiousgoal we had set for ourselves,” remarked MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. “Throughout the exhibit area, we witnessed active sales and keen interest by buyers who were here thanks, in part, to our partnership with ITA-Italian Trade Agency, where Made in Italy is synonymous with quality, excellence and transparency. The presence of the entire supply chain ensured vitality and diversity of supply and demand, validating MIDO as the only industry show with this characteristic.”

Visibility in traditional media (newspapers, radio, TV), social networks and digital platforms, in Italy and around the world, is also a measure of success for the eyewear show. This year, approximately 400 accredited journalists attended the show and published more than 150 articles, just during the 3 days of MIDO, in Italian, French, German, Argentine, British, American, Indian and Dutch media outlets, to name only a few. Equally important was online activity by the many users interacting in real time with the show. The social channels reached 50% more people than last year and the event’s content generated more than 2 million impressions. Interactions exceeded 250,000 and 25% more users downloaded the App, a considerable increase in rate of use, thanks also to the new tool for exhibitors that allowed them to log visitors to their stands. The MIDO 2024 | Digital Edition, with nearly 12,000 subscribers, saw an increase in showcase pages, up from 650 in 2023 to 845 this year, highlighting the extent to which exhibitors consider it increasingly advantageous to combine in-person participation with virtual activity. Amid the MIDO aisles and stands, sealing deals and networking are the essential added value, the motor that each year drives many companies from all around the world to participate in the Milano trade show.

		But MIDO is also culture, cross-fertilization, exchange of views on the industry’s future and interaction between practical and potential solutions. Which explains why the conferences held in the OTTICLUB space are so valuable. In this always-packed arena, the 2024 discussions with high-profile guests like Diego Dalla Palma, Ico Migliore and Ernst Knam revolved around beauty, design and passion. Interviewed by Francesco Morace for the MIDday Talks series of meetings, the guests considered the new, less stereotyped model of beauty currently at the forefront in the world of aesthetics, structured sustainable lightness in design, and artisanal intelligence - a necessary return to the roots. The MIDday Talks will continue throughout 2024. Sustainability was also in the spotlight with the presentation of the CSE: Certified Sustainable Eyewear program - voluntary international certification of product sustainability - registered and promoted by ANFAO. Time was also allotted to the current hot topic of inclusion with the conference on inclusive language in the Empowering Optical Women LeadershipProgram, during presentation of the results achieved at one year since the inception of the program that supports women in leadership positions in the eyewear industry, organized by ANFAO, sponsored by Fondazione Marisa Bellisario and supported by the Ente Bilaterale Occhialeria. “Sustainability and inclusion are two topics dear to ANFAO and we made that clear this year with the presentation of two key projects that highlight the actual, visible efforts of the Association on a daily basis in the eyewear industry aimed at improving it and making it even more competitive,” stated ANFAO President Lorraine Berton.

The medical-scientific aspects of eyewear were addressed at 3 round tables focused on myopia and presbyopia. A major joint agreement on the topic was proposed during the meeting titled “Presbyopia and multifocal lens prescription: the patient's ideal path from the eye doctor to the optical center and vice-versa”, promoted by the ANFAO Lens Group, Federottica and Fabiano Gruppo Editoriale. For the first time ever, a development program was presented under which the ophthalmologist can provide to the optician - through a new prescription based on the greater level of information that the medical sphere might have at its disposal regarding currently available solutions - and that the optician, when specific situations arise requiring medical intervention can, with the patient’s consent, relay to the ophthalmologist who will then be able to examine the conditions based on significant background information.

And, lastly, the MIDO AWARDS, an overriding point of interest on day two that honored the optician’s centers, exhibitors and industry professionals who are committed every day, in various areas, to improving themselves and their profession, to the benefit of the entire supply chain. All of the award winners can be found on the official site mido.com.

The next date with MIDO will be from February 8 to 10, 2025 at Fieramilano Rho.

To stay up-to-date on MIDO news, visit www.mido.com/en/ and the social channels: Instagram @mido_exhibition, Facebook @MIDOExhibition, X @MIDOExhibition.
#MIDO2024 #LivetheWonder

Top	Return	Home

MIDO DAY 2 FOCUSES ON AWARDS

Presentation of the CSE Certified Sustainable Eyewear Award and medical conferences

Traditionally, day 2 of MIDO, the international eyewear show running through today at Fieramilano Rho, is highlighted by presentation of the coveted MIDO Awards. With these awards, the world-leading eyewear show aims to involve and honour optical centres, exhibitors and trade professionals who commit themselves daily, in different ways, to self- and professional- improvement for the benefit of the entire supply chain.

The awards ceremony, which took place at OTTICLUB with President Giovanni Vitaloni and radio host Petra Loreggian, opened with presentation of the BeStore Award for Design, to Anaïs Murith’s LENETA - Concept Store Optique, a Swiss optical centre, for its very smart combination of beauty, retro appeal, contemporary aesthetics and responsible selling. The Innovation award went to Vitor Martins' Ótica Maxivisão from Portugal, both for its strong social commitment, through several solidarity missions in five countries, and for its focus on environmental protection.

Winner of the Stand Up For Green award for the most sustainable booth at the show this year was CSO Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici, an Italian company whose booth was entirely designed on the basis of the use of circular materials.
Last, but not least, the presentation of the CSE - Certified Sustainable Eyewear Award, created by MIDO in cooperation with ANFAO and Certottica, to assess sustainability in the global eyewear industry. The winners in the 6 categories were:

• CSE Award Cases Rest of the World: AQUA by EXPLORIS ASIA LIMITED (China)
• CSE Award Cases Europe: BABE 24 by LLEXAN ITALIA (Italy)
• CSE Award Frames Rest of the World: NATURA by NEWAY MACAO (Macao)
• CSE Award Frames Europe: TOMMY HILFIGER by SAFILO (Italy)
• CSE Award Sunglasses Rest of the World: LONGCHAMP by MARCHON (USA)
• CSE Award Sunglasses Europe: ROLF (Austria)

EVENTS AND GUESTS
On Sunday's MIDday TALKS, the topic of structured and sustainable lightness was explored by sociologist Francesco Morace and IcoMigliore, designer, architect and a key figure in the industry, who outlined the challenges today’s designers face, explaining that he considers eyewear a micro-architecture that complements the face and must highlight the authenticity of the wearer’s personality.

At OTTICLUB, sustainability was also debated during the presentation of CSE: Certified Sustainable Eyewear, an international voluntary product sustainability certification, created, registered and powered by ANFAO to highlight the industry's commitment to improving environmental performance throughout the supply chain. CSE certifies the sustainability of glasses and their components: lenses, metal and plastic hardware, frame fronts and temples.

In Sunday's HOW TO? Session, under the title ‘How to create style stories inspired by contemporary fashion’, Antonio Mancinelli, a fashion journalist and lecturer, in dialogue with Valentina Ventrelli, spoke along with other topics, about the concept of ‘Timeless’, that is, making items that remain unchanged and last over time, that are not improvable because they are already perfect, and are not subject to further change, an issue that concerns and involves several product sectors, inevitably including eyewear.

Medical topics also had their place, with two round tables on myopia and presbyopia. The former was discussed at the conference "The Control and Management of Myopia. Epidemiology of myopia in the younger generations", sponsored by Fabiano Gruppo Editoriale, that offered an overview of the currently available medical and optical solutions to this refractive condition. Presbyopia was covered by a large group of keynote speakers who participated in the conference on "Presbyopia and multifocal lens prescription: the patient's ideal path from the eye doctor to the optical centre and vice-versa", powered by ANFAO Lenses Group, Federottica and Fabiano Gruppo Editoriale. One year after the conference organized at MIDO 2023, physicians, optometrists, the eyewear industry and policymakers gathered to take stock of the situation and open a fresh debate.

TODAY (Monday)
At noon a not-to-be-missed meeting with Ernst Knam, Chef and Maître Chocolatier, during the MIDday TALKS at the OTTICLUB, and two of the HOW TO? cycle of meetings, one at 1 pm on the development of new fashion and design projects, and the second at 4 pm on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in communication.

To stay up-to-date on MIDO news, visit https://www.mido.com/en/ and social channels Instagram @mido_exhibition, Facebook @MIDOExhibition, X @MIDOExhibition. #MIDO2024 #Livethewonder

Top	Return	Home

MIDO 2024 under the banner of sustainability, inclusiveness and accessibility

IT’S SHOW TIME! THE 52ND EDITION OF THE WORLD LEADING EYEWEAR SHOW HAS STARTED

Until Feb. 5, businesses, trends, culture, interactions, contests and plenty of innovations at the world's eyewear show

Day 1 proves once again that MIDO is the must-see show for the whole eyewear industry. 7 pavilions, over 1200 exhibitors, visitors from over 130 nations, from today until February 5.
An edition driven by new trends, business, training and innovation and with a focus on 'inclusiveness and sustainability.”

This morning, MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni opened the show: "MIDO is the industry's point of reference because of its visitors, exhibitors, buyers and businesses who every year place their trust in us. Thanks to their ideas, this show is the place to be for trade professionals, trend lovers and all those who gravitate around fashion. We have been working for months to make this event unique, MIDO is primarily about innovation and new features, and never before have we had such a rich program with unparalleled content and very popular celebrities, not only from the eyewear industry but also from the fields of culture, lifestyle, current events and fashion."

MIDday TALKS are one of the brand new features of this year: during the "Imperfect Beauty" conference, sociologist Francesco Morace talked about beauty with Diego Dalla Palma, style expert and writer: the emerging mood was ‘Be you, but better’, a motto that highlights uniqueness, beauty without stereotypes and distortions, and has been adopted by the latest trends. The beauty industry has started to embrace this concept, through "improvements without guile" and with a constant focus on sustainability. One of the topics discussed at the conference was the relationship between face shape and its most important accessory: Diego Dalla Palma gave the audience very useful make-up and face treatment tips and tricks for glasses wearers.

One of today's events was the conference "Inclusive language - words matter" Empowering Optical Women Leadership programme," that highlighted the results a year after the launching of the programme to support women’s leadership in the eyewear industry, implemented by ANFAO under the patronage of Fondazione Marisa Bellisario (Italy) and the support of Ente Bilaterale Occhialeria, with the aim to provide insight into the current situation, identifying causes and difficulties, and setting guidelines and best practices.

ANFAO President Lorraine Berton opened the meeting, "Talking about women's leadership means not only to talk about women but also about development and growth in general. There is an enormous potential yet to be explored. I need only to mention a national-level figure: if women's employment raised from 49 percent - as it was in 2021- to the same percentage as men's, namely 67.1%,GDP would grow by 12.4 percent., according to the figures published by McKinsey Global. Inclusiveness is therefore a cultural, social but, first and foremost, ethical necessity, because women with power could change many things."

Writer and author Chiara Tagliaferri also spoke at the conference and dived deep into the issues of the gender pay gap in Italy, the still too marginal role of women in the workplace, and the importance of women striving for financial independence: in her inspirational speech, she cited examples like Jane Austen, Simone De Beauvoir, Virginia Wolf, Annie Ernaux, but also Dynasty and Joan Collins/Alexis.

"According to financial therapists, we chose how to deal with money when we are approximately seven to eight years old. Hence, if as children we are told that money has nothing to do with us and that it's rude to talk about it, we will grow up facing this gap and eventually will consider normal to be paid less than men for the same job. With Morgana and Michela Murgia we concluded that money remains the greatest superpower: for centuries we could not have personal property because we were treated as property,"Chiara Tagliaferri said.

EVENTS AND GUESTS

Entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli hosted by Essilor Luxottica, Lapo Elkann at the MODO booth, Alyssa Carson, an astronaut training for the first mission to Mars, at the Silhouette booth, fashion designer Philipp Plein at the De Rigo booth, artist Bego Martin and Norwegian rally driver Andreas Mikkelsen at the Safilo booth were among the celebrities of day 1.

OTTICLUB also hosted the first HOW TO? series of meetings that was launched last year and focuses on the daily activities of opticians' centres. Talking with Valentina Ventrelli, Silvia Butta Calice explained how to understand the opportunities offered by the new social platforms.

AWARDS
Today, Sunday 4, will be devoted to the now-famous MIDO contests: at 3 p.m. at OTTICLUB (Hall 1), the BeStore, Stand Up For Green,  and CSE - Certified Sustainable Eyewear awards,  given every year by MIDO to optical stores, exhibitors and eyewear businesses will be presented by Giovanni Vitaloni and Petra Loreggian.

Lastly, one of the new features of day 1 is the announcement of the Sergio Cereda Eyewear Design Award, which aims to identify and inspire new talents in eyewear design worldwide. A tribute to Sergio Cereda, an influential figure and a game changer in eyewear design, the award will be assigned during MIDO 2025.

To stay updated MIDO news, visit https://www.mido.com/en/ the official social channels Instagram (@mido_exhibition), Facebook (@MIDOExhibition), Twitter (@MIDOExhibition) and Linkedin
#MIDO2023 #livethewonder

Top	Return	Home

MIDO TRENDS 2024 – Alessandra Albarello

There’s a lens through which new trends are seen and interpreted and that is environmental sustainability. No longer a choice, but a necessity. For businesses, this ethical aspect takes absolute priority, linked primarily to materials. Not only in terms of their composition or origins (certified if of natural origin), but also their quality and lasting durability because creating timeless accessories is one of the most crucial present-day challenges.

So, we will start here to define very thin yet ample, or bold and compact shapes. They’re crafted to be lightweight, comfortable and strong by using special techniques and innovative materials of different densities and diverse combinations. Not to mention functionality. Thus, eyewear acquires aesthetic qualities that immediately establish an empathetic, sensory relationship with the consumer, visually expressing, with authenticity and sincerity, the confluence of artisan tradition and cutting-edge technology.

Between tradition and the future, where heritage means searching corporate archives for signs, symbols and shapes, retracing the DNA of a brand in order to reassert its identity and consistency, a crucial exercise at a time in which many companies are celebrating their anniversaries. Or, some brands come back. Because design is also a key factor, almost indispensable in defining the concept of timelessness. Classic versatile colors make a comeback, or neutral shades, with the return of halftones, like grey and grey-green, while nature-inspired chromatics contrast elegantly with saturated, vivid or deep colors, softened and made serene, spiritual and warm by matte finishes or exotic alchemies that create unique nuances.

Light then becomes a basic constructive element of eyewear, achieving its utmost expression through transparent or translucent materials that, with their many facets, amplify like real prisms even vitamin and Pop colors. Nothing is left to chance and balance is created through contrasts, especially in the minimalist shapes made with new, bold thicknesses, cut outs and geometries where the material gains the upper hand or loses itself completely in the shape, while iconic styles from the past transform themselves into contemporary eyewear, becoming something else. At times, it is the complex textures that attract our attention; made with the help of 3D printing.

On one hand, shapes and thicknesses are large, almost sculptural, on the other, there is an osmotic tendency toward dematerialization, fluidity, transformation, to chromatic transmigration. An impression of there/not there that blends into the surrounding landscape, “absorbing” or “reflecting” the light. Mirrored lenses, or with subtle shading, shimmering materials, hybrids, liquid shapes or enveloping masks that almost become a second skin, at times with dual side lenses. Identity and personalization take two separate paths: the logo, often drawn from the past, that becomes an emblem and a pretext to narrate or call to mind the history of a brand. And accessories, they now shine as co-protagonists, especially chains – chunky or fine – and charms, that become jewels and necklaces.

Inspirations and synergies formed at the creative level are anything but trivial, revealing thoughtful, genuine, meticulous cultural research, ranging from art to design, architecture to fashion and jewelry (a widespread theme), from cinema to sports, with poetic, romantic and familiar drifts. At times, one’s own geographic and historic origins indicate the path to take, as well as the iconic names in eyewear that have defined very specific, recognizable styles. The exploratory attitude is holistic, artisan craftsmanship supported and facilitated by technology, by AI and by everything else that progress can currently make available – but to be utilized with an entirely different awareness. With a focus on substance and the inherent value of eyewear, thus also proposing a new concept in luxury.

Inspiration/Themes

AI ARTISANAL INTELLIGENCE
Authentic sculptures and micro-architectures where the material voices its presence without losing sight of its function. Not coincidentally, Brutalism and Bauhaus are clear inspirations. The artisan aspect and hand-crafting of natural materials, like horn, are enhanced and supported by state-of-the-art technologies, processes that transform the surfaces with ice- and glass-like effects, satin, rough or unpolished finishes, lending them a natural appearance and creating tactile, sensory perceptions. Often, finishes are matte or satin-like, but also perfectly smooth and polished; they are the product of sophisticated, exemplary research, perfected in-house by the companies themselves. Edges and thicknesses are well-defined, the shapes bold and the methods discerned through marks and impressions. Attention to detail is essential and the concept of time becomes another building block, leaving traces that, on metal, become oxidation; engravings reminiscent of jewelry are at times visible on the temples, other times, they are details that evoke distant travels or far-away cultures, in a quest for uniqueness and poetic expression. Alchemies and experimentation intersect with other worlds and epochs in a return to the classics, to the solidity and authenticity of real, honest materials. And eyewear take on a talismanic energy, accessories to be kept and passed on.

MIMESIS
The period of forced distancing from people and objects led us, on one hand, to once again desire physical contact, sensory input, with bold shapes and textured effects; and, on the other, to want to breathe again, to expand and float freely in space, defying the laws of gravity. Immaterial, fluid, liquid, eyewear immerse themselves in our cities and reflect them, to be found again in the architecture of skyscrapers, imitating the light and cool shade of nature. They sink, symbolically, into undersea worlds like formless creatures. They re-create the images that surround us. They blend into the landscape, imitating it and moving through it. They are transformed by sunlight. We are exposed and, at the same time, protected by these invisible shields. Rimless spectacles, enveloping masks with a single lens or side lenses, with subtle shadings that blend with skin tones, as well as with sunsets and light, losing themselves among the skyscrapers and constellations. In this trend, there is even an intangible spiritual aspect that aspires to explore part of an unknown universe, a utopia. Pastel colors, gradient, ethereal, indecipherable, are transformed through the material itself. Often, lenses are treated and interpreted as unique surfaces integrated into the frames.

COLOR SOUL

The color changes and is constantly redefined, filtered by the material that it passes through, mixing itself with the light. Material, light and texture point to new pathways, evoking other dimensions. It is not coincidental that some artists, like Olafur Eliasson, have long tried together the spectrum of light. Natural and artificial coexist harmoniously, they support and complete one another. Materials like acrylic become prisms, thanks to faceting, at particular thicknesses and cuts and, surprisingly, liberate a neon light. References to Pop Art. These are not random effects but deeply desired. Craftsmanship akin to sculpture, again, achieved through years of research, solid backgrounds, in-depth knowledge and observation of all the possible reactions and characteristics of the materials. Here again is an exquisite expression of shapes that free themselves from their perimeters to elevate the material, bringing it to life; at once here/and not here. And when it comes to solid colors, the surface backgrounds are precise, like calligraphies; the sometimes geometric ones are reminiscent of musical rhythms, with precise rebellious inspirations, like the Acid House of the 1980s. Compromise is not acceptable and there’s also a perceptive consciousness of the visions, constantly filtered and modified by digital realities, by computer screens and iPhones. A parallel, confluent reality that we must increasingly keep in mind in our communication, in our daily lives, to constantly access everything around us, without any obstacles.

Characteristics

Materials
The need to incorporate sustainability has accelerated the exploration and evolution of biocompatible, recycled and recyclable materials, with a preference for those with less impact on the environment, sometimes of natural origins, and focused as much as possible on a circular economy. Not only manufacturers of materials but also some eyewear companies have developed individual behaviors and virtuous, radical production processes, setting an example for many. From fashion and design to architecture, research is across-the-board and unanimous, involving all of the scenarios and supply chains in a sharing of experiences and materials. In addition to the classics, like acetate, much appreciated for their sensory aspect, natural materials like horn, wood and corozo (ivory palm nut) are being used, alongside them are stones, metals and special alloys, carbon fiber and fabric, but, above all, titanium, also used in 3D printing in combination with polyamide. Given the almost absolute absence of waste material, 3D printing is among the most sustainable production processes. Details, often crafted by hand, are very important, like the finishes and surface treatments patented by the companies themselves.

Colors
Alongside calm, natural colors, classic and timeless, like havana, amber and honey that, with bold thicknesses and shapes enhance the material even more, lending it a tactile quality, are the halftones including greys and grey-greens. The chromatic alphabets are very broad because color becomes sophisticated and less defined, even in composition, constantly transforming itself through the density and transparency of the material, the processes and matte or satin finishes. And thanks, as well, to abstract elements like light. Meditative light blues and other blues that extend into the lenses along with some skin tones, pink and peach, at times enhanced by light mirroring. By contrast, saturated vitamin colors, like orange, red, bright green, shocking pink, yellow and coral, interact with the materials, textures, transparencies and light, each time creating different effects. Among the classics, black and white, often expressed in a milky color.

Shapes

Tradition is endlessly inviting us to open its drawers, to explore its files, to bring back signature traits and repropose them in new contemporary products. As expected, we find the timeless classics, including aviators and cat-eyes, at times reinterpreted with new thicknesses, colors, dimensions, materials, details and finishes. Small, bold, compact and sculpted, or large, with thin rims, whether sun or optical, eyewear tends to become timeless accessories. There’s a quest for harmony and balance, often achieved through contrasts. With lines softened or bold, but also with geometric shapes that include the inevitable circle, spectacles nonetheless create an empathic connection with the consumer, intersecting their iconic expectations, thanks to incursions into the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

Accessories
Increasingly present and visible, accessories are now part of many eyewear collections and, in addition to highlighting the wearer’s personality, they strengthen the brand’s identity. Must-haves are chunky or fine chains, some with macroscopic links, made of precious materials. Many frames already have slots or cutouts on the temples to attach them. Some can even be worn as actual pieces of jewelry. The array of choices is vast and even includes practical and ironic multi-function accessories or charms, and, of course, the cases, often in sustainable materials, to flaunt and no longer hide away.

 

Top	Return	Home

THE 52ND EDITION OF MIDO IS READY TO GO:
MAKE WAY FOR BUSINESS AND EYEWEAR CULTURE

Exhibitor numbers up 25% over last year

Milano, 31 January 2024 – Opening day of the 52nd edition of MIDO, the leading international eyewear show, is just around the corner. From Saturday February 3rd to Monday February 5th, the 7 pavilions of Fieramilano Rho will host more than 1,200 exhibitors (+25% compared to last year) from 50 countries, and visitors from more than 130 nations. Given the increase in pre-registrations, the organizers’ expectations are running high with regard to attendance by visitors, trade professionals, buyers, distributors, journalists, opticians and ophthalmologists.

“Anticipation surrounding this new edition is off the charts because the entire system needs an energy infusion to face the new year with optimism,” stated MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni (right). “Above all, MIDO’s mission is to bring together supply and demand in a conducive atmosphere to do business. Our exhibitors and the thousands of trade professionals who visit MIDO each year know that here they can close major deals, and we aim to facilitate that process by giving them all the logistic and organizational support possible.” ANFAO President Lorraine Berton shared Italian eyewear industry trends and the outlook for the coming year, explaining: “The year 2023 closed on a positive note, with growth in exports and production; the number of companies has remained stable and employment is experiencing moderate growth. With the new year, we are once again faced with uncertainty, especially internationally, to the detriment of exports, essential to our industry more than to others, because they are the driver of Italian manufacturing and the litmus test of our global competitiveness.”

Top	Return	Home

"We can all be excellent, each according to our talents, and MIDO has always sought new ways to be a collector of excellence. Therefore, you can not miss it!". President Giovanni Vitaloni inaugurates the 2024 edition of MIDO with his now traditional opening speech. With these words, he kicks off the three days that promise to be rich and all to be experienced in the halls of the 8 exhibition areas dotting the Eyewear Universe. MIDO truly is "the paradise for those who love eyewear and everything surrounds it", just like President Vitaloni underlines: are you ready to experience it? Three days of meetings, exchanges, business, and ideas await you: three days during which all the supply chain comes together and prepares to build the future of the entire industry together! MIDO 2024 is not to be missed!

 

Top	Return	Home

Enrich your live experience during MIDO, with an updated digital instrument able to improve your attendance at its best! The MIDO app is updated and enriched, allowing to take advantage of important new features. Thanks to the new 'Profile' area, you will have several new opportunities to connect with the full industry: - If you are an exhibitor, you can register the access of the visitors at your booth and create an even more effective network of contacts: by using the 'Scan Visitors' Pass' function, the data of the visitors you have met will be automatically uploaded in your area. - If you are a visitor, you will be able to save your favorite booths, adding photos and notes; you will also be able to connect with the exhibitors thanks to your entry pass, always backed in the app after login. Moreover, you will be able to store the events you are interested in, organize your route by using the maps, discover live this year's awards winners, read the news from the WMIDO feed, and fully enjoy the show experience. MIDO's digital experience is back again this year through the platform too, created with the launch of the first Digital Edition. By logging in with your credentials, you can start testing the ground before your visit, consulting the collections, making contacts, and setting up valuable business meetings! The chances offered by this edition of MIDO are numerous and all to be discovered! Being there is the only way to connect with the rest of the supply chain and build the future of this great industry: Universe Eyewear is waiting for you!

 

Top	Return	Home

THE COUNTDOWN TO MIDO 2024 HAS BEGUN

Doors open, February 3rd to 5th, on the most eagerly awaited eyewear trade show of the year

“We have a huge responsibility, which we enthusiastically embrace every year, that of being a barometer of global eyewear performance,” remarked MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. Each year, we attract to Milano high-caliber buyers, distributors and trade professionals from around the world, thanks in part to the valuable partnership with ITA (Italian Trade Agency). Visitors from more than 130 countries will throng the Fieramilano Rho pavilions during the three days of the show, conducting business, building relationships and discussing the future of the industry, all elements that make a meaningful and, we hope, positive contribution to the performance of the optical and eyewear sectors throughout the year.” MIDO is also continuing education, meetings and interactions that form a full calendar of workshops, seminars and meetings on a diverse array of topics, from the optical profession to creativity and trends, marketing to digitization, to sustainability and innovation. Brand new this year are the MIDO MIDday Talks: every day at 12 noon, Future Concept Lab sociologist Francesco Morace will discuss beauty, design and passion with internationally renowned guests such as beauty expert and writer  Diego Dalla Palma, architects Mara Servetto and Ico Migliore, Chef and maître chocolatier Ernst Knam. The MIDday Talks will not end with the closing of the event but will continue throughout 2024.

Another new feature is the Market Insight section: in addition to trends with journalist Alessandra Albarello and Pantone's VP Global Sales & Marketing Francesco Tomasello on Saturday 3 February at 2 p.m., there will also be a presentation of the research "Purchase Drivers for Sunglasses and prescription glasses  and the Role of Made in: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, UK, USA and China' by Yoodata. The appointment is on Sunday 4 February at 11 a.m.

Also not to be forgotten is the cycle of HOW TO? meetings, designed for the more practical and daily activities of opticians' centres, which will be back again this year with new topics: communication and digital marketing will be discussed with Silvia Butta Calice, Founder&CEO of Orbita Milano, fashion and trends with fashion journalist and essayist Antonio Mancinelli, and storytelling with writer Paolo Ferrarini.

Other appointments on the calendar include the presentation on Saturday 3 February at 10.30 a.m. of the first results of the programme in support of female leadership in the eyewear industry Empowering Optical Women Leadership, brought forward  with ANFAO and the Bellisario Foundation, while on Sunday 4 at 2 p.m. it will be the turn of the launch of the product certification programme CSE - Certified Sustainable Eyewear, set up  by ANFAO in collaboration with Certottica and aimed at encouraging the entire sector towards a sustainable transition.

All events will take place in the OTTICLUB area, as of this year located in Pavilion 1. The complete schedule of events will soon be available on the official website: https://www.mido.com/en/.

MIDO exhibitors and visitors are also actively engaged in the awards process. Winners will be announced on Sunday, February 4 at 3 pm in the OTTICLUB area for the following: BeStore Design and Innovation, six awards for the same number of categories in the Certified Sustainable Eyewear (CSE) Award for sustainability in the production of eyewear, frames and cases, and the Stand Up For Green award for the stand with the least environmental impact.

Alongside the fair in person, MIDO is also online with the Digital Edition (already available to exhibitors, it will be open to visitors from 25 January), as well as being on all the main social platforms. The site also features reserved areas dedicated to visitors, exhibitors, press and digital communicators.

MIDO is held at Fieramilano Rho (Strada Statale del Sempione 28) from Saturday 3rd to Monday 5th February with the following hours: Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 7 pm and Monday 9 am to 6 pm.

Instagram @mido_exhibition, Facebook @MIDOExhibition, X @MIDOExhibition. #MIDO2024 #Livethewonder

Top	Return	Home

MIDO website is enriched with new tools to improve your experience! Discover all the exhibitors, visitors, and press additional contents, to which you will access with specific credentials! - Are you a visitor? Just make sure you have downloaded the visitor pass. - Are you an exhibitor? You already received an invitation email. - Are you a journalist or a digital communicator? You will receive an invitation email once you are accredited. Reserved materials, videos, photos, exhibitors, and favorite events are just some of the new features. In less than 20 days, the 2024 edition of the exclusive eyewear event will be the driving force behind the entire industry for the whole year. Don't miss the opportunity to participate in the growth of this great industry. Register now and get ready to live three days of exceptional proposals, new trends, and innovative ideas.

 

Top	Return	Home

Once again for the 2024 edition the booths at MIDO will take you on a discovery of all the best that the Eyewear Universe has to offer. The map is now online: let's discover how to find your way around the largest event dedicated to eyewear and start planning your visit exhibition areas that animate this exceptional show. MIDO 2024 will take shape by dividing up the seven pavilions of Fieramilano Rho into eight exhibition halls! Fashion District, Lenses, Design, Design Tech, Academy, Tech, Start Up and FAiR EAST are the planets that make up the universe of MIDO, and through which you will be able to discover the different souls of this very rich industry. We are ready to welcome you to live three days of innovative proposals, unmissable events, and growing businesses! MIDO is an essential experience to live for all trade operators. Don't miss the chance to be inspired and stimulate new opportunities for positive development with your presence!

 

Top	Return	Home

Latest trends, iconic styles, innovative and cool proposals: our exhibitors have a lot of ideas to show off! Are you ready to be inspired by all the best the world of eyewear has to offer? Our exhibitor list is available now and offers you a first preview of everything that will be unveiled during this edition of MIDO! Start leafing through it and be enthralled by the incredible selection of excellence that the biggest international eyewear show will gather again this year! From February 3rd to 5th, Fieramilano Rho is waiting for you to let the entire supply chain live an exceptional opportunity to meet and measure! MIDO 2024 will be an unmissable chance to dive into the entire ecosystem that, from the choice of materials to the creation of the design, from the production process to the final sale, makes up The Eyewear Universe!

 

Top	Return	Home

MIDO is ahead of its time and applies the latest technological solutions to its website,
to improve and facilitate the experience of all users, without discrimination.

The new website of the international eyewear tradeshow that will take place at FieraMilano Rho from 3 to 5 February 2024 is online. It is not just a graphic restyling, but a substantial change, aimed at ensuring digital accessibility, encouraging user participation, and avoiding discrimination of all kinds. In this area, as in many others, MIDO is ahead of its time and innovates its website https://www.mido.com/en/ almost two years in advance to embrace the  European legislation which, with the European Accessibility Act, imposes digital accessibility from June 2025.
The creation of the new website, a tool available to all stakeholders at the eyewear tradeshow, represents an important step for MIDO in raising awareness among operators in the industry on the issues of digital accessibility and inclusion, which will continue with further technological developments, promoting sharing and dissemination.

The key words of the layout are "Less is more": an essential design in the lines, elegant and accessible, once again entrusted to the creative director of MIDO's communication campaigns Max Galli, in collaboration with Mixer Group. A thin lettering, larger, but never shouted. A site with attention to detail, created to facilitate usability and to provide all the main information in an intuitive and fast way on the first screens.

From a technical point of view, the development and implementation of which have been entrusted to Alea.pro, the new site focuses on the user experience to ensure fluid, accessible and unhindered navigation for any visitor, in compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, for example, users with mobility and cognitive disabilities such as blindness, low vision, color blindness, dyslexia, epilepsy, ADHD, etc., (even temporary disabilities following accidents, for example) will be facing an optimized experience. The site therefore offers the user over 100 features - on specific request - to adapt and customize the browsing experience according to their needs, such as speech synthesis, dictionary and suggestions, text magnification and spacing, color contrast, etc. Another new element is the implementation of a font designed specifically for dyslexic users, which improves the readability of texts.

In its role as world leader among the tradeshows dedicated to eyewear and the major annual events that take place in Italy, MIDO can only always look ahead, implementing solutions and making futuristic and advanced choices, to propose to its stakeholders not only the innovations of the present, but to be ahead of the times by knowing how to read and interpret future developments.

Top	Return	Home

The FRAMES communication campaign, which was presented last year to launch the 2023 edition of MIDO, the international eyewear show, won the 1st Mediastars Special Star Art Direction award for the "media" category. The campaign represented  a turning point from the past, while still in line with the values that have always distinguished MIDO. The campaign, was conceived by Max Galli in collaboration with Mixer Group and the award ceremony was held at the Testori Auditorium in Milan  (Italy) on June  9th.

FRAMES was awarded for its innovative, international and multicultural value. The four subjects in which the campaign was declined, each one based on contaminations and color, embodied the principles underlying the philosophy of MIDO: contemporaneity, culture, fashion and beauty.

Now in its XXVII edition, the Mediastars advertising award is granted every year to the best Italian campaigns, recognizing and enhancing the professionalism and talent of those working in the field of communication in Italy.
The collaboration with Max Galli and Mixer Group continues this year with the new worldwide campaign of the  MIDO 2024, SPHERES – THE EYEWEAR UNIVERSE: it is  the first campaign of an exhibition, to be created by integrating human creativity with the innovative power of Artificial Intelligence.

MIDO is set to take place at Fiera Milano Rho from  February 3rd to 5th 2024. To stay up-to-date with MIDO news, please visit www.mido.com and the official social channels Instagram (@mido_exhibition), Facebook (@MIDOExhibition), Twitter (@MIDOExhibition) and Linkedin.

Top	Return	Home

MIDO INTRODUCES “THE EYEWEAR UNIVERSE”,
THE NEW CAMPAIGN CREATED WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The International Eyewear Show is one step ahead and the first in the fair sector to explore
the possibilities of a tool that is transforming the advertising world

MIDO, set to take place at Fiera Milano Rho February 3rd to 5th2024, launches its new worldwide communication campaign: “THE EYEWEAR UNIVERSE”, created by combining humancreativity with the innovative power of Artificial Intelligence, the first trade show campaign to be developed with this technology.
“MIDO has consistently ridden, and often anticipated, the wave of new trends, not only in the eyewear industry,” stated MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. “It altered the traditional concept of trade fairs, transforming itself into a truly global event, in terms of the exhibits and the happenings around them and also in the area of continuing education (like the Otticlub meetings, available year-round on line). It has consistently put its trust in technological and digital innovation and was one of the first shows in the world to develop an app to be used at the fair and to employ augmented reality in an ad campaign. Today, we welcome the opportunity that Artificial Intelligence offers us to explore the new frontiers of visual communication, knowing full well the extent to which human creativity is irreplaceable and that understanding the new technologies means knowing how to manage them intelligently.”

The claim chosen for the campaign is “The Eyewear Universe”, presented graphically through spheres that shape the images and are part of a new universe. Planets of different sizes and colors create the backdrop for iconic style personalities, helping to create a fantastic world: of eyewear.

For the second year in a row, creative direction is by designer and artist Max Galli, in partnership with Mixer Group. “This campaign is a turning point in the advertising sector,” remarkedMax Galli, Creative Director. Tools like AI transform creative and production dynamics but human creativity, more than ever, becomes an increasingly valuable talent. A strong concept, a powerful idea, the ability to discern the beauty of one image compared to another are faculties that still make the difference. We created the campaign by providing the AI with all the elements it would need – without our input, it would not have been possible to create anything like it.”

Cross-cultural and sophisticated, “The Eyewear Universe” will appear globally in print and on the internet and will be developed around more than one subject, to be revealed in the coming months.
To always be up to date on MIDO news, visit the website www.mido.com and the official social channels Instagram (@mido_exhibition), Facebook (@MIDOExhibition), Twitter (@MIDOExhibition) and LinkedIn.

MIDO | The Eyewear Universe
Agency: Mixer Group
Creative Direction: Max Galli
Art Direction: Sergio Copetti
Photo AI: Silvia Badalotti
Copy: Lorella Montanaro
Client Director: Martina Vailati

Top	Return	Home

The 3-day eyewear show concludes at Fiera Milano Rho

MIDO 2023: THE INTERNATIONAL EYEWEAR SHOW
OPENS A NEW CHAPTER

President Vitaloni: “We have a responsibility to be among Italy’s most international events and, without a doubt, the industry leader at a global level. This means organizing a show that meets the needs of professionals who, every year, arrive from around the world to conduct business at MIDO”

Milan, 7 February 2023 – MIDO 2023 marks the beginning of a new era for the eyewear show with numbers that confirm its leadership position as it closed its doors yesterday on the 51st edition. The next MIDO will take place Saturday February 3rd to Monday February 5th 2024, at Fiera Milano Rho.

Attendance peaked at 35,000 industry professionals; 80% of them from Europe and 20% from the rest of the world. That is a 60% increase over 2022 visitor numbers. Also on the rise, Italian visitors made up 53% of the total.
Of the more than 1,000 exhibitors representing the entire supply chain - from machinery to lenses, along with frame manufacturers, and from the industry’s top name brands to young independent designers - 72% were international and 28% from Italy. Among the overseas exhibitors, 51% were from Europe, 42% from Asia and 7% from the rest of the world.
The data, both for visitors and participation by industry professionals, once again confirm the unmistakable global reach of the show.

“We have an exciting responsibility that comes with being the gold standard global eyewear event and that is, to bring together supply and demand for professionals who participate in MIDO,” stated MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. “This year we attracted many first-time presences among exhibitors and visitors who expressed their positive surprise at walking through the doors of our show. The ‘wonder’, that is part of the show’s DNA, is precisely this – to delight those who participate to such an extent that they cannot help but be here every year,” he concluded.

For visitors, there were myriad innovations and events, with a special focus on opticians – from the “How to?” cycle of OTTICLUB meetings – to the presentation of specialized books in the “Book@MIDO” program. The all-important focus on sustainability, with accolades and dedicated areas. But there were also occasions for glamour, with appearances by VIPs and personalities from the world of entertainment with flash mobs, exhibitions and awards in the popular MIDO squares.

The eyewear show has become a not-to-be-missed appointment for the Italian and international press as well – with more than 380 accredited journalists in attendance, more than 100 articles published in just the 3 days of the show, and about 500 in the preceding weeks. A sizable number of TV crews also captured ‘fair life’ as they moved among the stands for the duration of the show.

In addition to substantial live participation in the event, there was equally significant online activity – users from around the globe connected to the MIDO social profiles, enlivening them with more than 15,000 shares between posts and stories. Communication, in just the 3 days of the fair, exceeded 1.4 million impressions, growth also reflected in the 50,000 interactions on the pages, a more than 30% increase over last year.
The mido.com website was visited by more than 30,000 people (+50% over 2022) while the digital platform counted 12,000 members, 650 showcase pages and more than 40 events that will continue to be available until December 2023.
The combination of in-person participation and online posts means MIDO 2023 successfully and positively integrated the real and the virtual.

The next appointment with MIDO is set for February 3-5, 2024 at Fiera Milano Rho.

The show continues on the online platform and on the official social channels: Instagram (@mido_exhibition), Facebook (@MIDOExhibition), Twitter (@MIDOExhibition) and LinkedIn.

Top	Return	Home

The greatest international eyewear showcloses its doors on an amazing edition! Once again, MIDO stood out as the powerful event ableto bring together the best practices of eyewear, laying the groundwork for the future. All the live meetings, the industry products, and the ideas of every single member of the supply chain are the significant ingredients to make these three days essential to keep on feeding our businesses.  Share your experience in MIDO 2023! Use our official hashtag on your channels:  Discover MIDO also in its digital version! The greatest international eyewear show is coming back next year!

 

Top	Return	Home