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September 16, 2021September 16, 2021

Changing Landscapes – Topics and Dates for Digital Event Series Announced.

Eye Care Business Canada and NewOptometrist.ca have announced the meeting dates for a three-part series, “Changing Landscapes: Opportunities & Options for Canadian ECPs”.

The three-event series will start on Monday October 25th (7:30 PM Eastern) and will run on three consecutive weeks i.e. Monday, November 1^st and Monday, November 8^th.

The series will debut Eye Care Business Canada’s platform for digital events and feature industry thought leaders from Canada’s leading eye care organizations, each contributing their perspectives to important topics of relevance to optometrists and optical professionals in the current, always changing, environment.

The event series will be moderated by Roxanne Arnal, OD and Certified Financial Planner, bringing an informed and unique perspective to the events.

Technology Drives Change
The first event (October 25^th) will delve into the key technology factors expected to impact the future of professional practice in the near term. Tele-optometry, impact of omni-channel selling and remote face trace technology enabling touchless ophthalmic lens dispensing are among the factors to be discussed.

Whether or not professions embrace emerging technologies or avoid them, there is no denying technology’s potential game changing role in both the clinical and commercial side of practice.

Follow up Events: Buying & Selling and Career Paths
Has COVID changed the valuations of eye care practices?

Industry experts will provide perspectives on the current state of play in the Canadian practice acquisition market.

Current owners and astute prospective owners seeking opportunity will hear from and meet first-hand through the virtual platform in the second event Monday, November 1.

Career options and opportunities or both young and experienced ODs have never been greater as new organizations offering unique business models enter the market and established entities respond to the changing environment.

Career Pathfinders: Making Smart Career Choices is the topic of the third event on Monday, November 8^th.

Event registration is limited and will be open in September.

PREMIER SPONSORS

PARTNER & FRIEND SPONSORS

Limited Premium, Partner and Friend sponsorships are still available.

For organizations wishing to sponsor a virtual table at any of the events, please contact

Admin@vuepoint.ca for further information.

Event Details:

Changing Landscapes Webinar: Technology Drivers of Change

Changing Landscapes Webinar: Selling & Buying a Practice

Changing Landscapes Webinar: Career Pathfinders: Making Choices

September 16, 2021September 15, 2021

The 9th Edition of DaTE Closes with Increase in Buyers

The 9th edition of DaTE, an event focused on the eyewear of the future, closed yesterday at the Stazione Leopolda di Firenze.

Almost 1,500 eyewear professionals and select buyers visited the show. And, with 130 Italian and international brands, the event reconfirmed itself as a key resource for the entire eyewear industry which, in Italy, brings in about 4 billion euro in turnover, and employs a workforce of 18,000.

The event attracted a substantial turnout this year from across Italy and the world, for a 55% increase in attendance. The number of exhibitors rose by 50%, compared to last year. Of the 130 brands participating, 45% were international.

“This year, more than ever, DaTE was a pivotal driver for the industry, as well as the place where in-person meetings, sharing and business was possible. For 3 days, we were surrounded by keen interest and a craving to invest in the future and in new projects. We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this edition – stated Giovanni Vitaloni, President of the event. The last 2 years were unbelievably complex and DaTE 2021, finally put the industry machine back into motion.”

Online interaction by users also yielded excellent results. Through social media messaging, FB and IG combined reached 513,353 users and a total of 14,877 interactions. Video content was viewed more than 15,000 times.

Source: DaTE

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021

FYidoctors Adds First Clinic in Fort McMurray

FYidoctors announces the addition of Fort McMurray’s premiere medical aesthetics clinic, YMM Cosmetic and Laser Clinic (YMM) to its expanding aesthetic medicine business unit. Experiencing record growth in 2021, the addition marks FYidoctors’ ninth clinic in Alberta, with continued plans for expansion across Canada in the coming months.

“We’re thrilled to welcome YMM Cosmetic and Laser Clinic to FYidoctors’ aesthetic medical business unit, and to continue reaching new patients in Western Canada,” said Dr. Alan Ulsifer, CEO and Chairman of FYidoctors. “As the leading clinic in the region, we couldn’t be more excited to build on the clinic’s outstanding reputation and to start working with Dr. Hibbitts and her team of highly skilled professionals.”

Founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife duo Dr. Erin Hibbitts and business manager, Patrick Hibbitts, the team brings to the practice a blend of business expertise, clinical experience, and best-in-class training in aesthetic medicine to its patients.

“We saw an incredible opportunity for growth in partnering with FYidoctors, and how this could improve not only our medical practice but the products, technology and services available to our patients in Fort McMurray,” said Dr. Erin Hibbitts.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Essilor and Luxottica launch EssilorLuxottica 360™, the Companies’ First Joint Commercial Program in Canada

Essilor and Luxottica, divisions of EssilorLuxottica Canada, bring to the Canadian market EssilorLuxottica 360, a new joint program that will drive growth for independent eye care professionals. This program comes at a time when independent ECPs can use the support of their industry partners. EssilorLuxottica 360 is designed to help ECPs increase their traffic, visibility, and capture rate, as well as provide added support to provide an enhanced patient experience and help improve practice profitability.

ECPs working to build back their business post-Covid will have the full power of Essilor and Luxottica behind them. Because patient traffic is the lifeblood of every practice, EssilorLuxottica 360 is designed to help drive patients to your practice and increase visibility driven by advertising and digital marketing tools.

With the ECPs’ virtual and social footprint growing in importance, EssilorLuxottica 360 will give members access to EssilorLuxottica’s digital tools such as the Smart Shopper, which enhances the shopping experience, creates an endless aisle of products and styles to showcase and offers virtual try-on tools. Members will also have access to product customization tools for Ray-Ban® and Oakley® as well as Luxottica’s digital screens. EssilorLuxottica has also invested in tools to help ECPs manage and amplify their own social media channels with branded content to drive consumers to their practice with Promoboxx™ and Essilor® Experts.

Members will also have access to EssilorLuxottica’s brand-new learning platform Leonardo™ that provides an innovative learning experience and brings a new perspective with best-in-class learning content taught by experts in the field.

EssilorLuxottica 360 will be available to Essilor® Experts that wish to strengthen their practice through a strong portfolio of Luxottica brands and Essilor advanced lens technology. Members of EssilorLuxottica 360 will have access to special commercial terms on their Luxottica Frame purchases and a flexible Incentive Jumpstart benefit that lets you explore new brands for your practice.

“Building on the positive results of our Essilor® Experts program for our independent partners, we are pleased to offer them even more benefits and ways to grow through EssilorLuxottica 360,” said Christophe Perreault, President of Essilor Canada. “This new program is an opportunity to strengthen our partnership with doctors and independent opticians across the country by providing them with a range of innovative tools to always better meet their customers’ expectations, at the best commercial conditions.”

“When it comes to eyewear, consumer trends and digitalization have accelerated in recent months. Consumers look for recognized brands,” said Ludovic Ladreyt, Senior Vice President of Optical Sales, Luxottica Wholesale North America. “EssilorLuxottica 360 is built to help independent eyecare professionals face these changes giving them a range of digital tools and special commercial terms on their Luxottica Frame purchases that let them explore new brands for their practice.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021

Aequus Strengthens Clinical Experience in Stargardt Disease with Pediatric Ophthalmology Expertise

Aequus Pharmaceuticals (Aequus) a speciality pharmaceutical company, announces that Dr. Robert K. Koenekoop MD, MSc, PhD, FRCS(C), FARVO has joined as a medical and clinical consultant to Aequus on inherited retinal diseases, and specifically to support Aequus’ collaboration with reVision Therapeutics for the product REV-0100, a potential therapy for Stargardt disease.

Dr. Koenekoop is a Pediatric Ophthalmologist and Director of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Molecular Biology of Blindness at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH). He also holds positions as Professor of Paediatric Surgery, Human Genetics and Adult Ophthalmology at McGill University and Director of the Laboratory for Retinal Genetics and Therapeutics, and Chief of Paediatric Ophthalmology at MCH Glen site.

Dr. Koenekoop brings over 25 years of national and international basic and clinical research expertise in ophthalmology, in both children and adults. With Dr. Koenekoop’s expert background and medical practice in Canada for inherited retinal diseases, his valuable insights will help the REV-0100 programme move forward.

“Stargardt macular dystrophy and all the other inherited retinal degenerations were deemed untreatable by the discoverers of these diseases and many generations of clinical teachers and researchers in this field,” said Dr. Koenekoop. “It is very exciting after all these years of seeing patients’ vision decline, that now for the first time we are seeing stabilization and even improvements in vision with some of the experimental agents.”

REV-0100 is a potential therapy for patients with Stargardt disease that is designed to bind and clear a toxic lipid called lipofuscin. Accumulation of lipofuscin in Stargardt disease leads to cell death and retinal degeneration. REV-0100 has the potential to reduce lipofuscin levels in the retina.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Earlier in August, Aequus announced a collaboration with reVision Therapeutics- See full press release HERE.