The SILMO Generation was there in force. The four days of SILMO Paris in numbers: 31,337 visitor-buyers (+16.5% vs. 2022) attended, including 15,902 from abroad (+18.3% vs. 2022) and 15,535 from France (+14.7% vs. 2022). They were able to meet 929 companies, representing a total of 9,400 stand visitors – not counted with visitors – spread over the 75,000m2 of halls 6 and 7 at Paris-Nord Villepinte.
This year’s SILMO Paris definitively confirmed that the Paris event is now the place to be for the launch of new collections and brands, as well as innovative concepts, on an international scale! Its strength also comes from the formidable array of events within the event, promoting innovation, creation and knowledge, and putting into perspective the companies that are inventing the optics of today and tomorrow.
The 30th SILMO d’OR awards, presented in the surprising setting of the Folies Gruss, remain the central pillar of this valorization. The members of the Jury, whose integrity and professionalism the organizers warmly thank, meticulously studied all the applications and impartially selected the creations and innovations that caught their attention. They were supported in their mission by a Jury Chairman from outside the optical sector, who brought a different and challenging perspective to the table. This year, Nicolas Fafiotte, a self-described “couturier of exceptional moments”, accepted the challenge.
The winners of the 2023 edition can be found HERE.
The SILMO d’OR 2023 ceremony was also an opportunity to award two other prizes, including one for the first time.
With corporate social and environmental responsibility at the heart of today’s societal challenges, SILMO organizers decided to create an RESPONSIBLE COMPANY AWARD. Open to all exhibitors, the aim of the prize is to distinguish a company in the optical sector for its contribution to reducing its environmental impact and optimizing its social impact. An independent jury, made up of optics professionals and CSR experts, evaluated the applications and chose the winner of this first edition: MYKITA, a Berlin-based company founded in 2003, which has committed itself to a strategy of responsibility incorporating environmental and social aspects, in order to reduce the footprint of its products and its overall activities.
The INTERNATIONAL OPTICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD, awarded by the IOA (International Opticians Association) in partnership with SILMO Paris, encourages and rewards opticians for their vision and commitment to promoting the values of their profession. For the first time, it’s a Frenchman who has won this 2023 award: Jean-François Porte, co-founder of the Edgard group and vice-president of the Rassemblement des Opticiens de France.
The future of the industry is at the heart of the themes addressed by SILMO Paris.
SILMO NEXT retraced the latest technological innovations and major advances in Smart Eyewear, phygital experiences and eco-responsible design. In addition to this immersive retrospective, FUTUROLOGY unveiled unique experience zones for testing smart products, discovering new trends in virtual reality, and experimenting with an innovative approach to sustainable production.
Design is king at the show, and is expressed in two ways.
The first is the TRENDS FORUM, a space set up at the entrance to the show to enable visitors to immerse themselves in the major trends, thanks to a thematic selection of optical and sunglass frames from exhibitors present at the show. These trends are also illustrated in issue 33 of the digital magazine TRENDS by SILMO.
The second was the OPTICAL DESIGN CONTEST, reserved for design school students from all over the world; for this second edition, they were invited to brainstorm on a topical theme: sport. The jury, made up of optics and design professionals and chaired by Marie-Christine Dorner, interior architect, designer and scenographer, selected the Tribi concept by Hugo Plessis, a student at ESDAC in Lille: multifunctional eyewear for triathlon and biathlon. In addition to recognition in the world of optical eyewear, the winner and his school each received a cheque for 5,000 euros from the show.
On the subject of sport, with the Rugby World Cup being held in parallel with the show, and in anticipation of the Paris Olympics in 2024, SILMO ACADEMY scientific symposium focused on optimizing performance and guaranteeing success, during its training and discussion session. This theme was approached from two angles: the performance of the optical professional and the performance of the patient. The various speakers unveiled performance measures for visual health, acuity or quality of life, shared good precautions and practices throughout life to optimize eye health, and stressed how important it is to associate optimally corrected vision with performance, whether for professional reasons, academic success, sporting success or safety, as in driving a car.
The sharing of information and best practices also finds an echo in THE TALKS: in a dedicated, open space, a variety of speakers – exhibitors, experts, journalists, observers… – address topical themes in 30 minutes. And for visitors who don’t have the time to take advantage of them during the four days of the show, these Talks will be available in their entirety on video on the silmoparis.com website.
And even more with SILMO news, the whole trade fair live and on replay.
Every day at the trade fair, a daily news report summarises the events of the salon, completed by interviews, debates and live broadcasts to capture the impressions of visitors and exhibitors and to reveal the originality of products and companies… To watch and replay on silmoparis.com, YouTube, and all the social media of SILMO Paris.
One SILMO Paris closes its doors, another is in the works : until we meet again for an Olympic edition to be held from September 20 to 23, 2024
Click HERE for the full press release.
