OPTICAL PRISM | NEWS
VEE now slated for june in orlando
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions have announced that Vision Expo East 2021 , originally scheduled to take place in New York City in May , will now take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando , Fla , from June 2 to 5 , 2021 .
The show ’ s educational program , together with Opti- Con @ Vision Expo , will open June 2 and exhibits will open June 3 . The decision was based on the current restrictions on large gatherings in New York State and the successful track record of previous events held at the Orange County Convention Center .
“ It is our mission and responsibility to the vision care community to provide a platform to effectively show products and conduct business ,” said Mitch Barkley , vice-president of trade shows and meetings at The Vision Council . “ With strict limitations on large gatherings still in place in New York , we wanted to find a suitable location that would allow us to provide the exceptional Vision Expo experience that the community needs and deserves . Given its track record of successfully hosting more than 50 in-person events between March 2020 and December 2020 , we are confident the right decision is to move the show to the Orange County Convention Center as the new 2021 host site in order to give our customers every opportunity to network and share their new products .”
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions selected the Orange County Convention Center ( OCCC ) as the new host site with the safety and wellbeing of all Vision Expo attendees in mind .
The OCCC has strict health and safety precautions in place , as well as upholding all nationally recommended precautions , including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing .
Additionally , the OCCC is part of a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Orlando Health and Visit Orlando , which provides convention groups with personalized medical planning and support . The OCCC was one of the first convention centers in the nation to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council ’ s GBAC STAR accreditation , which is designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning , disinfection and infectious disease prevention , and is widely recognized as the gold standard of safe and prepared venues . The Orlando International Airport holds the same accreditation .
“ The decision to adjust the show dates and location is a positive solution in the midst of a challenging time for everyone ,” said Fran Pennella , event vice-president , Vision Expo , at Reed Exhibitions . “ As we continue our planning efforts , the health , wellbeing and safety of everyone in attendance at the Show continues to be our top priority , and we will be working closely with the Orange County Convention Center to ensure all health and safety guidelines and procedures are maintained .” OP
36 OPTICAL PRISM | January 2021