This year Mido, 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 ambitious goal 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. Equally important was the 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. 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. 

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.