Eco-friendly and smart glasses drive demand
– Optical Fair attracted some 13,000 buyers from 94 countries and regions
– Buyers enjoyed convenient procurement through three new thematic labels and 12 product zones
– Winner of the 24th Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition announced
The 32nd Hong Kong International Optical Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association (HKOMA), came to a successful conclusion, attracting some 13,000 buyers from 94 countries and regions.
Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director said: “We have been delighted to welcome international buyers to source new products at the Fair. Among them, buyers from ASEAN markets, including Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand; and buyers from Australia, Japan and Taiwan recorded an increase. This reinforces Hong Kong’s advantage in internalisation and the Fair’s continuing role as a premier sourcing platform for the industry.”
Three New Thematic Labels Enhance Procurement
This year’s Optical Fair featured 12 product zones showcasing a diverse variety of eyewear products, and added three thematic labels – Green Solutions Suppliers, Smart Eyewear and Smart Ageing Products. Through this classification, buyers could effortlessly locate products that reflect the latest industry trends and keep pace with consumer demand.
The adoption of environmentally friendly, sustainable and recycled materials is a long-term trend in the industry. Hong Kong exhibitor Winky International provides biodegradable and bio-based eyewear and its founder and creative director Kevin Ching said that the Green Solutions Supplier label helped them to attract European buyers looking for eco-friendly products. He related that the number of buyers visiting their booth increased by 10% compared to last year and a new buyer from Malaysia had placed an onsite order. Moreover, he expected that the company can form partnerships with 8-10 new distributors after the fair and that sales generated by this year’s fair will grow by 50% over last year’s fair.
With the rapid development of science and technology, eyewear integrated with smart and innovative features is becoming part of everyday life. Kenny Cheung, General Manager of Solos Technology from Hong Kong, said: “We are showcasing AirGo™ Vision, a smart eyewear featuring ChatGPT-4o functionality. This innovative product has drawn significant interest from international buyers, and we anticipate partnerships with over 10 buyers from Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Malaysia, and the UK. AirGo™ Vision appeals not only to young users but also to elderly and visually impaired individuals, opening up new business opportunities in the silver market.”
Arikan Saat, a large wholesaler and distributor from Türkiye is a regular fair attendee and the company’s owner, Mahmut Arikan, said: “This year, we discovered many new designs. We have already placed onsite orders totalling US$200,000 with 13 existing suppliers and seven new suppliers for optical frames, sunglasses, and clip-ons. After the fair, we plan to purchase an additional US$1 million worth of new products from other suppliers.”
ONE ZERO ONE Trading is a distributor of branded eyewear and also markets its own brand in Vietnam. The company’s president, Cuong Timothy Tran, said that they confirmed orders with eight suppliers totalling US$195,000, primarily for acetate and titanium optical frames, eyewear cases, and cleaning cloths. He said the Click2Match platform facilitated efficient onsite deal-making and pre-event research. Additionally, he utilised the Scan2Match function in the HKTDC Marketplace App to initiate conversations with over 10 exhibitors via the messaging feature.
“Be Bold” Design Competition
To elevate Hong Kong’s design capability, foster innovation, and promote local designers to international buyers, the HKTDC and HKOMA organised the 24th Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition under the theme of Be Bold and announced the results during the Fair.
The winner in the Open Group was the Ceramic Eyewear range by Lin Dianqun, designer at Arts Optical. Inspired by classic Chinese ceramic art, the design combines the elegance of blue-and-white porcelain with the warm and simple light green hue characteristic of Northern Song dynasty ceramic ware. It also won the Creativity Award and the Made-to-Sell Award. In the Student Group, Zhu Junbin from the Hong Kong Design Institute, won with ECHOL LIGHT, an eyewear product specially designed for the visually impaired. The eyewear features three ultrasonic-emitting devices, which use echolocation to detect obstacles and transmit information through bone conduction headphones. Users can adjust the intensity of ultrasound waves in different environments.
Under the EXHIBITION+ hybrid model, exhibitors and buyers can meet online through the HKTDC Click2Match smart business matching platform until 15 November. Buyers can also scan exhibitor QR codes in the HKTDC Marketplace App to engage with exhibitors after the fair to continue their sourcing journey.
