Like a blended family, SILMO FAMILY accommodates various organisations with complementary concepts that provide a dynamic counterpoint to the SILMO PARIS annual international event, of which the power of attraction is already well-established.
The organisers therefore present the innovation of SILMO SHOWROOM, of which the first edition will be held in
Lisbon, Portugal, on 30 June 2019.
This new event, to take place in an luxurious setting – the Sud Lisboa space –, is organised with the support of the
ANO, the National opticians’ association of Portugal, and is limited to some fifty brands. It was conceived and
developed as a day of networking dedicated to selected local purchasers.
“The concept arose from a simple observation: the more digitalisation progresses, the more people have a need for human contact,” explains Eric Lenoir, director of Silmo. “While SILMO PARIS remains the industry’s uncontested major federating event, and while its aura is unparalleled, we realised that there is a need to propose events of various sizes and concepts throughout the year to meet the regional markets’ local expectations for proximity and attention.”
SILMO ISTANBUL led the way in 2014, followed by SILMO SYDNEY in 2017 and SILMO BANGKOK in 2018. These are
regional trade fairs in their own rights, organised by and with local professionals, which reflect the true Silmo
philosophy and values and are well adapted to specific, perfectly defined markets with a high development
potential. Other strategic destinations are in preparation.
And because the concept of community and a spirit of openness are an integral part of the Silmo DNA, Copenhagen
Specs (in Copenhagen and Berlin) joined the SILMO FAMILY last February.
The objective for this organisation, founded and still managed by Morten Gammelmark, is to take advantage of the
Silmo international network to develop and increase its visibility. “Copenhagen Specs is a very high-quality trade fair
oriented towards the showcasing of specialised independent brands. It is important to us to support this type of
events and to work together in the interest of the optical community,” remarks Amélie Morel, chairwoman of Silmo.
Its extensions, collaborations and events-related innovations reveal the strength of the SILMO brand and the
organisers’ commitment to remain flexible by adapting to today’s “glocalization” developments, reasserting the
brand’s position as both global and local.
