MIDO is just a few days away.

All set to go at Fiera Milano Rho – MIDO, the leading global eyewear show, returning April 30th to May 2nd. Packed with 650 exhibitors from 45 countries, the event, spread across 5 pavilions, will welcome buyers, opticians, designers and Italian and international journalists, it is ready to amaze visitors with the latest innovations and all the emotions that go along with international business revolving around the coolest accessory ever.

A hint at what’s in store: gender-neutral eyewear, vintage frames with a 1970s vibe; more sustainable materials, packaging and processes; classics revisited; and shocking colors.

Kick-off to the show is the opening on Saturday, April 30th. The opening event will be a tribute to art in all its forms of expression, shared moments of beauty, music, dance, entertainment, reflection and current events, along with high-profile guests and well-known Italian personalities.
TV journalist Costanza Calabrese will emcee the opening event with Giovanni Vitaloni, President of MIDO and ANFAO, sharing their thoughts on current events, the eyewear industry and the economy. Joining them will be historian and journalist Paolo Mieli, and ITA president Carlo Ferro.
The opening ceremony will also include a celebration of key actors in the history of MIDO and eyewear, starting with the first edition in 1970, honoring the show’s past presidents and ‘long-haul’ players who have participated for half a century.

“We have eagerly awaited this moment and are all thrilled to be here,” remarked MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni, “We have been waiting to celebrate MIDO’s 50th anniversary since 2020 and now we are back with an exciting new adventure – speaking of art, beauty, style and current events – so they can serve as points of reflection in such delicate circumstances, but also with a vision of the future.”

For visitors, full immersion in the world of eyewear will begin as soon as they enter the fairgrounds, thanks to the Buyers’ Rewards initiative, a MIDO 2022 exclusive for buyers that involves three themed gifts: MIDO 50 eyewear (produced in limited edition by the young Spectaful Italian brand for the Yugaav collection, the result of a contest among industry players for the design of iconic anniversary-related eyewear); the “Through the Looking Glass” novel by Adriano Moraglio, narrating 50 years of MIDO through the fictional adventures of three generations of opticians; and the comprehensive “History of Optics” by Sergio Cappa and Silvio Maffioletti, expressly produced and offered by MIDO to the entire industry. This 400-page book reconstructs seven centuries of the history of lenses and spectacles, from their origins to the present day.

A full, updated calendar. Among the newest events, the first edition of Stand Up for Green will acknowledge the stand that set the highest bar in terms of employing the most eco-sustainable practices. As usual, the traditional BeStore award will be given to optical centers that offer an outstanding shopping experience, retail space lay-out, materials and furnishings (Design category); and also taking into account customer services, external communications, history of the stores as well as human and emotional qualities (Innovation category).
The Start Up area, another innovation at MIDO 2022, completes the consolidated exhibit scenario made up of the Fashion District, Design Tech, Design Lab, More!, Lenses, FAiR East, Tech and Lab Academy. The new area will host emerging players in the eyewear market in a space of their own, an eco-sustainable stand made with recycled and recyclable materials, in keeping with the show’s environmental accountability program begun in 2019. Another space for the youngest brands, promoted by MIDO and ITA (Italian Trade Agency for the international promotion and internationalization of Italian businesses), will showcase six select start-ups in pavilion 18, each exhibiting two of their eyewear products.

Cross-fertilization with the world of art is the common thread running through another notable addition: the “A colpo d’Occhio - Sguardo e visione nelle Arti” show featuring 15 reproductions of works that narrate the art of seeing through images and poetry. Sponsored by MIDO and curated by Elisabetta Parente, this initiative is also sponsored by SOL (Società Oftalmologica Lombarda), SIOL (Società Italiana di Oftalmologia Legale) and the Rotary 2041 and 2042 districts and will be mounted in the Otticlub lounge in pavilion 15.

Dense with innovative ideas, this edition of MIDO amps up its commitment to education and raising awareness. Long active in the areas of vision care and eye health – from prevention to accurate information about issues related to eyesight, to the social importance of assistance to the blind – MIDO is dedicating an area to Lion’s Club Guide Dogs, specifically to raise public awareness around this subject.
Saturday April 30 and Sunday May 1, show visitors can attend live dog-training demonstrations by the Limbiate (Milan) Center, one of the top centers in Europe.

Regular favorites remain on the calendar: discussions and continuing education in the Otticlub space; presentation of trends and insights about future consumers, in partnership with WGSN; in-depth themed seminars, including one dedicated to the power of color in design in light of the S/S 2023 season, and a Federottica and Bocconi University conference on “new omni-channel scenarios and the challenges for opticians and manufacturers”.