Two months until MIDO: the countdown to the Wonder has begun.

Safety measures are being finalized for MIDO, the leading global eyewear trade show, that will take place in-person at Fiera Milano Rho, February 12^th to 14^th, 2022.

Just two months before it opens, the layout has been confirmed and registration is open to visitors. This year, they will be able to take the trains provided by the organizers, with a stop at Rho Fiera; reservations can be made directly at www.mido.com from mid-January. With a packed calendar of events already finalized (in the OttiClub area and Convention Center), the needs of the fairgrounds have been aligned with the essential safety protocols in order to welcome exhibitors and visitors from around the world.

Rules regarding access to the show by exhibitors, buyers and visitors are those in effect in Italy for all public events: green pass, social distancing, compulsory use of masks, sanitization of meeting spaces and objects.

For the first in-person edition of MIDO under the new regulations, the organizers’ explicit aim is to bring industry players together at the show, an objective obtainable through the installation of every possible safety device and thanks to the cooperation of all industry stakeholders.

Unstoppable, in recent months Fiera Milano Rho has hosted numerous events that successfully filled its pavilions, with significant results in terms of public attendance. MIDO organizers relied on feedback and experience to determine best practices and make the mid-February show even more user-friendly and completely safe.

“Our main objective is to safeguard the health of workers and visitors and we are doing everything in our power because, compared to the past, shows are now possible,” explained MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni, “although they require strict planning and adherence to regulations throughout the event organization process, during stand set-up and while the event is in progress. An arduous task, but the global eyewear industry needs events like ours, that has never looked back. Thanks to the backing of many partners, including the Ministry of Economic Development, Fiera Milano, Italy’s Ministry of Health, and ITA (Italian Trade & Investment Agency), we are able to confirm the traditional MIDO format and to reassure participants, anxious to meet again, that they will have hands-on access to products and materials, and have experiences that the virtual event cannot offer,” he continued.

Registration is already open for the new in-person experience and many exhibitors from different parts of the world have already reserved their spaces. The program includes access to the exhibition halls of the entire supply chain, business opportunities, educational seminars and super events, with international guests and the traditional fashion runway with VIP endorsers.

“For the 2022 edition, we chose keywords like sustainability, innovation and the future,” added MIDO President Vitaloni, “but the real concept that unifies the entire industry at the show is resilience. After two years of conducting business on-line and the cancellation of in-person events, the industry wants to come back. Clearly, at this time, we cannot say the pandemic is over, but our country is responding proactively and, with the administration of boosters, we are confident that in a couple months we will feel even safer and able to continue on the journey forward as an industry, all together, in Italy and internationally.”

Approaching deadlines for MIDO at Fiera Milano Rho:

-       January 15 to submit nominations for the Stand Up For Green contest, new in 2022: exhibitors can enter their stands for the award that recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship and sustainability. Winners will be announced on Saturday, February 12, during the show’s opening-day events;

-       January 12, to submit nominations for the BeStore Award, acknowledging the world’s optical centers that offer an outstanding shopping experience, lay-out of the retail space, materials and furnishings (Design category), and for their customer services, external communications, as well as the history of the store and its human and emotional qualities (Innovation category);

-       Confirmed, the second edition of Your BeStore, the digital competition award that goes to the optical shop voted the ‘best’ by users of the MIDO 2022 | DIGITAL EDITION. The winner will be announced on the MIDO platform and social media channels no later than February 16.