Sometimes as I read an article or continuing education module in this or one of our other optical journals, I sense a bit of a subtext – a pink elephant in the room, if you will. By that I mean that it is apparent the author is “promoting” a particular lens, frame, or company. 

So, I will take the advice of the late Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, who wisely suggested the best way to deal with a pink elephant is to simply introduce everyone to it. Here it is: I am, in fact, attempting to promote something in the writing of this article. What, exactly? I am targeting all of you Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) who have never attended the International Vision Expo – East or West – in an effort to convince you that you should.

Had you attended the Expo in New York at the end of March, you might have been able to obtain some or all of your continuing education credits (CECs) that you need to renew your state, ABO, and/or NCLE licenses. You could have asked American Idol judge, Randy Jackson, for an autographed picture. You would have seen first hand the most up-to-date, cutting edge surfacing and finishing equipment. Access to all the latest, coolest frames would have been yours – you could have purchased some frames, sunglasses, or accessories that no other dispensary in your market carries. You could have walked away with stacks of posters, brochures, and samples from the world’s leading contact lens and frame manufacturers. At night you could have attended a Broadway musical, experienced world-class dining at bargain prices, and strolled through world-famous Times Square. If you were lucky enough, you might have bumped into Paris Hilton, who was at the Expo touting her new line of sunglasses. Your eyes could have met…smiles exchanged…a date was made…now that’s hot! And by the way, most of your cost for traveling to and attending the Expo might have qualified for a tax deduction. Wow! So, in an effort to further entice you to do whatever it takes to make it to Vision Expo West in the fall, or Vision Expo East 2010, I present to you, my partial Expo diary, 2009. Enjoy.

Wednesday, 12:30 pm. My wife, Andrea, and I leave Tampa International Airport, non-stop to JFK. I have “paid” for our tickets with frequent flyer miles. The flight leaves on time and arrives early. The taxi driver actually speaks English fairly well, despite the lack of vowels in his name. The hotel reservation is in order – also paid for, only this time with frequent hotel “miles.” We’re staring off on a good foot.

Thursday, 12:00 pm. After a leisurely breakfast, we head to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. For the first time, I have the honor and privilege of teaching CE classes at the Expo. At one o’clock I will present Professional Telephone Skills, a two-hour class I have taught a dozen times before. Despite that fact, I am a bit nervous. This is, after all the Big Apple. If I can make it here…

Thursday, 3:00 pm. The class and the attendees were amazing. Based on the evaluations it was very well received. Exhale!

Thursday, 8:00 pm. Although it has been around for many years, the dates and times have never quite worked out, so tonight we went to see the Broadway musical, Wicked. It was fabulous, and I would give it my unconditional recommendation. Tomorrow is a busy day, so we turn in early.

Friday, 8:30 am. I am teaching my final two classes today. From 10:15-12:15 it is The One-Minute Optician, and from 3:15-5:15 An Interactive Assessment of Premium Lens Knowledge. Both classes are a success, and it left three hours in-between for walking the aisles of the show. Of course I must visit the frame and contact lens vendors I already deal with, so that gets done. Good deals are realized at Live Eyewear and Global Optique. Additionally, I view new styles at R&R Eyewear, specifically, new Bellagio models and an unbelievably nice $10 line called Blink. New accessories, cases, and cords are everywhere, as well as occasional moments of excitement which are heard in various parts of the hall. Paris Hilton is promoting her sunglass line at Gripping Eyewear, Mickey Rourke at Revolution Eyewear, and Randy Jackson appears at Zyloware. Steven “Cojo” Cojocaro was to host the fashion shows at Safilo Group, so perhaps some of that hoopla is for him. But with only a couple of short hours to spend here today, we stick to business. A quick stop to visit the editor of EyeCare Professional magazine, and we continue on.

We had no fixed plans for this evening but decide to visit Caroline’s Comedy Club for dinner, drinks, and Darrell Hammond, the longest-running cast member of Saturday Night Live. Dinner was okay, but Hammond and his two co-stars killed! They were all hilarious. Times Square was hopping, so I walked down to 49th and Broadway to visit my favorite NY store – Colony Music. It has music memorabilia and probably the widest selection of sheet music in the country. I love it. Virgin Records is closing for good, but most of the bargains were gone. A few street vendors were plying their trade. It seems pirated DVDs ($5 apiece or 5 for $20) have started to rival counterfeit handbags for street selling space. A brisk 20-block walk back to the hotel near Penn Station and we call it a night.

Saturday, 10:00 am. While the Expo still has two more days to go, we had planned to leave today. That’s the beauty and flexibility of Expo. With hundreds of CE hours and vendors on display, you can create your own schedule and itinerary, and make of the show and visit what you want. We decided to have lunch at JFK, and with only a slight delay, we arrive back in Tampa in enough time to share dinner with our son.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience, and as I said earlier, why not begin planning your trip to New York (or Las Vegas) right now? You’ll be glad you did.

Anthony Record
RDO