Opti 2026: A desire for the future
Opti 2026 impressed with 21,972 trade visitors (2025: 21,105) - an increase of more than 4 % - and a high quality of decision-making. The number of visitors from abroad increased by a good 5 %. Together with more than 7 % more exhibitors, these figures underline the positive momentum and desire for the future in the industry. Visitors used «their Opti» specifically for networking, strategic planning and ordering.
«What an Opti!», «We're already planning our trade fair appearance in 2027», «More ideas and impetus are generated here than in the rest of the year», «An unmissable date in the industry calendar» or even: «There's a real buzz here» - statements like these were heard a lot over the three days at Opti. And what's more, there was a strong sense of community over everything. Opti once again proved to be what it is: a meeting place for the community and a big family festival for the optical industry.
Exchange at eye level, new ideas for the point of sale, concrete business impulses and an industry that has an appetite for the future: Opti 2026 has impressively confirmed why it is the annual kick-off event for international ophthalmic optics. Under the motto #weareopti, Munich once again became a meeting place for decision-makers, young professionals, brands, start-ups and visionaries - for long-time companions as well as young talents.
With 354 exhibitors (a good 7 % more than in 2025 with 330 exhibitors), Opti presented the entire spectrum of ophthalmic optics - from frame design, contact lenses and spectacle lenses to devices, IT, shopfitting and hearing acoustics. The trade fair offered space for product premieres, in-depth technical discussions and personal encounters - all supported by an open, cordial and at the same time highly professional atmosphere.
Opti 2026 thus maintains its role as the start of the year for the optical industry. With a growing international audience, high professional relevance and a noticeably positive mood, the trade fair set clear accents for the new financial year and documented its positive dynamics and desire for the future. The intensive exchange between exhibitors, trade visitors, young professionals and decision-makers once again made Opti a central networking and orientation venue for the industry.
At the same time, the trade fair proved to be a lively platform for innovations, new business models and practical solutions - supported by a close connection between the organizers and the industry. Opti combined the trade fair, community and marketplace into a single unit, creating the framework for an industry event that effectively brought together professional depth, personal encounters and international perspectives.
Rodenstock and Zeiss also presented particularly beautiful, large and unusual stands at Opti. Both presentations were of a very high quality and attracted a lot of attention throughout - the crowds of visitors to both stands were correspondingly large.
Voices of the Opti organizers
Cathleen Kabashi, Director Opti: «Opti thrives on exchange and cooperation. In 2026, we once again felt how strong our community is and how important personal encounters, inspiration and practical content are for the industry. The mood was noticeably positive, optimistic and relaxed, and this is exactly what we are looking forward to with a view to Opti 2027. The desire for the future was particularly clear - also driven by the massive participation, commitment and identification of the next generation with their Opti.»
Tobias Gröber, CEO of GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH: «Opti 2026 was dynamic, international and commercially relevant. It is a central meeting place for opticians and hearing acoustics. In short, this Opti is a very good starting point for the targeted further development of this event. In the coming months, we will work together with exhibitors and partners to sharpen the content of Opti and continuously expand both its international focus and the individual product areas - with the aim of further increasing the added value for visitors and exhibitors.»
Highlights that hit the nerve of the industry
Opti Spheare - Hearing becomes visible
Represented at the Opti for the first time, the Opti Spheare immediately developed into a crowd-puller. Why? On the one hand, it was the new exhibitors from the field of hearing acoustics, and on the other hand, the enormous practical relevance that took place in the central area: Talks by and with owners who have successfully integrated hearing acoustics into their optical business were very convincing. There were also interactive sessions and open discussions on positioning, customer loyalty and new services. Interactive exchange formats between speakers and the interested audience offered concrete added value for everyday working life.
Tomorrow Vision - Play smart. Move free.
For the second time, Tomorrow Vision, the joint platform of renowned contact lens manufacturers, provided strong impetus - this time on the subject of sport. Practical presentations and concrete application examples in combination with the products of the contact lens suppliers showed how lenses can optimally accompany customers who are active in sports. Emotional show acts, including rousing basketball dunk performances with artistic jump and throw combinations, attracted particular attention, impressively bringing the focus on sport to the area and making Tomorrow Vision a real experience.
Opti Design Stage - the stage for design expertise and trends
The Opti Design Stage once again impressively underlined Opti's design expertise in 2026 and was the central meeting point for trends, brands and design. International impulses were provided by Selin Olmsted from New York with her Trend Forecast and the Opti Design Talks, in which experts from the DOZ provided practical insights into current design and market issues. At the same time, the Design Stage was the place where the frames for the Opti Frame Award were displayed for voting and where the Opti Frame Star Award, Opti Box Award and Opti Visionary audience prizes were awarded on Sunday.
Focus on young talent, careers and self-employment
In 2026, Opti once again set a clear focus on up-and-coming talent and young entrepreneurs - a format in which the next generation, as the future of the industry, has worked intensively and which is unparalleled in terms of depth and breadth. Here is an excerpt from the activities on offer:
- Opti My own Business - supported by DOZ: Advice for prospective self-employed people.
- Opti Next Gen Tours: Guided tours on Saturday and Sunday.
- Opti Next Generation Hub: Hotspot for the next generation of industry professionals with a dense program, including Opti Company Connect and Opti Campus Connect.
Winners of the Opti Awards
- Opti Frame Star Award - Breitfeld and Schliekert with «Just Milo model JMM3»
- Opti Box Award - Manti Manti
- Opti Visionary Award - pickz ai
Voices on the Opti 2026
Mirjam Rösch, Chairwoman of Consumer Optics at the industry association Spectaris: «What an Opti! The entire German SME sector is currently working through so many challenges. And then, at the beginning of the year, such an eye optics show that moves the industry comes to Munich. The streams through the aisles and the intimate conversations were delightful. We are still a large association that can provide people with the best vision care. Opti has such great innovative strength, quality and depth. This certainly gives us as an industry/exhibitors as well as the sector a huge boost! Thank you very much, dear optician world!»
Christian Müller, President of the German Central Association of Opticians and Optometrists (ZVA): «Opti 2026 has once again shown how important face-to-face discussions are for our industry at the start of the year. Despite challenging economic conditions, the German opticianry sector is stable - topics such as high-quality and comprehensive care, further training and self-employment as well as healthcare services were the focus of many discussions. The very good visitor frequency and the positive atmosphere, also in the Opti-Café powered by ZVA, underline the importance of Opti as a central meeting point for the industry.»
Klaus Dietrich, Country Manager DACH, Thélios: «We are overwhelmed by the response to our presence at Opti 2026. The enthusiasm for the return of the TAG Heuer Eyewear collection was enormous and clearly exceeded our expectations. With Vuarnet and Barton Perreira, we were able to convince numerous trade visitors of the outstanding quality and value. The intensive discussions and the consistently positive feedback from the specialist trade have encouraged us to continue along our chosen path. Due to the great success, we are already making firm plans to repeat our trade fair presence at Opti 2027.»
Yash Luthra, CEO, pickz.ai: «We are delighted to have won the Opti Visionary Award. The fact that Opti visitors voted us the most interesting start-up at the trade fair confirms that we are on the right track with our AI-supported tools in the stationary workflow - they were also our personal highlight at Opti 2026. The high density of real decision-makers convinced us just as much as the clear message of the trade fair: Technology offers real solution potential, and the market is ready for tangible digital processes in the store. Our learning: the hybrid experience wins. Customers expect high-tech without sacrificing the emotional experience on site. For us, this means a clear focus on scalable digital services and personalized customer journeys in 2026.»
Philippa Koenig, Managing Director of Manti Manti: «At Opti 2026, we opened up a new product area with our first baby glasses. The focus was on the question of what requirements baby glasses need to meet in order to satisfy our quality standards. For us, Opti is a central platform for exchanging ideas with existing customers from the DACH region. The intimate discussions and honest feedback confirm our approach - as does winning the Opti Box Award. At the same time, the trade fair remains an important mood barometer for our core business, characterized by strong industry ties and many recommendations.»
Dr. Ole Rossbach, Head of Marketing and Professional Affairs DACH, CooperVision: «At Opti 2026, our focus was on the launch of the new MyDay MiSight 1 day disposable contact lens, which met with great interest in the market. Even on the first day of the trade fair, the exceptionally high quality of the discussions was impressive and led to concrete business successes. The intensive exchange confirmed our strategic course in myopia management and provided valuable impetus for the further development of our activities in 2026.»
Dr. Peter Braunhofer, CEO of Eschenbach Optik GmbH: «For Eschenbach, the focus at Opti 2026 was on introducing new brands. With O'Neill, Superdry, Tom Tailor and Optaro XL, the company provided targeted impetus for the further development of its portfolio and the acquisition of new customers. The discussions at the trade fair took place at a very high professional level and offered a relevant exchange with market players. In particular, Eschenbach will take away new customer contacts, the launch of the new brands and a key sales component for the first quarter as important impetus for 2026.»
The next Opti will take place in Munich from January 29 to 31, 2027.
Source: www.opti.de
