Singapore's Suntec City Exhibition and Convention Centre will host Silmo

The latest addition to the Silmo fair family, Silmo Singapore will launch in 2023.

Covid has fuelled the need for more local events as people travel less and prefer to stay closer to home, said Silmo director Eric Lenoir. Silmo Paris will remain the large, international fair for Europe and the world’s international distributors, while Silmo Singapore is aimed more at individual practice owners, opticians and optometrists based within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, including New Zealand and Australia.

Silmo director Eric Lenoir

Silmo has always wanted a presence in this region, said Lenoir, and learning from its less than successful forays into Sydney and Bangkok, Singapore offers the best potential for success and growth as it should appeal to a wide range of visitors. It’s also home to the Asian headquarters of many overseas companies and, given China’s grip on Hong Kong, the once-strong Hong Kong optical fair has become a far less attractive proposition of late.

Just as Silmo Istanbul has become a Middle East hub, Silmo Singapore has the potential to do the same for the Asia Pacific, said Lenoir. “We are human beings; we need to talk, touch and feel. In terms of shows and events, this is the best way to do business.”

A joint venture between Silmo and events company MP Singapore, Silmo Singapore expects more than 250 brands to exhibit at the Suntec City Exhibition and Convention Centre from 12-14 April 2023. “The move signals Silmo’s continued support for the growth of the optics and eyewear industry in Southeast Asia,” organisers said in a joint statement. “Silmo Singapore will showcase the top global brands and content of Silmo Paris, as well as major optics and eyewear brands from across Southeast Asia. It will also feature curated content and platforms for networking and knowledge exchange between industry leaders, with a particular focus on regional trends and interests.”

“Given the tremendous success of Silmo Paris and our strong collaborators for this project, we are confident Silmo Singapore will grow into a premier platform for international and regional buyers to discover the best designs, collections and technologies in the eyewear industry,” said Poh Chi Chuan, Singapore Tourism Board’s executive director of exhibitions and conferences. “The inking of our three-year MOU (memorandum of understanding) to host the event in Singapore from 2023 demonstrates the continued confidence in Singapore’s role as a leading business events capital and a launchpad for expansion in Asia.”