The Bridge at Vision Expo East: full schedule

After a two-year hiatus, The Bridge —the main stage destination at this year’s Vision Expo East (VEE)—will serve as a destination to get inspired, learn, and connect with peers.

The Vision Council and RX, co-organizers of VEE, promise an exciting line-up of speakers and panelists during the 2022 event.

From eyewear fashion trends to the vision industry’s place in the metaverse and how to improve access to eyecare in underdeserved communities, The Bridge will have a broad range of offerings, according to Mitch Barkely, Vice President of Trade Shows and Events at The Vision Council, in a news release.

Starting Friday, April 1, at 9:45 am, the Bridge will feature 3 days of panels and presentations. Included in the line-up is the EYE2EYE Series, an educational series of panels and discussions, with a fashion trends presentation by Eyecare Business, followed by a panel exploring the meta verse, Web 3.0 and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and how eyecare, eyewear, and optical are well-positioned to be a part of these trends.

At 5 pm, 20/20 Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Spina will moderate a panel titled “Onward to Independence,” spotlighting independent designers.

Following the panel, the winner of the OPTImum Retail Award, which celebrates independent boutique retailers, will be announced during a champagne reception.

The 2022 award finalists include: Black Optical (Dallas, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Tulsa, OK; St. Louis, MO); Eyes on Sheppard (North York, Ontario); Ocean Optometry (Halifax, Nova Scotia); and OPTYX New York (New York, NY).

Also on Friday, the National Optometric Association (NOA) will host a panel on improving social determinants and access to eyecare in underserved minority communities.

On Saturday, April 2, Vision Expo East’s EYE2EYE Series continues at 10 am with a panel on cryptocurrency and the metaverse.

Also on Saturday, the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS) College Bowl, supported by EssilorLuxottica, will kick off from 12:30-1:30 pm. The event, a fast-paced quiz competition, will feature students representing NFOS member opticianry schools competing to test their optical knowledge.

At 2 pm, EYE2EYE Series will continue with “The Next Generation of Eyewear Panel,” featuring up-and-coming ‘opti-entreprenuers.’ Later, at 4 pm, fashion innovator and author Dapper Dan will share his story with moderator Lilliana Vazquez, host of “E! News” and “Pop of the Morning” with a Q & A directly after.

The Bridge will also feature the Innovation Stage, the show floor destination dedicated to groundbreaking content and state-of-the-art products and services revolutionizing the industry. The Innovation Stage Series will include presentations from RVL, EssilorLuxottica, Bausch + Lomb and Perfect Corp.

For a full itinerary, see below.

Friday, April 1

9:45–10:15 am

EYE2EYE Series: Eyecare Business Trends Presentation

10:30–11 am

EYE2EYE Series: Why the Metaverse Was Made for The Vision Industry

11:15–11:45 am

Innovation Stage: My Clinical Experience with Upneeq: Diagnosis Ptosis, presented by RVL Pharmaceuticals

12–12:30 pm

Innovation Stage: EssilorLuxottica Crizal(R) No-Glare Lenses - Mastering Innovation

12:45–1:45 pm

Innovation Stage: EssilorLuxottica Keynote Lunch: Welcoming Patients to Presbyopia (ABO Course)

2–2:30 pm

Innovation Stage: Bausch + Lomb: The Latest AREDS2 10 Year Follow-on Study Results

3–3:45 pm

Innovation Stage: EssilorLuxottica Leonardo: Science for a New Vision

4–4:30 pm

NOA Presents: The Importance of Eye Health and Improving the Social determinants and Access in Underserved Minority Communities

5–5:45 pm

EYE2EYE Series: Onward to Independence Panel

5:45–6 pm

OPTImum Retail Award Champagne Reception

Saturday, April 2

10–10:30 am

EYE2EYE Series: Cryptocurrency and The Metaverse and How It Is Changing The Future

10:45–11:15 am

Innovation Stage: Coming Into Focus: AI + AR Revolution for Eyewear, presented by Perfect Corp.

12:30–1:30 pm

NFOS College Bowl, powered by EssilorLuxottica

2–3 pm

EYE2EYE Series: The Next Generation of Eyewear Panel

4–5 pm

EYE2EYE Series: A Conversation with Dapper Dan, Fashion Innovator and Author