Sağlam SILMO Istanbul | The Optical Journal

Once again I had the honor and the pleasure of boarding an airplane bound for Istanbul, Türkiye for the 11^th Edition of SILMO Istanbul. Once again I packed my suitcase for the long journey from the foot of the Rocky Mountains to the Bosporus Straight that separates the city of 15 million, one side in Europe and the other in Asia.

Both sides of Istanbul and thousands of international visitors from over 90 nations flocked to the Istanbul Expo Center, November 20^th-23^rd this year. The familiar yellow banners that are SILMO made for a warm welcome each morning and guided visitors to the show floor or the SILMO Academy of classes.

SILMO Istanbul was bustling again this year with over 850 exhibitors and brands from around the world. There was, of course, a good representation of American, European, and Chinese brands there as well as a very vibrant Turkish eyewear manufacturing sector. It was reported that more than 12,000 visitors walked through the doors of SILMO Istanbul over the four days, putting this show on par with attendance from recent Vision Expos in the U.S. Of those visitors, 80% were from Turkiye, and the remaining 20% from some 87 different countries.

We often read in the optical forums about a handful of companies taking over the eyewear marketplace. A trip to even a regional show like SILMO Istanbul will quiet even the most skeptical of merger critics with the parade of independent eyewear brands showing remarkable and innovative designs.

I continue to express just how big a trade show like SILMO Paris of MIDO in Milan is, even compared to what we here in North America think of the mammoth Vision Expo shows we all know so well. While SILMO Istanbul is nowhere near the size of those two European giants, it does take up over 25,000 sq meters (270,000 sq feet) of space and many of the booth areas are breathtakingly beautiful.

While this year’s edition missed the huge wrapped video screens and holographic displays that stood out so strongly last year, there was no dearth of creativity in the stands at this year’s show. It is truly a shame that the U.S. shows lack this creative chord and choose to continually showcase a very “vanilla” theme at each show.

While American voters expressed frustration over the rate of inflation last month at the polls, the U.S. inflation rate of 2.6% in the last 12 months pales to the over 40% inflation rate that Turkiye has seen over the same period. Yet, buyers were out in force looking at and purchasing eyewear for their shops. Yes, many of the booths showed inexpensive metal frames or TR90 thermoplastics, but there were plenty of buyers looking at and purchasing nice acetates, recycled stainless steel, recycled marine plastic, wood, and horn eyeglasses and sunglasses. There is also quite a local lens manufacturing segment in Turkiye.

Many of the booths have English speakers, but luckily for me, one of my favorite people in optical, eyewear designer, Selin Olmsted, was making several presentations at SILMO Istanbul. It may have been her first SILMO Istanbul, but this was the city in which she was born and raised. During her free time, she and I walked around and spoke with eyewear designers, sales managers, and CEO’s. Well, she did much of the talking, because they talked Turkish. However, she was an amazing translator and made sure to include me in all the conversations.

Don’t for a moment think that Turkish was the only language spoken at SILMO Istanbul. I heard plenty of English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic too. I’m quite sure there were plenty of other languages spoken there I just missed as well.

The highlight of SILMO Istanbul was once again the SILMO Istanbul Awards. Held on Thursday night, November 21^st at the Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy, it was once again a first-class event with a wonderful dinner and an awards ceremony featuring awards in 8 categories.  The winners this year were:

Of course, there was more than a great optical trade fair to see in my trip to SILMO Istanbul. I stayed in another part of Istanbul this year than last, Fatih, very near the Tokapi Metro station where I conveniently took the train each morning to and from the show. I walked past the Byzantine Walls that stand as a reminder of the reminder of just how old Istanbul is. These walls, now part of the greater Walls of Constantinople, date back as early as 479 BCE.

Istanbul is a great city that is as varied in culture as it is old. It is a modern city and an ancient city. It has remarkable beauty and remarkable culture. It has massive wealth and massive poverty. It has remarkable high-rises and shopping as well as ancient monuments. Its culture is a blend of modern and ancient as well, You will find the most chic fashions living side by side with religious conservatism.

After 3 full days of SILMO Istanbul, I headed southwest to Athens, a city I love, to catch the opening day of CircumEye 2024, the Greek optical trade fair held at Zappeion Megaron a mere mile (1.5 km) from the infamous Parthenon of Ancient Greece. This small show is wonderfully done and the halls were packed with buyers and optical companies once again. CircumEye has made great strides in its 6 years and is on my list for being one of the best small optical trade shows in the world.

SILMO Istanbul wonderfully reflects the diversity of this great city. This year’s event was truly a solid (sağlam) show. I look forward to seeing the 12^th edition next year. I hope you will join The Optical Journal at SILMO Istanbul 2025, November 19th-22^nd.