Through this joint initiative, Points de Vue and the IOA will help the approximately 700 000 opticians around the world to stay up to date with the latest developments in the marketplace. It will aid them providing the best eyewear equipment tailored to their clients’ needs, hand in hand with ophthalmologists and optometrists. Leveraging intersections between the different professionals in the eye care sector, the partnership between Points de Vue and the IOA is designed to build bridges between opticians, ophthalmologists and optometrists and bring them closer together.

Reaching the world
The eye care sector has gone through a global transformation and the different professions within the industry face common challenges: the myopia rate has been growing exponentially and will continue to do so in the decades ahead while consumer needs evolve continuously and rapidly, driven by technological disruption.

O. Prenat, Global Director of
professional relations at Essilor and
Chief Editor of Points de Vue

Olga Prenat, Global Director of professional relations at Essilor International and Chief Editor of Points de Vue, commented: “In the context of the profound transformation of the eye care sector, opticians, ophthalmologists and optometrists alike need to have access to the latest information and trends in their field and relevant training programs to be able to meet the different challenges successfully. As the industry’s primary digital platform, Points de Vue is distributed worldwide. Combining Points de Vue and the IOA’s reach, this exciting partnership will help us fulfil our mission to increase knowledge sharing among eye care professionals and promote educational training and professional information across disciplines."

Diverse membership
Since its inception in the early 1950s, the IOA has communicated with its members in English. Following a series of initiatives implemented in 2016, the IOA has both increased and diversified its membership base with professionals from around the world joining and becoming involved with optical colleagues in peer networks.

E.Grisdale, Dir. of Development at the IOA

Elaine Grisdale, Director of Development at the IOA, added: “ A new step in our partnership with Points de Vue will allow us to share our work and expertise with even more eye care professionals across the globe. A second step in our partnership will be to develop together an international programme for continuing education dedicated specifically to opticians. And finally we are delighted to be able to announce Essilor as a platinum sponsor for next year’s IOA Summit in Bangkok. Through this exciting partnership, the IOA is able to extend the development available to opticians at the event.” 

Contacts
Essilor
Olga Prenat
Global Director of professional relations
Chief Editor of Points de Vue, Essilor International
olga.prenat@essilor.com

IOA
Media enquiries to Antonia Chitty
+44 7538 525476
achitty@abdo.org.uk