“What an opti!”, “we’re already planning our show presence for 2027”, “more ideas and impulses are generated here than during the whole rest of the year”, “an indispensable date in the industry calendar” or even: “there’s real momentum behind this” – comments like these were heard again and again over the past three days at opti. And more than that: there was a strong sense of community in the air. Once again, opti showed itself to be what it truly is: a meeting place for the community and a big family celebration of the optics industry.
Dialogue (quite literally) on eye level, new ideas for the point of sale, tangible business impulses and an industry eager for the future: opti 2026 impressively confirmed why it is firmly established as the annual kick-off for the international optics industry. Under the motto #weareopti, Munich once again became a meeting point for decision-makers, young professionals, brands, start-ups and visionaries – for long-standing companions as well as for young talent.
With 354 exhibitors (over 7% more than in 2025, which had 330 exhibitors), opti showcased the full spectrum of the optics industry – from frame design, contact lenses and spectacle lenses to equipment, IT, shopfitting and even hearing acoustics. The show provided space for product premieres, in-depth professional discussions and personal encounters – all underpinned by an open, warm and at the same time highly professional atmosphere.
opti 2026 wrap-up
- 21,972 trade visitors (2025: 21,105): an increase of more than 4%
- 4,491 international trade visitors (2025: 4,262): an increase of more than 5%
- 354 exhibitors (2025: 330 exhibitors): an increase of more than 7%
opti 2026 thus reaffirmed its role as the annual kick-off for the optics industry. With a growing international audience, high professional relevance and a noticeably positive overall mood, the show set clear markers for the new business year and documented its positive momentum and the industry’s eagerness for the future. The intensive exchange between exhibitors, trade visitors, young professionals and decision-makers once again made opti a central networking and orientation hub for the industry.
At the same time, the show proved to be a vibrant platform for innovations, new business models and practical, hands-on solutions – underpinned by a close bond between the organisers and the industry. opti brought together show, community and marketplace into a single whole, creating the framework for an industry event that effectively combined professional depth, personal encounters and international perspectives.
Voices from the opti organisers
Cathleen Kabashi, Director of opti: “opti thrives on exchange and togetherness. In 2026, we once again felt how strong our community is and how important personal encounters, inspiration and practical, hands-on content are for the industry. The atmosphere was noticeably positive, optimistic and relaxed, and that is exactly what we are looking forward to as we turn our attention to opti 2027. Particularly evident was the eagerness for the future – also driven by the massive participation, commitment and identification of the next generation with ‘their’ opti.”
Tobias Gröber, CEO and President GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH: “opti 2026 was dynamic, international and commercially relevant. It is a central meeting point for optics and hearing acoustics. In short: this opti provides a very good basis for further developing the event in a targeted way. In the coming months, we will work together with exhibitors and partners to sharpen opti’s content profile and to continuously expand both its international focus and the individual offering areas – with the aim of further increasing the added value for visitors and exhibitors.”
Highlights that struck a chord with the industry
opti SPHEARE – Hearing becomes visible
Making its debut at opti, opti SPHEARE immediately became a crowd-puller. Why? On the one hand, it was the new exhibitors from the hearing acoustics segment; on the other, the enormous practical focus of what took place on the central area: here, talks by and with owners who have successfully integrated hearing acoustics into their optical businesses were particularly convincing. In addition, interactive sessions and open discussions on positioning, customer loyalty and new services were offered. Interactive exchange formats between speakers and an engaged audience delivered tangible added value for everyday working life.
TOMORROW VISION – Play smart. Move free.
For the second time, TOMORROW VISION – the joint platform of leading contact lens manufacturers – set strong impulses, this time centred around the theme of sport. Practical, hands-on presentations and concrete application examples, in combination with the products of the contact lens providers, showed how lenses can optimally support active, sporty customers. Emotional show acts drew particular attention, including thrilling basketball dunk performances with acrobatic jumps and shots, which brought the sports focus impressively onto the floor and turned TOMORROW VISION into a true experience.
opti DESIGN STAGE – The stage for design expertise and trends
In 2026, the opti DESIGN STAGE once again impressively underlined opti’s design expertise and served as a central meeting point for trends, brands and creative design. International inspiration came, among others, from Selin Olmsted from New York with her trend forecast, as well as from the opti DESIGN TALKS, in which experts from DOZ offered 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 audience prizes – the opti FRAME STAR AWARD, opti BOX AWARD and opti VISIONARY – were presented on Sunday.
Young Talent, Careers and Entrepreneurship in Focus
In 2026, opti once again set clear priorities for young talent and young entrepreneurs – a format in which the Next Generation, as the industry’s future, was itself deeply involved, and one that is unrivalled in its breadth and depth. Here is a selection of the activities on offer:
- opti MY OWN BUSINESS – supported by DOZ:Consulting services for aspiring entrepreneurs
- opti NEXT GEN TOURS:Guided tours on Saturday and Sunday
- opti NEXT GENERATION HUB:The hotspot for young industry talent with a packed programme, including opti COMPANY CONNECT and opti CAMPUS CONNECT
Winners of the opti AWARDS
- opti FRAME STAR AWARD
Breitfeld und Schliekert with „JustMILO Model JMM3“
b-s.de - opti BOX AWARD
Manti Manti
mantimanti.de - opti VISIONARY AWARD
pickz ai
pickz-ai.com
Save the Date
The next opti will take place in Munich from 29 to 31 January 2027.
Further information will be available at www.opti.de/en
