Silmo Paris 2025 Sees 6.5 Percent Increase in Visitors, Spotlights Design, Technology and Education

Silmo Paris 2025 welcomed 33,358 professionals. Image courtesy of Silmo Paris

PARIS—Following the conclusion of Silmo Paris 2025, which took place from September 26 through 29, show organizers announced that this year’s event welcomed 33,358 professionals over the course of the three days. This marks a net increase of 6.5 percent in visitors, according to show organizers. In addition, 52 percent of attendees were international, and 48 percent were French. More than 900 companies showcased at Silmo Paris 2025, which took up 75,000 square meters of exhibition space.

Exhibition highlights included the Silmo Next Futurology and Village Tech areas, where artificial intelligence (AI) served as a central theme. Visitors to these areas explored how AI is transforming the entire optical sector, including eyewear, automated examinations, virtual reality, intelligent store management and more.

In partnership with Hyssop, a French CSR consulting firm, Silmo Paris 2025 introduced a new area dedicated to CSR initiatives. This space showcased start-up pitches, exhibitions of eco-conscious materials and conferences and workshops led by sustainability experts. The CSR space also hosted the Committed Company Award, created by Silmo Paris in collaboration with Hyssop to recognize companies with ambitious and concrete CSR strategies, show organizers said. Friendly Frenchy was named the 2025 winner.

	The Silmo Next and Futurology area showcased how technology is changing the optical industry. Image courtesy of Silmo Paris

At the Silmo Talks and Silmo Academy stage, researchers, experts and professionals hosted forward-looking conferences. As part of the Silmo Academy program, a €10,000 grant was awarded to Andronikos Chrysanthopoulos for his research project: “Accommodation Function in a Healthy Caucasian Population Aged 18–28 Years,” show organizers said.

Silmo Paris 2025 also included design and trend-focused spaces. In the Trends Form, visitors experienced a curated selection of optical and sun frames from exhibitors’ collections illustrating the themes shaping contemporary eyewear. As explained by Silmo organizers, these themes included:

• The return of reinvented icons
• The quest for lightness and serenity
• A charismatic and assertive allure
• The energy of exploratory graphics

The winners of the 2025 Silmo d’Or Awards. Image courtesy of Silmo Paris

With its Moi Aussi space, Silmo Paris invited 90 artists to reinvent eyewear using unconventional supports, repurposed materials or reimagined functions. The Moi Aussi exhibition was conceived of and supported by Etnia Barcelona.

A heritage-focused exhibition was also present on the show floor, displaying a curated collection of two centuries of eyewear evolution in the French cities of Oyonnax and Morez.

Finally, designer Olivier Lapidus chaired the 32nd edition of the Silmo d’Or Awards, which once again celebrated creativity and innovation in the eyewear industry. The evening awards gala also included the International Optician of the Year, announced by the International Opticians’ Association (IOA). For 2025, Blair Wong, a licensed optician, master in ophthalmic optics with an MA in education, was honored as the International Optician of the Year. See the full list of Silmo d’Or winners as part of VMAIL’s reporting from Paris here.

In a release, Silmo show organizers said of the 2025 edition, “Each year, Silmo Paris establishes itself as the vibrant stage for the future of optics… More than just a meeting point, Silmo Paris confirmed its role as a catalyst for opportunities, where creative visions, cutting-edge technologies and lasting synergies converge to drive the industry forward.”

Silmo Paris 2026 is scheduled for September 25 through 28, 2026, at Paris Nord Villepinte. Silmo Istanbul will take place from November 19 to 22, 2025, at the Istanbul Expo Center/ Yeşilköy. Registration is open now.