opti 2026: Eager for the future

München, 19 January 2026 – “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“
  www.b-s.de
• opti BOX AWARD
  Manti Manti
  www.mantimanti.de
• opti VISIONARY AWARD
  pickz ai
  www.pickz-ai.com

Voices on opti 2026

Mirjam Rösch, Chair of Consumer Optics at the SPECTARIS Industry Association: “What an opti! Germany’s SME sector, in all its breadth, is currently grappling with so many challenges. And then, at the start of the year, such an optics show that truly moves the industry comes to Munich. The flow of people through the aisles and the heartfelt conversations were a real joy. We remain a strong community that can provide people with the very best vision care. opti has such great innovative power, quality and depth. That certainly gives us as an industry and exhibitors – and the sector as a whole – a huge boost! Many thanks, dear optics world!”

Christian Müller, President of the Central Association of Opticians and Optometrists (ZVA): “opti 2026 once again demonstrated how important personal exchange at the start of the year is for our industry. Despite challenging economic conditions, German optics is presenting itself as stable – topics such as high-quality, comprehensive eye care, continuing education and self-employment, as well as healthcare services, were at the heart of many conversations. The very good visitor turnout and the positive atmosphere, including at the opti Café powered by ZVA, underline the importance of opti as the central meeting point for the industry.”

Lars Düngel, M.Sc. Augenoptik / Optometrie and owner Schönhelden, Berlin: “For us, it was especially important to actually handle and try out products ourselves before making a new purchase. That way, we were able to form an honest impression of the different suppliers very quickly. We were particularly enthusiastic about the new designs from our favourite brands and the tangible determination across the industry to keep improving good products. The personal exchange with colleagues brings an incredible amount of value – in a single weekend, more ideas and impulses are often generated here than during the whole rest of the year.”

Anna-Magdalena Reichow, Master Optician and owner Die Optrie, Regensburg; member of ZVA Innovationskreis: “I had the opportunity on Friday to give an interview at the opti NEXT GENERATION HUB as a best-practice example on the topic of founding a business and to share some inspiration. I was very touched when, even the next day, people came up to me and told me how inspiring they found my story. Finding lots of great slim frames is one of my highlights, helping to make my customers in Regensburg even more stylish and beautiful! opti is indispensable – above all, seeing other opticians live and in person, whom I otherwise only know from Instagram.”

Sabine Siegmund, owner Siegmund Augenoptik & Hörakustik, Pattensen: “Visiting opti 2026 was particularly valuable for me because of the intensive personal exchange. The focus was on the future of optics and hearing acoustics, as well as modern leadership, clear communication and sustainable customer relevance. That is exactly why opti is an indispensable date in my industry calendar: it provides orientation, highlights developments – and makes it clear that the future is created where mindset meets action.”

Julia Marschallek, Master Optician and Master Hearing Care Professional, Munich: “For me, opti was a real experience: superbly organised, very informative and completely open. I made some great contacts and found the atmosphere in the community really, really good. Particularly nice: I also ran into many people who hadn’t been there for a long time – just like me. The format definitely draws people in.”

Hans-Peter Platten, Master Optician, Owner Platten Optik Akustik, Kastellaun: “Congratulations – opti has rarely been as innovative, young and fresh as it is now. It is truly exceptionally beautiful. The moment you enter opti, you can immediately sense that the stands have reached a whole new level of quality. I thought the layout was fantastic, and what is clearly noticeable everywhere is that the younger generation is now on board. That gives the entire opti enormous momentum and makes it even more exciting and interesting. There is real energy behind this – and that’s exactly what I find simply great!”

Klaus Dietrich, Country Manager Germany Austria Switzerland, Thélios: „Wir sind überwältigt von der Resonanz auf unsere Präsenz auf der opti 2026. Die Begeisterung über die Rückkehr der TAG Heuer Eyewear Kollektion war enorm und hat unsere Erwartungen deutlich übertroffen. Mit Vuarnet und Barton Perreira konnten wir zahlreiche Fachbesucher von der herausragenden Qualität und Wertigkeit überzeugen. Die intensiven Gespräche sowie das durchweg positive Feedback aus dem Fachhandel bestärken uns darin, unseren eingeschlagenen Weg konsequent weiterzugehen. Aufgrund des großen Erfolgs planen wir bereits jetzt fest mit einer Wiederholung unseres Messeauftritts auf der opti 2027.“

Janine Otto, Board Member, MediTrend: “We are absolutely delighted with our first appearance at opti. The show was worthwhile for MediTrend in every respect – especially thanks to the many high-quality conversations at opti SPHERE. As a purchasing association in hearing acoustics, our focus was on networking, as well as on connecting hearing acoustics more closely with optics and recruiting new members. We are taking away many impulses, above all to deepen the networking concept even further – and we are already looking forward to taking part in opti 2027.”

Yash Luthra, CEO, pickz.ai: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won the opti VISIONARY AWARD. Being voted the most exciting start-up at the show by opti visitors confirms that we are exactly on the right track with our AI-powered tools in the in-store workflow – they were also our personal highlight at opti 2026. The high concentration of real decision-makers impressed us just as much as the show’s clear message: technology offers genuine solution potential, and the market is ready for tangible digital processes in-store. Our takeaway: the hybrid experience is gaining ground. Customers expect high-tech without giving up the emotional on-site experience. For us, this means a clear focus in 2026 on scalable digital services and personalised customer journeys.”

Philippa Koenig, Managing Director Manti Manti: “At opti 2026, we opened up a new product segment with our first baby glasses. The focus was on the question of what requirements baby glasses must meet in order to live up to our quality standards. For us, opti is a central platform for exchanging ideas with existing customers from the DACH region. The familiar conversations and honest feedback confirm that we are on the right path – as does winning the opti BOX AWARD. At the same time, the show remains an important barometer of sentiment for our core business, characterised by a strong sense of industry community and many recommendations.”

Dr. Ole Roßbach, Head of Marketing & Professional Affairs Germany Austria Switzerland, CooperVision: “At opti 2026, our focus was on the launch of the new MyDay® MiSight® 1 day daily disposable contact lens, which generated great interest in the market. As early as the first day of the show, the exceptionally high quality of conversations proved convincing and led to tangible business successes. The intensive exchange confirmed our strategic course in myopia management and provided valuable impulses for the further development of our activities in 2026.”

Dr. Peter Braunhofer, Chairman of the Board Eschenbach Optik GmbH: “For Eschenbach, the focus at opti 2026 was on the introduction of new brands. With O’Neill, Superdry, Tom Tailor and OPTARO XL, the company set targeted impulses for the further development of its portfolio and for acquiring new customers. The conversations at the show took place at a very high professional level and offered a relevant exchange with market peers. As key takeaways for 2026, Eschenbach is taking away in particular new customer contacts, the launch of the new brands and a central revenue driver for the first quarter.”

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