The Switch Your Store expo demonstrated how tomorrows optical store can elevate both patient outcomes and business performance

EssilorLuxottica’s Switch Monaco event brought together more than 1,200 eyecare professionals (ECPs) from across the globe, including Australia and New Zealand, to explore how vision care is being transformed – and why ECPs should lead from the front.

Hunter Hill from Central Otago Optical, one of two invited New Zealand partners, said the event was impressive. “A standout for me was seeing some of the prototype eyewear in development with a focus on the way AI [-enabled] frames can become a handsfree interface between us and our phones, as well as monitoring various health signals. It was extremely motivating with regard to the future of optics.

“The Australia and NZ group we were a part of were all amazing people, in particular the EssilorLuxottica crew, who did a wonderful job organising the travel logistics and activities!” Hill said.

At a time of rapid technological advancement and evolving patient expectations, the Switch events in Monaco and Orlando explored three current shifts reshaping the industry: the eye as a window to overall health, glasses becoming an intelligent interface to life and healthcare systems needing a stronger frontline that’s closer to patients.

Understanding the eye as a window to overall health and a direct bridge to the brain positions the eye as a critical access point for proactive healthcare. This transforms routine eye exams into meaningful health-insight moments and expands the impact ECPs can have on patients’ lives, EssilorLuxottica said.

Furthermore, with healthcare systems under increasing pressure, ECPs are uniquely positioned to play an even greater role: enabling earlier detection, guiding patients through their health journey and contributing to more proactive, connected care pathways, it said.

“In this context, the event underlined ECPs’ deep and lasting relationships with patients, offering not only products, but ongoing value through expertise, trust and personalised solutions.”

Michele Ginocchietti, head of EssilorLuxottica ANZ said: “Our industry is on the edge of a profound transformation… By adapting cutting-edge technological solutions to meet modern day-to-day needs, we aim to drive innovation in the eyecare industry in ANZ. Our partners won’t just benefit from the change, they will be active players as, together, we drive to support market growth.”