Vision Expo

For years, Vision Expo operated as two distinct events — East, historically in New York, and West, historically in Las Vegas — and practices often chose one, the other, or both depending on region and budget. That structure ended with the 2026 edition: East and West merged into a single annual show. Anyone planning around memory of the old two-show system should treat this as the detail most likely to catch them off guard, since there is now one Vision Expo per year rather than two separate trips to weigh.

Independent opticians and optometrists have historically made up Vision Expo's single largest attendee group, which shapes the show's overall character — the floor, education sessions, and exhibitor mix tend to reflect independent-practice priorities rather than being built primarily around large retail chains.

Rather than settling in one city, the merged show rotates on a set schedule: Orlando for 2026, Las Vegas for 2027, and New York for 2028. That breaks the old "West is always Vegas, East is always New York" predictability — travel cost, flight availability, and hotel planning need to be revisited every year rather than assumed from the prior cycle. Exhibit-hall-only attendee passes have historically run roughly $200-400, with continuing-education packages priced and selected separately from general admission.