Internationalisation

The internationalisation activity is one of the fundamental and most appreciated services that ANFAO offers its members.

Every year, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and ICE, a promotional programme is studied and guaranteed, based on the participation of collectives at trade fairs and on operational missions and workshops in the markets deemed most interesting.

Below are the activities for the eyewear sector (approved and under consideration) 2023-2024:

• ROADSHOW USA, East Coast (Chicago+Seattle), 10-12 October:  Italian companies will be able to meet not only US but also Canadian buyers, thanks to an additional incoming activity by ICE. The initiative is part of a much larger project (IEP Canada).

• HONG KONG Optical 2023, 8-10 November: it will finally be possible to return to the event using the spaces within the collective dedicated to Italy. Four years after the last edition, HKOF is hosting Italian SMEs that will be able to meet buyers from HK, China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, ...

• INTERNATIONAL EYEWEAR EXHIBITION PANAMA (IEE), 30 November-1 December: during the workshop it will be possible to present the collections to buyers from Central and South America.

• VEE 2024 (New York), 15-17 March 2024: thanks to ICE we were able to confirm an Italian collective at the next edition of VEE. The US market is fundamental for our sector and we are very happy to try this route again to meet American buyers. We are also working on collateral initiatives (such as matchmaking events and promotional campaigns) to give even greater impetus to participation in the fair.
• IEP, Italian Eyewear Promotion, GDO Canada: promotional plan in the Canadian market with the objective of consolidating and increasing the presence of Italian eyewear companies. Specifically, the following activities are proposed: education to the Canadian consumer, training for Canadian sales personnel; updated mapping of operators; trade mission to Canada; MIDO incoming and roadshow in the Canadian territory (see stops in Chicago and Seattle); promotion at retailers; definition of a media plan to consolidate the Made in Italy image.
  
• Incoming: MIDO 2024 3-4-5 February.
• MIDO 2024: on 2 February there will be a preview event (International Eyewear Exhibition - IEE Milan) where Italian companies will be able to preview their collections to the entire foreign delegation. MIDO will then take place from 3 to 5 February at Fiera Milano Rho and operators will be able to continue their discovery of new Italian brands.
  
  

Below are the multi-sectoral activities also aimed at the eyewear sector (approved and under study) 2023-2024:

• 8 - 10 July 2023, CABANA Miami Beach - Pop Up Italia:  it is the most important trade show in the beachwear and resortwear sector and Pop Up Italia makes its debut this year, including eyewear. It connects top brands with retailers in Miami and New York.

• July 2024, MODA ITALIA, Tokyo: given the lack of requirements for ICE to organise a collective at IOFT, the eyewear fair in Tokyo, ICE is proposing a section dedicated to eyewear during MODA ITALIA, an event that has long supported Italian exports. The idea is to propose a collective at this event, together with other Made in Italy sectors such as clothing, furs, footwear, bags and fashion accessories.
  

• November 2024, MODA ITALIANA@DUBAI: b2b supply chain hub event, dedicated to all Italian fashion sectors (clothing, accessories, footwear, leather goods and eyewear). Focused on retail distribution in the Middle East region (also open to African and South Asian markets), the event must be enhanced by a context that can also intercept media and KOL and open to image content through which to communicate the excellence of Italian production to the market and its values as drivers of sustainable growth. We have proposed dates close to HKOF 2024 to facilitate logistics.