ODMA Announces the Next O-SHOW Will Be Held in Melbourne!
The next O-SHOW, the boutique event known for bringing together the best in optical products and services for Australian and New Zealand practices, has been officially announced. This unique trade fair, celebrated for helping optical professionals discover both timeless classics and the latest trends in eyewear, equipment, accessories and services, will take place in Melbourne. The event will also include a “Mastery Program” focused on helping practices grow their business.
The 2026 event will run on Sunday 16 and Monday 17 August at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
O-SHOW is owned by the Australian optical industry and developed by the industry, for the industry. Following two highly successful Sydney editions in 2022 and 2024 where venues reached full capacity, the move to Melbourne marks a welcome return of a major trade fair to Victoria. ODMA’s last large-scale event involvement in the state was O=MEGA23.
ODMA CEO Amanda Trotman said, “The decision now seems obvious, but it took considerable planning and reflection to ensure we did what’s right for the industry.”
She explained that the move reflects ODMA’s understanding of the significant investment suppliers and distributors make to participate in live events. “The 2026 approach continues a deliberate approach – offering a more boutique show in the year that buying groups are often running their major biennial conference, however one that still offers strong exposure and access to a broad audience whilst offering great options for smaller and non-custom build stands,” she said.
The chosen venue in Melbourne offers more space than the prior Sydney venue, being the Hordern Pavilion, and is familiar to exhibitors and visitors alike. Alternating between Sydney and Melbourne ensures accessibility for attendees nationwide, while retaining the scale needed to deliver value for all involved.
“The move to August from May was also made with the industry in mind,” Amanda added. “Suppliers face increasing cost pressures, from tariffs to freight and wages. Anything we can do to support them, helps them support practices who are also navigating rising operational costs. ODMA’s end goal is a strong supplier base as that means a strong independent practice segment, with access to the products and tools they need to grow and diversify. The new August timing allows more new-release products to be available, particularly as some launches align with SILMO Paris. It also avoids the busy end-of-financial-year period and gives suppliers the option to allocate budget across two financial years if needed.
Holding the event on a Sunday and Monday gives practices the flexibility to attend on either a weekend or weekday. For those not open seven days, it also gives team members the chance to participate on their day off”.
The 2026 Event will also feature a new offering, an ODMA Mastery Event. Amanda explained that this concept is still being finalised as to if it will be one or multiple days, however it will be a program full of practical sessions. Amanda stated that ODMA will take a major optical industry topic, and then, considering the research on the topic, the ODMA program will consider what this means for practices as far as leveraging that for business growth and implementable initiatives. Amanda commented that, “the Mastery Series will be all about Evidence, Application, Growth and will run when and where we see the demand for it”.
The 2026 plan is to run a Myopia Mastery Event – from Evidence to Implementation program, alongside O-SHOW26. This will help practices transform Clinical Science to Business Strategy, supporting practices to consider all the factors that could be applied that relate to this topic to better serve todays and future optical clients whilst differentiating their businesses and improving profitability and growth opportunities. ODMA looks forward to announcing more specific details on this program in the months to come.
“Past O-SHOWs have always had a real buzz on the floor, with people coming together and doing business in a vibrant setting,” said ODMA Board Chair Craig Chick. “We’re excited to bring that same energy to Melbourne – and we hope to see whole practice teams getting involved to explore new ways of growing their businesses.”
Save the date O-SHOW26 Melbourne 16-17 August 2026.
events@odma.com.au
Footnote:
O-SHOW is a wholly owned and run ODMA event, developed by the industry, for the industry. The event exists to support both suppliers as well as practices. The event is commercial by nature, encouraging practices and suppliers to come together to do business and explore ways to help independent practices grow.
