MIDO Eyewear Show 2008 in Milan

While on vacation in Italy I was blessed with the chance to go to Milan and check out the MIDO show, which is basically the world’s largest trade show for glasses, sunglasses, lenses and optical equipment. Being in Milan, I was underdressed to the point of embarrassment, but I hid behind a large pair of sunglasses (like everyone else) and everything went smoothly.

The show was quite a way out of the city and getting there was no picnic as there happened to be a strike happening at the local transportation union. After fumbling through a conversation with a local about how to get there, I took a bus most of the way, then got in a cab. The cab drivers’ English was about as good as my Italian, which is completely non-existent. I told him where I wanted to go, which went smoothly (I had it written down in Italian on a pizza-stained napkin, seriously), but asking about the price was a problem. He had no idea what I was talking about. I asked again, no luck. Five minutes later after he was finished yelling at me, we were off. Take a look at the exhibition hall, it’s massive.

All of the major brands were on hand and anything you wanted was available but, sadly, nothing was for sale. This actually was probably a good thing for me and my wallet, as the cab driver drained me. I discovered many brands that I had not heard of before, and checked up with some more popular brands to see their latest models. There were some really nice looking booths and models, and I’ll do a post on the best of the show later on.

I already miss Italy and am thinking about ways to move there. Any thoughts?