We just got back from SILMO Paris and are still buzzing about how amazing this year’s event was. Completely living up to the theme of GENERATION SILMO, the show was a smash hit for the modern generation of show attendees.

SILMO Paris is spread across four days and held at the Parc des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte, a sprawling center of trade exhibit halls on the outskirts of the city and convenient to the Charles De Gaulle International Airport. It is very accessible via public transport (bus or train) with direct connections into central Paris and the airport. We chose to stay in the city and trek out to the event each day using the Metro and RER which took about 50 minutes in total each way and found it to be quite doable. The benefit, of course, being able to spend the evenings taking in the sights, sounds and flavors this gorgeous city.

Even though it was not my first time in Paris nor at the event itself, this time there seemed to be an immediately fresh feeling upon entering the space on the first day. Part of that could have been because of the new HALL 7 space, which is longer and not as wide as the previous one, but there was a vibration of sorts, an excitement in the air that I’ve not felt for a while at a European show. Perhaps the second year coming off the pandemic has given companies and visitors alike a little more confidence? I’m not certain but it was quite a palpable feeling nonetheless.

Being that we were there to represent Luxury Eyewear Forum in a media partnership with SILMO it makes sense that most of our time during the event was spent in the new Hall 7 where all of our favorite luxury and designer brands were resident. We were immediately awestruck by the amazing booth designs throughout the space. I cannot recall as many spectacular booths at one event ever before. It became quite exciting on the first day to just turn a corner and be wowed by yet another magnificent structure.

Part of the real experience of GENERATION SILMO is always the people! The first day of finding your friends tucked away in their booths or wandering the show floor, sitting down for a bite to eat with old colleagues, or bumping into people you haven’t seen in years. All of these unique experiences are what make big events like SILMO work on many different levels. In 2023 the organizers can be very proud of their achievements in this regard. From the wonderful “silent” spaces, to the outside food trucks, the unique food options indoors, and the overall vibe I mentioned earlier - this event was exceptionally pleasing to attend.

Part of our mission in getting around to all the of the wonderful design houses was to talk with vendors about their new collections and their overall feelings in regard to the event itself. Everyone we spoke with was very pleased with the overall attendance and more importantly, with the reactions they were getting to their new products and designs. We saw so many new collections and spoke with some exciting new brands coming into the luxury eyewear space.

Another highlight of the SILMO Paris event was the annual SILMO d’Or Awards which we attended on Saturday night. These 30th Anniversary awards were chaired by Nicolas Fafiotte - a graduate of the ESMOD School of Fashion Design, He trained in Paris before moving to Lyon where he opened his design workshop offering bespoke wedding gowns and evening dresses. Fafiotte is from Oyonnax, in the Ain region, which also happens to be a central hub of the French eyewear industry.

This year the event was held at Les Folles Gruss, a famous circus on the outskirts of the city featuring equestrian, aerial, and acrobatic elements including fire breathing, a live band and singers. The place was packed and the many winners and nominees were extremely excited by the festivities. There was great food and it was also another great opportunity to catchup and meet colleagues in the industry while enjoying another uniquely Paris experience.

I would be surprised if on Sunday that SILMO didn’t break some attendance records for the event. There were people everywhere on the floor all day long. We arrived in the morning and couldn’t believe the attendance for that time of day. Many of the big booths were already completely swamped with customers. This augers well for eyewear events in general across the globe after a challenging few years in the eyewear market post pandemic.

As part of the Press Corp at the event we were very well taken care of with tickets to the Silmo d’Or as well as access to a separate Press Lounge where we could decompress from the show floor, grab some refreshments and also meet with other contacts in the industry. The facilities were fantastic with good internet access and seating as well as workstations where you could sit and begin putting together your stories about the event. For us it was a great place for us to edit our videos and put together our updates each day to post to all our social channels “live” from the event.

SILMO Paris is undoubtedly an outstanding event on the eyewear calendar. For our readers who have yet to experience a show in Paris, I would say that you need to add it to your bucket list sooner rather than later. First of all, it’s Paris! You can’t really go wrong there. Secondly SILMO was extremely well organized, easy to manage day to day, not difficult to get to in terms of transport, and most of all it’s really fun!

I would also highly recommend making an extended trip for it so you can also experience this wonderful city and all it has to offer. So many times I have worked at this show and not really stepped away afterwards to enjoy Paris. That’s a huge mistake that I’m often told other industry types make as well. So put down those bags and glasses and enjoy yourselves!

See you back again in 2024!!

* Louis Fullagar is an optician and editor/creator of Luxury Eyewear Forum and owner of Spexaddict a media/marketing agency in the optical industry.

Check out more from the event at silmoparis.com