Vision Council of America

Vision Council of America

Vision Council of America (VCA) is a nonprofit trade association 501(c)(6) that aims to create awareness of the value and importance of vision care and to grow the eyewear and vision care market. VCA accomplishes this through education, forums and expositions, industry statistics and data, technical standards, marketing/public relations and advocacy.

Education: Through education and training, VCA provides a valuable service to help optical manufacturers build a more effective sales force. Our dynamic spokespeople, all with optical experience, provide training on a variety of topics, customized to meet individual companies’ needs.

Forums and Expositions: VCA, in partnership with AE&S, sponsors and produces two the most important optical events in the Unites States - International Vision Expo East and International Vision Expo West. Bringing together industry professionals and experts to meet with exhibitors from all over the world, each show delivers four days of outstanding education and a three-day exhibition of the best products and services the industry has to offer.

Industry Data: VCA is committed to bring its members, and the market as a whole, the best and most reliable optical industry information possible. VCA produces and distributes several reports throughout the year, including VisionWatch (in partnership with Jobson Publishing), Consumer Barometer, Benchmarking Study, Ophthalmic Retail Study and others.

Technical Standards: Working with U.S. and international organizations and agencies, VCA and its members lead the way in developing and refining optical standards. These standards cover a variety of topics, including data communication, lens quality and job tray automation.

Marketing/Public Relations: VCA aims to educate consumers about the importance of vision health and eyewear fashion through two campaigns:

• Check Yearly. See Clearly.: Check Yearly. See Clearly. (www.checkyearly.com) is VCA’s nationwide public-awareness campaign to educate Americans on the importance of regular vision care for the whole family. By equipping doctors’ offices with Check Yearly. See Clearly. branded patient education materials, partnering with vision and community health groups and through ambitious media campaigns, Check Yearly. See Clearly. encourages all Americans to have regular comprehensive eye exams.
• Eyecessorize: Eyecessorize is VCA’s fashion initiative designed to enhance the overall image of eyewear. The initiative utilizes the media to position eyewear as a “must-have” accessory by focusing on the fashion and lifestyle elements of frames and lenses. Consumers can learn about eyewear trends by visiting www.eyecessorize.com.

Advocacy: In a proactive effort to represent and advance the interest of our members, VCA has taken the lead in advocating for, or against, policies that have an impact on the eyewear industry. In particular, VCA plays an active role in children’s vision care legislation, as well as regulatory and standards issues.

External Links

• VCA
• Check Yearly
• Eyecessorize