opti
opti is an international annual trade show for optics and design held at Messe München, organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. It connects 354 exhibitors and over 21,000 trade visitors across four halls, serving eyewear manufacturers, lens producers, hearing acoustics businesses, and optical retailers via booth sales, the opti CONNECT digital platform, and GHM LEADS.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What opti does
opti is an international annual trade show for optics and design, organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH at Messe München. Founded in 1998 and held for over 25 years, opti positions itself as the annual season opener ('Jahresauftakt') for the optical industry, gathering 354 exhibitors across four halls (C1–C4) and attracting over 21,000 trade visitors per edition. The 2027 edition is scheduled for January 29–31, 2027, with dedicated hubs including opti SPHEARE (hearing acoustics), opti VISIONARY (optics startups), opti NEW SELECTION (design startups), and the opti FRAME STAR design award.
The underlying technology stack is built around three proprietary platforms: opti CONNECT, a year-round digital community platform with exhibitor profiles, personalized newsfeed, and topic-based following; the GHM Exhibitor Portal, a self-service system for booth booking, ticket personalization, and document management; and GHM LEADS, a QR-code-based mobile lead-capture app (iOS/Android) with real-time dashboards and CSV export to CRM. International reach is supported by GHM's network of foreign representation offices across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time booth/stand sales (ALL-in packages of 12–16 m² plus startup packages of 6–12 m²), with usage-based revenue from GHM LEADS add-ons (149 EUR per additional user license). opti CONNECT operates on a freemium model with free visitor accounts and paid exhibitor digital presence. Customer segments include enterprise eyewear manufacturers and lens producers (EssilorLuxottica, HOYA, Rodenstock, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Seiko Optical), mid-market brands (Ace & Tate), hearing acoustics businesses, and optical retail/eye-care professionals. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed; opti is privately held within GHM with no external venture or private equity investment identified.
opti firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- opti
- Legal name
- GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH
- Website
- https://opti.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- opti is an international annual trade show for optics and design held at Messe München, organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. It connects 354 exhibitors and over 21,000 trade visitors across four halls, serving eyewear manufacturers, lens producers, hearing acoustics businesses, and optical retailers via booth sales, the opti CONNECT digital platform, and GHM LEADS.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
opti industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show and Exhibition Services for the Optics Industry
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (456130)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA)
Keywords
Where opti is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
opti business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Exhibitor Booth/Stand Fees: opti generates primary revenue from exhibitors who pay for booth space at the trade show. Multiple booth sizes and packages are available including standard stands (12-16 m²), opti SPHEARE hub spaces (16 m²), opti VISIONARY for startups (6 m²), and opti NEW SELECTION for design startups (12 m²). Additional services include lead tracking packages and exhibitor ticketing.
- Digital Platform Services: opti CONNECT platform provides free basic membership for visitors to create accounts, follow topics/exhibitors, and access personalized recommendations. Premium digital services include exhibitor profiles with digital presence inclusion.
- Lead Tracking Package: GHM LEADS lead tracking service is bookable as an add-on package through the Exhibitor Portal. The package includes one user license with up to 30 additional user accounts at 149 EUR each. Billing occurs only for actually used accounts at the end of the event.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | ALL-in Stand Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | opti SPHEARE Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | opti VISIONARY Package |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | opti NEW SELECTION Package |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | GHM LEADS Lead Tracking Package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
opti product offering
Product offeringCore offering
opti is the annual international trade show for optics and design held at Messe München, organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. Exhibitors book booth space through the GHM Exhibitor Portal across four halls covering frames, lenses, contact lenses, hearing acoustics, diagnostics, IT, and design. Supporting the physical event are the opti CONNECT year-round digital community platform, themed special areas (opti SPHEARE, opti VISIONARY, opti NEW SELECTION), and the GHM LEADS QR-code lead-tracking mobile app for on-site visitor capture.
Product overview
opti is an international trade show for optics and design held annually at Messe München, organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. The core offering is the physical trade show event (opti 2027: January 29–31, 2027), supported by a digital platform called opti CONNECT. opti CONNECT enables exhibitors to publish content and allows registered members to prepare for the trade show, discover exhibitors, follow topics and providers, receive personalized recommendations and a personalized newsfeed, and access event registration. Complementing the core event, opti offers several curated special areas and dedicated booth packages: opti SPHEARE (a hub for hearing acoustics, 16 m²), opti VISIONARY (a start-up package for optics companies, 6 m²), opti NEW SELECTION (a start-up package for frame/design companies, 12 m²), and the ALL-in general booth package (available in 12 m² or 16 m²). An additional digital add-on is GHM LEADS, a QR-code-based lead-tracking tool with a mobile app (iOS/Android) that enables exhibitors to capture, annotate, and export visitor contacts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- opti SPHEARE: A dedicated hub for hearing acoustics, combining optics and hearing solutions. First held in 2026 in Hall C3, showing how seeing and hearing converge technologically and commercially.
- opti VISIONARY
- opti NEW SELECTION
- opti ALL-in
- opti CONNECT
Products and services
- opti Trade Show (Annual Event) Annual three-day international trade show for optics and design held at Messe München (Halls C1–C4), covering frames, lenses, contact lenses, hearing acoustics, low vision, diagnostics, IT, services and accessories for optical industry professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21,972 trade visitors at opti 2026 (4%+ increase from 2025)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use opti
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
opti technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
opti partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- IG Nachhaltigkeit (Sustainability Interest Group)minorSustainability interest group formed from opti FORUM XT webinars. Focuses on saving plastic in ophthalmic optics and making it recyclable. Topics include support discs and contact lens blisters. Includes participants like DAO, DEOMA, FS, IGA OPTIC, Koberg & Tente, Markus T, Optik Angst, Optik Müller, Optik Marx, Optik Riedinger, partnerauge, pricon, Rodenstock, Visall, and Wardakant.
- GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbHcoreGHM is the organizer and operator of opti trade show. GHM manages venue relations (Messe München), exhibitor services, lead tracking systems, and the digital opti CONNECT platform. Tobias Gröber (CEO and President) and Alexander Uebel (CEO) lead the company.
- Messe München GmbHcoreVenue provider for opti trade show at Messegelände München. Provides exhibition halls C1-C4 and infrastructure for the event.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
opti competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Messe Düsseldorf: Messe Düsseldorf is a major German trade fair organizer operating in multiple verticals. As a comparable large European trade show operator with deep exhibitor relationships, it serves as a peer reference for GHM's positioning and capabilities.
- Reed Exhibitions (RX): RX (Reed Exhibitions) is the world's largest trade show organizer and operates Vision Expo. As a broad incumbent with significant optical vertical presence and global portfolio, RX is a comparable large-scale trade show peer for GHM and opti.
- Messe Frankfurt: Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's largest trade fair organizers, operating shows across multiple verticals including optical/optics segments. As a broad incumbent with global venue infrastructure, it competes with GHM (opti's organizer) for trade show partnerships and exhibitor relationships at industry level.
Regional players
- Hong Kong Optical Fair (HKTDC): The HKTDC Hong Kong Optical Fair is a leading Asian optical trade show organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Comparable to opti in product scope (frames, lenses, accessories) but serves primarily the Asia-Pacific region.
- China International Optics Fair (CIOF): CIOF is a major optical trade fair held in Beijing, China, focused on the Chinese and broader Asian eyewear market. It competes with opti for Asian exhibitor participation and is comparable as a regional optical industry gathering point.
- IOFT (International Optical Fair Tokyo): IOFT is Japan's leading international optical trade fair held in Tokyo. It features the same eyewear, lens, and equipment categories as opti and serves as a comparable regional optical industry platform in the Asia-Pacific region.
Direct peers
- MIDO Milan: MIDO is one of the largest global eyewear trade fairs, held annually in Milan, Italy. It serves the same product categories as opti (frames, lenses, machinery, accessories) and competes head-to-head for international exhibitor budgets and trade visitors.
- SILMO Paris: SILMO is the major international optical and eyewear trade show held annually in Paris, France. It directly competes with opti for the same exhibitor base (frame brands, lens manufacturers, equipment vendors) and trade visitor audience across Europe.
- 100% Optical: 100% Optical is the UK's largest optical trade event, held annually in London. It targets the same optical retail and eyewear professional audience as opti and competes for European exhibitor mindshare in the early-year season-opener slot.
- Vision Expo: Vision Expo is the leading optical trade show in North America (formerly East and West editions), operated by RX (Reed Exhibitions). It serves the same ophthalmic and eyewear verticals as opti and competes for global brand exposure and international attendee participation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
opti social profiles
Digital presenceopti financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
opti leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
opti funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
opti M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about opti
What does opti do?
opti is the annual international trade show for optics and design held at Messe München, organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. Exhibitors book booth space through the GHM Exhibitor Portal across four halls covering frames, lenses, contact lenses, hearing acoustics, diagnostics, IT, and design. Supporting the physical event are the opti CONNECT year-round digital community platform, themed special areas (opti SPHEARE, opti VISIONARY, opti NEW SELECTION), and the GHM LEADS QR-code lead-tracking mobile app for on-site visitor capture.
Is opti a public or private company?
opti is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was opti founded?
opti was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is opti based?
opti is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does opti make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exhibitor Booth/Stand Fees are the primary driver. The others are digital Platform Services and lead Tracking Package.
Who are opti's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Messe Düsseldorf, Reed Exhibitions (RX) and Messe Frankfurt. Regional players are Hong Kong Optical Fair (HKTDC), China International Optics Fair (CIOF) and IOFT (International Optical Fair Tokyo). Direct peers are MIDO Milan, SILMO Paris, 100% Optical and Vision Expo.
Does opti have an API?
No public API is recorded for opti.
What industry is opti in?
opti's product category is Trade Show and Exhibition Services for the Optics Industry. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAKAA, Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical). Its NAICS code is 456130 and its SIC code is 3851.