On Sunday 24 October 2021, the XXVII edition of the day dedicated to the Maestro Ottico took place in the Imperial Gallery of Palazzo Borghese, in Florence, Italy, in the presence of personalities from the sector and over 200 participants. The event was organized by Eidos Communication with the collaboration of the Italian Association of Opticians and Optometrists ( AIO), the magazine L’Ottico and with the support of MIDO.

       The event was presented by Dr. Mario Casini, President of AIO, Giovanni Susti, Managing Director of the magazine l’Ottico, and Roberto Pregliasco, Business Retail Coach. Alessia Bellotti, Marketing Manager of Omisan Pharmaceuticals, Massimo Barberis, General Manager of OXO Italia, and Francesco Gili, Chief Operating Officer of MIDO, were also present on the stage at the event.

       The sole sponsor of the event, Omisan Farmaceutici, is an Italian company specializing in the development, production, and marketing of ophthalmic medical devices for the different requirements of eye care and contact lenses.

      During the event, Dr. Mario Casini presented the Maestro Ottico diplomas of honor (at least 30 years of qualification), the AIO badge to 57 Opticians from 15 Italian regions, and 20 AIO Historical Shops, 3 of which are over 100 years old.

            This “club” includes opticians that have been active for over half a century, a category of excellence. The Historic shop category in the Italian optical sector certainly has its own singularity because it expresses stories of dedication, passion, and service to the country that in many cases began in the 19th or early 20th century and which have been intersected by wars, natural events, and epochal changes in customs and techniques.

The managers of the technical magazine Spex! presented the Eyewear Designer Award to 2 young designers in the eyewear sector who have distinguished themselves in creativity and resourcefulness. They also presented some awards to the Opticians who have reached 40, 50, and 60 years of professional activity.

At the event, the final vote and the awards ceremony of the Graziella Pagni Eyewear Award 2021 took place. This international contest is dedicated to the world of independent eyewear and aims to give visibility and prestige to the most innovative and creative companies in this sector. The Maestri Ottici present at Palazzo Borghese declared the winners of each category and of the special prizes. The preliminary juries in Vicenza and the final one in Florence were chaired by the architect and designer Cosimo Sedazzari.

All the preliminary stages of the award could be watched directly on the Facebook group Filiera Produzione Occhiali.