Hong Kong Optical Fair to put AI smart glasses in focus from 4 November

A trade fair built around smart eyewear

The fair is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association (HKMOA). It runs under the theme "Bright Eyes • New Horizons" and covers smart eyewear, eye care, sports and specialist eyewear, frames and lenses. The organisers describe it as a one-stop sourcing platform for buyers.

HKTDC Associate Executive Director Smilely Lam pointed to the growth of AI-powered smart glasses. In her words, such devices "recorded global shipments of 8.7 million units last year, representing a remarkable year-on-year increase of 322%." The press release attributes the same figure to market research firm Omdia, which reported 8.7 million AI eyewear units shipped in 2025.

The release also cites IDC, according to which global smart glasses shipments reached 3.566 million units in the first quarter of 2026, up 130.1% year-on-year.

Exhibitors, brands and buyers

Exhibitors come from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, and across Asia, Europe and the United States. Industry associations and enterprises from several regions will also be featured, including Danyang in Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang, Yingtan in Jiangxi Province, ASEAN, Korea and the Fukui Optical Association. A zone called Visionaries of Style is dedicated to creative designer brands. Daegu Health College of Korea makes its debut at the fair with a number of local eyewear companies.

The "Brand Name Gallery" will present some 200 renowned brands from around the world. Pre-registered buyers include Capitol Optical (Singapore), Eyespace Eyewear (UK), Grand Optik (Indonesia), Kaundi GmbH (Austria), Optica Halperin Ltd (Israel), Optical London Drugs (Canada), Parasite Design (France), The Optical Company (Australia) and Vision Plus (US).

Products on show: AI glasses and silver economy lenses

Smart eyewear at the fair will feature augmented reality (AR), AI voice assistants, real-time translation, 4K recording and navigation. Two examples are named in the release:

• INMO Air3 from Sichuan Yingmu Technology Co Ltd: combines AI and AR, uses a Sony Micro OLED display, supports the Android 14 ecosystem and has a ChatGPT-powered AI voice assistant.
• GSPRO AI Glasses from Shenzhen GetD Technology Co Ltd: weigh 26g, offer health monitoring and Apple Find My, and are integrated with GPT and Gemini for translation in 145+ languages, according to the exhibitor.

The organisers also highlight demand from the silver economy. Exhibitors will show progressive lenses, smart reading glasses, bone-conduction audio glasses and eye-care devices for older consumers. Shenzhen Muedo Technology Co Ltd presents an intelligent presbyopia glass that adjusts focal length automatically, while Gemini Progressive Lenses are designed for older adults. Sports eyewear, sustainability-focused products and green manufacturing technologies are also on the programme.

Forums, competition and online matching

Forums and seminars will cover smart eyewear, performance eyewear, and testing and certification. The 24th Hong Kong International Optometric Symposium takes place on 5 November under the theme "Primary Eye Care in Action: Elevating Clinical Scope and Community Impact". Experts from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will discuss topics including paediatric eye care, digital eye strain, dry eye management and inherited retinal diseases.

The 26th Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition holds its award ceremony on opening day under the theme "Mix & Match". A new Technology Concept Award is open to student participants.

The fair uses the EXHIBITION+ hybrid model. Exhibitors and buyers can arrange meetings on the Click2Match platform until 13 November, and on site buyers can scan exhibitors' QR codes with the Scan2Match function in the HKTDC Marketplace App.

What it means for the industry

For buyers and suppliers, the fair offers a single venue to compare smart eyewear with more established categories such as lenses and frames. The organisers frame the event around five trends: smart technology, the silver economy, fashion and design, active lifestyles, and sustainability. The shipment figures cited by the HKTDC and the data providers suggest why AI glasses take a prominent place in this year's programme.