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The Transitions Innovation Awards program recognizes and celebrates loyal partners and individual optical industry professionals from Canada and the U.S. who have shown the highest level of commitment to growing its business with Transitions Optical’s family of products and programs over the past year. Award categories include innovation and creativity in executing marketing programs; training and dispensing; strong results and growth with Transitions^® lenses; and overall passion for and devotion to the Transitions^® brand.

Who is eligible to apply?
Nominations are open to:

Independent eyecare professionals and practices
Optical industry professionals and educators
National and regional retailers
Optical laboratories
Managed Vision Care companies
Lens manufacturers and buying groups

All Transitions Innovation Award finalists will receive a trip for two team members to attend the 2023 Transitions Academy, in Orlando, Fla. Please note, if selected as a finalist for more than one category, two total spots will be provided. If you and/or your team are already registered for Transitions Academy, two of those existing reservations will be covered.

Some restrictions may apply. Eyecare professionals are invited to consult their professional code of ethics.

Transitions Brand Ambassador

This award goes to the individual who best showcases their dedication to being an influential advocate of the Transitions brand, whether amplifying peer-to-peer conversations, social media or having an unparalleled commitment to incorporating Transitions lens products into their business goals, patient interactions, training efforts or promotion of healthy vision in their community.

Retailer of the Year, U.S. and Retailer of the Year, Canada

Awarded to a retailer for actively supporting the Transitions brand and demonstrating a commitment to enhancing the vision of their customers and communities. Retailers with 20 or more locations are eligible for this award. The award will be presented to one retailer from the US and one retailer from Canada. Nominees are judged on several factors, including overall photochromic growth; efforts to support the Transitions brand through marketing programs and promotions; quality of education provided to optical employees; efforts to promote healthy sight in their local community and support and involvement with public service programs; and an overall commitment to educating customers about the importance of healthy sight and benefits of Transitions lenses.

Best in Training

Presented to an individual, company or educator that has shown creativity in developing or offering training and education opportunities that include dispensing photochromics, the Transitions brand or family of products. This could include integrating Transitions Optical’s messaging or education resources into staff or industry training efforts, or helping to increase participation in training events that include Transitions Optical (such as CE training seminars, education and other training offered through lab and/or lens manufacturer partners).

Best in Marketing

Awarded to an individual or company for employing creative and strategic marketing tactics to effectively promote the Transitions brand or family of products among customers or within their communities. Marketing initiatives could include incorporating the Transitions brand within marketing and advertising campaigns, sales/staff promotions, point-of-sale, in-office materials, or digital communications (email, website, social media, etc). Nominees should also demonstrate how the execution of the marketing tactics helped to “break through the clutter” and add value to their business objectives.

Eyecare Practice of the Year U.S.

The Eyecare Practice of the Year Award recognizes independent eyecare practices and retailers with less than 20 locations in the U.S. that are actively promoting healthy sight to their patients and within their local communities, and who have demonstrated excellence in supporting the Transitions brand. All nominees are evaluated on their performance in several factors, including commitment to photochromic growth; alignment to Transitions Optical and participation in programs and promotions; marketing initiatives; education and training efforts; and community involvement.

Eyecare Practice of the Year Canada

The Eyecare Practice of the Year Award recognizes independent eyecare practices and retailers with less than 20 locations in Canada that are actively promoting healthy sight to their patients and within their local communities, and who have demonstrated excellence in supporting the Transitions brand. All nominees are evaluated on their performance in several factors, including commitment to photochromic growth; alignment to Transitions Optical and participation in programs and promotions; marketing initiatives; education and training efforts; and community involvement.

How to Enter

Show us your Transitions achievements and commitments in 2022! Using the evaluation areas provided below, create your entry in a PowerPoint or Word document (feel free to use these suggested templates at Transitions.com/awards). Include any supporting materials, such as images and links to examples, to help tell your story.

To enter, candidates must complete a nomination form and detail their 2022 efforts in the following evaluation areas: commitment and inspiration, goals, plan and creativity, and impact and results. Nominees are welcome to enter more than one category and can self-enter, or can be nominated by a lab, lens manufacturer, industry colleague or other industry organization representative.

Please check back in Q4 of 2022 to learn more about when submissions will be accepted. In the meantime, don't hesitate to start building your entry today!

Some restrictions may apply. Eyecare professionals are invited to consult their professional code of ethics.

Commitment and Inspiration

What prompted your dedication to the Transitions brand this year? What was the inspiration behind your work? Was it in response to an existing problem or was it a new objective?

Goals

What did you hope to achieve? Who were you trying to reach and how did their needs, preferences, opinions play a role?

Plan and Creativity

How did you plan to achieve your goals? What innovative approaches did you use to help you succeed? Did you use a completely new approach, a tried-and-true tactic or a mix of both? How was the Transitions brand or products included in your plans? Be sure to take pictures along the way and include them in your entry!

Impact and Results

How did things turn out? How did you evaluate your success? Did you meet - or exceed - your goals? How will you build on your success? How did you impact Transitions lens sales? If relevant, be sure to include your photochromic lens sales (including pair growth and share of overall mix).

Congratulations to all 2020 Transitions Innovation Awards Winners!

Learn more about their award winning entries.

Best in Marketing:
Austin Ryan Optika

US Eyecare Practice of the Year: Austin Ryan Optika

Best in Training: Hunter's Hill Eyecare Center

Canada Eyecare Practice of the Year: MAVUE Marie Trudel

US Retailer of the Year: LensCrafters

CAN Retailer of the Year: Newlook Lunetterie•Eyewear

Transitions Brand Ambassador: Dr. Jennifer Chinn

Who will be on the stage
at the next
Transitions Academy... you?

Transitions Brand Ambassador: Dr. Jennifer Chinn

Austin Ryan Optika is an Optometric-Optical Boutique with two locations in New York. In 2021, Austin Ryan Optika focused on highlighting Transitions^® lenses in their pre-visit and in-office marketing initiatives.

To reach patients before their visit, Austin Ryan Optika redesigned their website to include the Transitions Eyeglass Builder and also created a social media campaign that featured team members wearing Transitions lenses to showcase the product. In office, they created their own media displays and movies that offered Transitions lens product videos looping for patients to watch, and created a lifestyle questionnaire for patients. The main highlight in office is their custom-built “WOW” display that showcased and demonstrated all Transitions lens products at once. The display incorporated videos and other Transitions branded materials, and could be activated by saying “Alexa turn on the sun” to turn on the UV lights and showcase the Transitions lenses in the display.

Austin Ryan Optika is an Optometric-Optical Boutique with two locations in New York. They made it their goal in 2021 to create a campaign that would bring more product awareness and create a “WOW” moment for his teams to pass onto their patients.

This campaign included educating the Austin Ryan Optika team through trainings like the Transitions Certification Program, having patients know the Transitions^® lens products before they came in through marketing, starting the conversation around Transitions lenses in the exam room, enforcing the proper lifestyle dispensing choices, creating in-house advertisement, and creating a WOW moment with their custom-built Transitions lens display.

Hunter’s Hill Eyecare Center is one of the largest private practices in York, PA. They focus on Transitions^® lenses in all facets of their practice and made training a big initiative in 2021.

Hunter’s Hill Eyecare Center sent one of their opticians to Transitions Studio where they became a Certified Trainer and were able to share their knowledge from the event with the rest of the staff to create excitement around the products. They also made sure their staff completed the Transitions Certification Program and became Transitions Specialists. Their training helped their doctors with bringing up Transitions lenses during the exam to educate patients on topics like light sensitivity and protection.

MAVUE Marie Trudel is led by Marie Trudel, an optician and the independent owner of the practice since 2010. In 2021, Marie and her team focused on their training to provide the best recommendations for their patients and to pass on their excitement around Transitions^® lenses to their customers.

MAVUE Marie Trudel informed all clients regardless of age of the protection that Transitions lenses offer, recommending different products to meet the different needs and requirements of each client. They believe Transitions lenses are not an option - but an essential for clear lenses. MAVUE Marie Trudel also highlighted Transitions lenses with in-office marketing like Transitions posters and a display with Transitions lenses in frames to demonstrate the look of the new Transitions lens colors and how quickly they fade back to clear.

LensCrafters, the leading optical retailer in North America, was founded in 1983 and currently operates over 1,000 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

In 2021 LensCrafters sought to grow their overall Transitions^® lens share and volume through a strong focus on associate training, consumer marketing, doctor engagement and the launch of Transitions^® XTRActive^® Polarized™ and Transitions^® XTRActive^® new generation. To support the launch of the new products LensCrafters implemented a training and engagement program for associates and ODs, created a full scale in-store merchandising kit, and partnered with Transitions on digital marketing tactics to round out their campaign. LensCrafters also sent key representatives to the 2021 Transitions Studio event and executed store contests on Transitions lenses.

Dr. Jennifer Chinn is a second-generation Optometrist and Transitions Change Agent who co-owns a practice with her father, based in San Diego, CA. Dr. Chinn’s objective for 2021 was to show Transitions^® lenses as a lifestyle brand and showcase how the different lenses can be utilized to customize your eyewear to fit daily needs.

She set her target demographic to between the ages of 25-34. Including young professionals, trend setters and those who are beginning to take their choices on health and wellness more seriously. She used social media platforms to post both photos and video content while wearing Transitions lenses in her life – showcasing her ten different pairs of eyewear with Transitions lenses in them in a variety of lifestyle events. She made it a goal to showcase variety and show her followers all the possibilities with the Transitions lens portfolio in a variety of environments and activities.

On social media, Dr. Jennifer Chinn saw an increase in engagement and had more than 2x growth in following on her social media platforms in 2021.

Newlook Lunetterie•Eyewear was founded in 1986 and now operates 79 stores with over 200 partner optometrists and 250 opticians across Canada. They focused on Transitions® lenses in 2021 through education and training, marketing initiatives, and promotions.

To focus on training, Newlook Lunetterie•Eyewear offered customized Transitions education through their “New Look Expert” internal training portal, participated in Transitions The Pulse and The Studio events, and had associates complete the Transitions Certification program. To elevate Transitions in-store presence, raise awareness on the Transitions style color lenses, and to lift sales on those specific products, Newlook Lunetterie•Eyewear created a Style Bar Road Show to bring a Transitions lenses Style Bar to 15 different locations for a two-week period. They also hosted multiple contests for staff to win a free fit of Transitions lenses and created a photochromic lens landing page on their website with product knowledge and information about the Transitions brand.

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