Covid-19 has forced trade show cancellations and rescheduling for the past year, but Vision Expo East, organized by The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, is now back in action.
Scheduled for June 2-5 (education starting June 2, exhibit opening June 3) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, and launching under the banner “ONE Vision—ONE Focus—ONE Future,” Vision Expo East is keeping health and hygiene as its top priorities with new VisionSAFE guidelines—helping attendees confidently return to conducting business in person.
Read on for what’s in store, from top CE offerings to engaging events. For more information, visit visionexpo.com.
Events + Presentations
A variety of events are slated for Vision Expo East in a fresh and fun format for Florida. Here, a sampling of the most enticing. For more, visit visionexpo.com.
Wednesday, June 2
Prevent Blindness Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament
The sight-saving organization’s annual golf tournament is set to take place at a course known for showcasing Florida’s natural beauty and wildlife.
Location: Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge
Friday, June 4 + Saturday, June 5
National Optometric Association Regional Meeting
The National Optometric Association, an organization dedicated to “advancing the visual health of minority populations” through the delivery of effective and efficient eye and vision care services, will host a regional meeting on Friday and Saturday of the show.
Location: OCCC meeting room
Saturday, June 5
Career Zone
Hosted in The Seen main stage destination, the Career Zone is a networking hub for students and young professionals to explore career opportunities and take part in dynamic events. Industry leaders and innovators gather for inspiration, engagement, special events, and more.
Location: The Seen
THE SEEN
The Seen, a new main stage destination offering collaborative learning, serves as home to the Innovation Stage—where groundbreaking products and services will be presented. The stage in The Seen will also feature multiple EYE2EYE Series panels focusing on everything from fashion trends to diversity in the industry.
Education Highlights
Get schooled with a plethora of leading educational offerings. Here, we pinpoint some key programs. For more on in-person and virtual CE offerings, visit east.visionexpo.com/en-us/seminars.html.
Professional Opticians of Florida Courses
The organization will have a presence at the OptiCon@Vision Expo Hub and will provide four hours of Florida-required continuing education, including two hours of laws and rules and two hours of reduction of medical errors.
Innovation Series
3D printing, digital measuring devices, wearable tech, and more—this track digs into the industry’s novel technologies and up-and-coming business opportunities.
Showdown in the Sunshine State
In the spirit of high-stakes competition, on Wednesday, June 2, panelists will present interesting cases highlighting imaging technology. The audience decides who wins each match via attendee interactive polling technology. An “Optimizing Ocular Imaging Workshop” will be held at 5:45 p.m. after the competition.
Global Contact Lens Forum
This free, informative, and highly attended “meeting within a meeting” provides attendees with practical, timely tips in both clinical and business processes to enhance a specialty contact lens practice. A panel of successful CL practitioners will provide personal insights.
The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center Presents: Memorable Customer Service
Attendees will score insider intel on the Ritz-Carlton methods for creating customer loyalty through superior customer service and engagement.
TRENDING VIDEO ➤ VISION EXPO PREVIEW
Ashley Mills, CEO of the Vision Council, recently sat down with EB editor-in-chief Erinn Morgan for a livestream discussion of what’s in store for Vision Expo East. Click here in EB’s digital edition to view—and score a snippet of the Q+A below.
EB: Why is June the right time and why is Orlando the right place for Vision Expo East?
Ashley Mills: It wasn’t a decision we took lightly. We had originally planned to be in New York, [which] isn’t ready to host visitors yet. We looked at other cities that had been doing shows successfully and we landed on Orlando. They have done over 50 trade shows in the last year completely successfully. They hold the highest-level certification for safety.
EB: What are some of the key Covid-19 protocols in place at Vision Expo East via the VisionSAFE program?
AM: By virtue of the fact that we’re one of the largest and most prominent trade shows in the world, we’re part of a group of large trade show organizers, and Reed Exhibitions was really leading the way. These protocols are the gold standard. We will ask for face coverings. There will be a social distancing guideline of 6 feet. We will be sanitizing. We will have open spaces. We’ll also be doing temperature screening when you arrive.
EB: What is on tap for Vision Expo West in September 2021?
AM: Las Vegas is doing a beautiful job in reopening. We’re seeing a lot of progress that we can really count on. The show is selling really well with exhibitors. It will be an amazing experience, and we will run it with every safety protocol that we need to to ensure the safety of our attendees and our exhibitors. I feel great about Orlando and I feel great about Vegas. We won’t do anything that we can’t do really, really well.
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