Westward Vision
Vision Expo West, the biannual event hosted by The Vision Council and RX, heads back to The Venetian Las Vegas for four days of education, networking, and professional development in addition to an enticing lineup of presentations and special events.
The education program kicks off the event on Wednesday, Sept. 18, with the exhibition hall opening on Thursday, Sept. 19.
EB’s exclusive Vision Expo West guide delivers a lineup of trade show offerings curated with our readers in mind—not-to-miss presentation highlights paired with a selection of education courses to look out for on the robust schedule—to help jump-start your
Vision Expo planning ahead of the big event.
—The EB Team
Catch EB LIVE from Las Vegas
Follow along with the EB team live from the show floor throughout the event, from coverage of presentations to Q+As with a mix of notable industry professionals and special guests.
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Education Highlights
Vision Expo gathers educators and speakers to deliver an expansive, robust lineup of continuing education for ever-learning ECPs—optometrists, opticians, allied health professionals, and other industry pros.
Here, EB presents a curated lineup with our readers in mind, with a focus on business solutions, patient communication, digital marketing, sales performance, children’s eye care, staffing, and more.
Access a full list of offerings at west.visionexpo.com/en-us/seminars.html.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18
Who Knows You?—Why Every ECP Needs a Personal Online Brand
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Learn about building credibility and establishing a digital presence beyond traditional marketing strategies.
Global Contact Lens Forum
Taking place Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 8 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., the Global Contact Lens Forum comprises multiple sessions to boost your specialty contact lens practice performance. Courses include “Myopia Management With Contact Lenses: Conquering Cases Common to Outside of the Box,” “Ace in the Hole: The Top 10 Tips and Tricks To Transform Your Contact Lens Practice,” and “Maximizing Contact Lens Practice Success” and are open to VisionEd conference attendees only.
Eyes on the Future: AI-Driven Marketing for ECPs
11 a.m. to Noon
Gain practical, actionable tips for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to affect how you engage with your audience through social media and marketing efforts.
How To Navigate the New Digital Landscape
1:30-3:30 p.m.
A workshop that teaches essential retailing tips, including sales approach and marketing presence, and provides an action plan to implement in your practice.
Teaching the New Apprentice
5-6 p.m.
A helpful course designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and practical skills for opticianry, including optical theory, patient interaction, lensometry, and more.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 19
Breaking Bad: Habits
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Explore why bad buying decisions are being made and learn how to calculate your return rate and how it affects your optical’s profitability.
Why Key Metrics Are Important + How To Start Using Them
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Learn common key metrics in eye care and how they can be utilized to boost practice performance.
My Top Tips for Successful Dispensing to Kids
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Gain tips for dispensing to kids from an optician with more than 30 years in practice.
Optical Merchandising Secrets You Need To Know
9:45-10:45 a.m.
Learn to implement a system designed to boost optical retail performance through fun, dynamic merchandising.
Blueprint for Success: Strategies for Building a Myopia Control Practice
11 a.m. to Noon
A review of each myopia management treatment option, the most current data, and the pros and cons to implementing different methods.
Sunwear Sales—the Biggest Missed Opportunity
5-6 p.m.
Explore the different types of UV, the diseases associated with sun damage, and methods for educating patients to tap into premium sunwear sales.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 20
Simplifying the Complicated
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Develop skills and language to properly educate patients by simplifying complicated prescriptions, optics, refractive errors, anatomy, and more.
10 Ways To Use Marketing To Attract New Staff
9:45-10:45 a.m.
Gain 10 marketing techniques and actionable insights for attracting new eyecare professionals to your practice.
Dispensing Without Boundaries
9:45-11:45 a.m.
Learn communication skills for dispensing to patients and gain a better understanding of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.
The Case of the Second-Pair Sale
9:45-11:45 a.m.
Gain tips for selling based on a patient’s lifestyle to boost sales of multiple pairs of eyewear, with a focus on task, safety, and sunwear lenses.
Enhancing Patient Experience Through Online Eyecare Services
2:45-3:45 p.m.
Explore strategies for building a digital presence to reach patients where they are—online.
Eye Diseases Technicians and Opticians Should Know
2:45-4:45 p.m.
Boost the quality of patient care as a technician or optician by gaining a basic understanding of a variety of ocular conditions.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
Contact Lens Selection + Patient Education
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Learn how to pinpoint the most appropriate contact lens for each patient and how to deliver detailed patient education.
The Intersection of Dry Eye + Beauty: Design, Build, and Brand a Profitable Dry Eye Spa
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Explore the link between ocular surface disease treatments and nonsurgical aesthetics and the benefits of integrating the latter into practice.
Presentations + Parties
Vision Expo knows how to fit the inspiring, fun, surprising, and enticing into
the jam-packed lineup of education. Here, highlights from Vision Expo West’s many offerings—opportunities from laid-back networking and insightful
presentations to cocktail-fueled dance parties.
For a broader schedule of Vision Expo West fun, head to west.visionexpo.com/en-us/experiences.html.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18
Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament, presented by Prevent Blindness
6 a.m. registration, 7 a.m. start
Prevent Blindness hosts this year’s Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament at Bali Hai, named by Golf Digest as one of the “Top 50 Resort Courses.” All proceeds from the event support Prevent Blindness initiatives.
Location: Bali Hai Golf Club
THURSDAY, SEPT. 19
Disrupting the Dropout Dilemma: Bold Moves To Keep Consumers in Contact Lenses
10-10:45 a.m.
Visionaries Unveiled: Education for Change Makers
Designed to make waves in the eyewear sector by showcasing innovative ideas, technologies, and strategies exclusively at Vision Expo, this three-part series highlights entrepreneurs and experts who are rethinking what is possible in the industry.
• Thursday, Sept. 19, 2-2:30 p.m.: Aesthetics in Optometry with Selina McGee, O.D., FAAO, CEO and owner of BeSpoke Vision
• Friday, Sept. 20, 2:30-2:55 p.m.: Hearing Care in the Optometric Space with Danny Clarke, O.D., CEO of Clarke EyeCare Center and chief business officer of Amplify Hearing
• Friday, Sept. 20, 3-3:30 p.m.: Making an Impact on Social Media with Alan Glazier, O.D., FAAO; Adam Ramsey, O.D.; and Alana Rossi
Location: Innovation Stage
The Contact Lens Institute presents new U.S. consumer research and provides action steps for keeping new contact lens wearers satisfied.
Location: Innovation Stage
OWA Connection Series: Gentle Influence—Leadership in the Heart of Change
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
The Optical Women’s Association (OWA) invites guest speaker Amanda Shapiro, who will discuss leadership strategies for building strong connections in your organization. Everyone is welcome but registration is required (opticalwomen.com).
Location: Venetian, Room 3304-06
Flaunt the Frame: Eyewear Trends Fashion Show
4:45-5:15 p.m.
EB’s Kerri Ann DeCindis + Veronica Daub deliver a highly curated selection of the biggest fashion trends in eyewear for fall and winter, featuring on-screen runway images, live modeling, and a DJ.
Location: Innovation Stage
Opening Night Party With “The Eye Docs of Rock”
9-11:59 p.m.
A steadfast feature of the Vision Expo roster of events, the Bad Habits band, celebrated as “The Eye Docs of Rock,” deliver classic hits to trade show attendees.
Location: Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq Promenade
FRIDAY, SEPT. 20
How AI Can Complement Your Practice Versus Being a Threat
10:15-10:45 a.m.
This panel discussion explores how cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are benefiting diagnostics processes, practice workflows, and patient outcomes.
Location: Innovation Stage
Hiring Realities in Optometry: Data Insights + Industry Collaboration
1:45-2:15 p.m.
The Vision Council’s research team, in collaboration with Darren Horndasch Wisconsin Vision, delivers insights on current labor market trends and collaborative strategies for addressing hiring challenges felt throughout the optometry industry.
Location: Innovation Stage
Flaunt the Frame: Eyewear Trends Fashion Show No. 2
3:45-4:15 p.m.
A second offering of the “Flaunt the Frame” fashion show from EB.
Location: Innovation Stage
OWA Bids + Bevs
5:30-7 p.m.
The OWA hosts its networking reception and online auction event, featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres alongside a traditional raffle that offers designer items, travel packages, gift certificates, and more. All proceeds support the organization’s professional development programs. Everyone is welcome but advanced registration is required. Visit opticalwomen.com/events.
Location: Venetian Level 3, Murano, Room 3304-06
The O.D.s on Facebook Party
7:30-9:30 p.m.
Mingle with the O.D.s on Facebook community and connect with colleagues overlooking the Las Vegas Strip.
Location: Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub, Cromwell
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
Career Zone
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A fixture of Vision Expo programming, the Career Zone is a hub for students and young professionals to connect and network with companies that are hiring, featuring a lineup of activities and events—from opportunities to take professional headshots and an ice cream social to panels about building an online presence and where to start a career in eye care. Visit tinyurl.com/careerzone2024 for the schedule.
