The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) and the United Opticians Association (UOA) have announced a partnership to coproduce an educational panel at OptiCon ’26 @ Vision Expo. The session, “Vision for Growth: Consumer Perspectives on Opticianry & Contact Lens Success,” will be exclusive to OptiCon and presented on Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13.

According to the organizations, the panel will present new consumer and professional research examining opticianry’s role in contact lens practice and patient outcomes. As part of the collaboration, CLI will dedicate its Spring 2026 “See Tomorrow” initiative to the opticianry profession, incorporating newly commissioned research with contact lens wearers in the United States and Canada, along with custom research conducted among opticians.

The sessions will be moderated by EB board member Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FCLSA, of ASB Opticianry Education Services. Additional panelists are expected to be announced ahead of the event. Organizers said the discussions will highlight opportunities related to education, professional recognition, and the evolving role of opticians in contact lens care.

“Prior CLI research has illustrated opticians’ importance to contact lens patient experiences as part of the broader ecosystem of care, working closely with the optometry and ophthalmology communities,” said Stan Rogaski, executive director of CLI. “We’re excited to dig deeper, generating data and insights that could shape market growth and practice success.”

“On the heels of our recent project to identify consumer perceptions of opticians, this new collaboration should reveal valuable lessons about their contact lens-specific roles through the eyes of patients and professionals alike,” said 2025 #EBGameChanger Gwen Cooper, MPA, CFRE, executive director of the UOA.

OptiCon ’26 will take place as part of Vision Expo.