There is still time to register for the College of Optometrists’ flagship event, Optometry Tomorrow.
Now in its 20th year, Optometry Tomorrow 2024 is a collaboration with the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) to bring delegates an even bigger event.
2024 is the final year of the current three-year CPD cycle and the integration with BCLA Focus will provide eyecare professionals with greater access to CPD, research and good practice.
It will take place at Telford International Centre on 28 and 29 April 2024.
As well as a major optical exhibition featuring around 30 companies, there will be 110 CPD sessions over the two days, making it possible for attendees to gain all their required CPD points in this final year of the GOC cycle.
Delegates are welcome to attend sessions run by both organisations and will be able to collect an average of 15 CPD points over the weekend encompassing all four CPD domains. It will also be possible to gain contact lens optician and therapeutics specialty points.
Attendees will be able to find out more about the latest innovations in their profession and benefit from face-to-face learning and networking opportunities.
As always, there will be lots of opportunities to develop skills in clinical techniques, by attending the popular hands-on clinical workshops that form part of both the College of Optometrists and the BCLA programmes.
In fact, visitors will have no less than 27 practical workshops to choose from, 56 small group sessions, 12 peer review sessions and 10 business and communications skills sessions.
Gabrielle Mouterde and her team at The College of Optometrists have been the driving force behind this year’s event. She says: “This year’s event is particularly important in supporting optometrists to gain all the CPD they want and that they need to evolve their careers and continue to provide the best care to their patients.
“We have an incredible programme. Alongside future-facing lectures, attendees will have a huge amount of hands-on workshops, discussion workshops, interactive sessions and industry-lead talks to choose from.
“We also want everyone to have a good time. As well as the academic programme, we have Optomfest, which takes place on the Sunday evening. We can’t promise live music, but it will be a friendly social event where friends, old and new, can meet up and relax.
“I really do want delegates to leave this year’s event feeling energised, passionate about our profession and eager to put their learning into practice.”
Artificial intelligence will be the subject of the 20th Anniversary Keynote Lecture. Pearce Keane, Professor of Artificial Medical Intelligence at the Institute of Ophthalmology, will deliver the lecture, Transforming Eyecare with Artificial Intelligence. Explaining how the widespread adoption of AI will help ophthalmologists spend more time treating people with complex eye diseases, he will reveal how it can be harnessed as a force for good in both optometry and ophthalmology.
Myopia is the subject of the Charter Lecture, in collaboration with BCLA. It will be delivered by Professor Kathryn Saunders FCOptom. Kathryn leads the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) Study, the largest prospective study of eyes and vision in childhood in the UK and Ireland. Her session, Myopia management: current evidence and future directions, will set out a future for myopia and why it is vital that optometrists play a central role.
Luke Stevens-Burt, Chief Executive of the BCLA, says: “We look forward to presenting BCLA Focus as part of Optometry Tomorrow, giving delegates the opportunity to attend lectures from both the BCLA and the College of Optometrists.
“The two programmes will run alongside one another, and it looks set to be a busy conference, with approximately 10 tracks of learning, including lecture streams, hands-on workshops and some highlights from the forthcoming BCLA CLEAR™ Presbyopia papers – a key feature of the BCLA Focus programme that will improve understanding of presbyopic care.
“If you are looking to gain your interactive CPD points for the cycle, stay up to date with developments in your profession and get to grips with the latest clinical innovations and techniques, then this is the conference for you.”
With so much on the programme at Optometry Tomorrow 2024, there really is something for everyone. Book before 29 February to save 50% on your ticket. Use code CW50 to get your early bird discount or code BCLA50 for BCLA members.
