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October 17, 2022
Courses at Eyes On Myopia will cover an overview of myopia and current treatment options, orthokeratology, research around different treatments and ophthalmic designs, instrumentation for diagnosing myopia and analyzing its progression, and even refractive surgery for myopic patients.
Eyes On Eyecare plans a virtual event in the spring of 2023 completely devoted to myopia called Eyes on Myopia to be held April 7-8, 2023. Six hours of COPE-approved continuing education will be presented by leaders in the field of myopia.
Courses at Eyes On Myopia will cover an overview of myopia and current treatment options, orthokeratology, research around different treatments and ophthalmic designs, instrumentation for diagnosing myopia and analyzing its progression, and even refractive surgery for myopic patients.
“The principle behind Eyes On Myopia is to ensure that we keep pushing the myopia message forward, encouraging more optometrists and ophthalmologists to increase their awareness and motivation to treat childhood to early adolescent patients,” said Michael S. “Coop” Cooper, OD, Director of Medical Education, Optometry and Ophthalmology at Eyes On Eyecare, the organizers of this and other Eyes On events. “We’re trying to have everyone understand that this is a critical issue. It is an epidemic.”
Virtual Events Are Here to Stay . . . Here’s How They Operate
Eyes On events are all virtual. While remote events such as these gained prominence during Covid, Eyes On Eyecare continues to grow its events beyond the confines of an ending pandemic. With a loyal following of optometrists and ophthalmologists who choose to get their education virtually, the average attendance at an Eyes On event is between 4,000 and 6,000. The high production quality and intuitive platform provide a unique spin on attendee engagement and allow for continued and sustainable long-term growth in the event and eye care space.
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More than just events, these virtual meetings are referred to as “event symposia.” Each features educational sessions within a clinical track, an implementation track, and a virtual exhibit hall, providing attendees with another element of discoverability similar to what they’d find at an in-person event. While most eye care professionals are familiar with Synchronous Virtual Continuing Education (formerly referred to as Interactive Distance Learning) and have attended COPE-approved virtual continuing education courses, many might not have had a virtual trade show booth experience.
Eyes On Eyecare offers multiple options for booth functions. Exhibitors can have a customized booth created by the organizer or choose to replicate their in-person booth to place in the Eyes On events exhibit areas. Attendees can then click in to visit a virtual booth and interact with industry representatives. Additional resources can illustrate and demonstrate products such as diagnostic and surgical devices, pharmaceuticals, and contact lenses, and attendees can “walk away” with industry-approved brochures, studies, coupons, etc.
Attendees can participate from the comfort of their own homes or offices, and even speakers benefit from virtual conferences by reducing the time commitment typically needed for travel, removing geographic boundaries, and increasing the overall reach of their audience. With virtual events such as these hosted by Eyes On Eyecare, the only limit is the self-imposed capacity!
“We’re going to see more virtual events because it’s an attractive mode of education, and you don’t have to leave your home or practice,” said Dr. Cooper, better known as “Coop” among those in the know throughout the ophthalmic community. “The biggest thing with virtual events is you have to make them come to life.” Among the ways Eyes On events does this is through premier OD and MD experts, motion graphics, music, exhibit hall “floor” interviews, attendee chats, and even the booth experience with a fun “I’m feeling lucky” button that sends attendees to a random booth.
“One of my favorite aspects of the event is how attendees can chat about the content of a lecture publicly while it is going on—often learning from their peers in addition to the center stage lecturer. Attendees trade real-world clinical stories mid-lecture, adding an incredible interactive component to the learning. This isn’t possible with in-person education, so we’re always thrilled to see several thousand chat messages at each show,” said Matt Geller, OD, CEO at Eyes On Eyecare.
First Annual Optometry Innovation Awards
To add more interest, for the first time the 1st Annual Optometry Innovation Awards will be presented during Eyes On 2023. Sponsored by Dompé, the program will honor innovations in vision health and will award $40,000 in prize money to be divided among the top three winners — $20,000 for first place, $12,500 for second place, and $7,500 for third place.
