The conference season is in full swing with four major optometry conferences on over a six week period from the beginning of June to early July. By all accounts, attendances across the country have been strong.
The Southern Regional Congress (SRC) in Melbourne from 1–3 June attracted 972 delegates, which according to OAA Vic CEO Terri Smith, was almost equivalent to last year’s registrations.
Registrations for the second annual Super Sunday, organised by OAA NSW, at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney on 23 June are up from last year. Andrew McKinnon, CEO of OAA NSW, said the fact that Super Sunday has been sold-out provides strong support for the new conference format.
“Feedback is that delegates liked the fact they could come for a single day and get a large number of points. The line-up of speakers was also a positive – we engaged speakers who could give delegates something to take away and put into practice the very next day – there wasn’t a lot of esoteric stuff.
Another thing delegates appreciate is being able to choose when to take their own break between sessions
“Another thing delegates appreciate is being able to choose when to take their own break between sessions – so if they were with a trade exhibitor and wanted to keep talking, they don’t feel the need to rush back into the next session,” said Mr. McKinnon. “Of course there were a few things that we learnt this year, but we’ll keep tweaking Super Sunday until we get it absolutely right.”
Specsavers too reported strong attendance with a sold-out conference of 400 delegates registered to attend its second annual conference on 16 June, which this year was held in Sydney. The conference format is based on the UK-based Professional Advancement Committee (PAC) Conference, which has been hosted and run by Specsavers in the UK for the past 18 years.
Next up is ODMA 2013 to be held in Brisbane from 5–7 July which the new organisers Expertise Events promise will be more spectacular and educational than previous years. For information on ODMA 2013, go to www.odma-2103.com.au.
