The Academy of Advanced Ophthalmic Optics (AAOO) will host the Clinical Lens Education and Research Conference, (CLEAR Conference 2026) at the Pullman Sydney Airport from 24–25 October 2026.
CLEAR represents a deliberate shift in focus toward the intersection of clinical science, ophthalmic optics, dispensing precision, and emerging med-tech innovation.
According to the organisers, the conference has been created to address “a persistent imbalance within the current optometry conference landscape where significant attention is placed on ocular disease, but comparatively limited focus is given to the optical systems through which refractive solutions are delivered”. AAOO said this positioning makes the event one of the most distinctive new conferences entering the Australian ophthalmic landscape.
Optometrists, optical dispensers, practice owners, orthoptists, laboratory professionals, educators, students, and industry representatives are expected to attend.
Register Now
Early bird registrations are available until 30 September 2026 at AU$199 for two days, $149 for one day, $79 for students, and $49 for virtual.
This includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea each day for those attending in person.
Built Around Practitioner Insight
One of the defining concepts behind CLEAR is that each invited speaker is asked to answer a single question:
“What do I know that I wish my colleagues knew?”
The aim is to encourage presenters to move beyond textbook education and share the nuanced understanding that often determines whether patients achieve truly successful visual outcomes. The result is expected to be a highly practical and intellectually engaging program focused on the translation of theory into real-world patient care.
A particularly important aspect of CLEAR is its recognition that optometry and optical dispensing are no longer isolated disciplines. This philosophy is reflected throughout the scientific program, which integrates clinical optometry topics alongside advanced dispensing and technology sessions.
Rather than treating dispensing as a secondary retail function, the conference positions it as a critical component of contemporary visual rehabilitation, exploring topics including:
- Progressive lens design,
- Clinical measurements and practice systems,
- Concussion and visual implications,
- Facial measurements and digital tools,
- Challenging the traditional optometry practice,
- Myopia control and optical strategy,
- Prism as a field effect,
- Therapeutic tints: Enhancing everyday vision,
- Quantifying clinical error, and
- Adaptation and troubleshooting.
Bridging Optometry and Optical Dispensing
As spectacle lenses become increasingly biometric, digitally customised, and dependent on precision measurements, the relationship between clinical examination and dispensing execution becomes inseparable. CLEAR is positioned to acknowledge that modern patient care depends on both sides of the profession functioning cohesively.
The event will incorporate keynote presentations, industry interaction, networking opportunities, and panel discussions that challenge simplified clinical-versus-retail narratives.
Additionally, an exhibition space will function as an extension of the educational experience, allowing delegates to directly engage with manufacturers and developers while connecting theoretical concepts to real clinical tools.
