21 August 2018
Registration has now opened for 100% Optical 2019, which takes place at ExCeL London on 12–14 January. OT finds out what will be on offer from exhibitors and the education programme for attendees thinking about future practice.
High Street: capitalising on changes
Event director of 100% Optical, Nathan Garnett explained to OT that the High Street is about to have its worst year on record and optical practices will play a vital role in its survival and regeneration.
“With an ageing population, the diversification of practices into additional care, such as audiology, and the role that they will play supporting the NHS in the future, optical professionals have a fantastic opportunity and should view the future with excitement. 100% Optical 2019 will allow optical professionals the opportunity to learn how to capitalise on these changes to our industry,” Mr Garnett said.
Education: what’s next?
The lecturers and workshops that make up the event’s education programme, which is designed and delivered by the AOP, will address what’s next for the profession at the Future Practice Hub.
The AOP's head of education, Dr Ian Beasley, said: “The Future Practice Hub provides an opportunity to explore topics that sit slightly outside of core clinical areas and to gain insight into ongoing developments in research that may impact upon practice further down the line.”
Speakers: seeing through the brain
Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bradford’s school of optometry and vision science, Dr Samantha Strong, will discuss how the experience of the brain can influence perception, highlighting scientific measures that prove the brain dictates what we can see.
“It is indisputable that eyes are essential for sight. However, conscious perception of the visual world relies heavily on the processing capabilities of the brain,” Dr Strong explained.
Speakers: nature and sight impairment
Founder of social enterprise VisionBridge, Julian Jackson, and research fellow at the University of Exeter, Dr Sarah Bell, will discuss Dr Bell’s study into the experiences of people with sight impairment within different nature environments.
Mr Jackson will also share his experience of completing the 1089-mile Big Blind Walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
“My compulsion to get outdoors when I went totally blind in 2010 gave me this idea to re-connect with people and nature in a very vivid and fundamental way. The benefits are huge and so I would urge anyone whether sighted or less sighted to get involved in an initiative like this,” he said.
Sensory: audiology advantages
Leightons Opticians and the Hearing Care Partnership will be providing independent practice owners with the opportunity to hear about the business benefits of introducing audiology services.
CEO of Leightons Opticians, Ryan Leighton, said: “We will be on hand to explain everything in detail, about exactly how our service not just helps provide the hearing service but also those added-value components that helps to make sense to any independent optician looking for a service that is built as the UK's sole opticians-only audiology business.”
Ryan’s reasons to introduce audiology services
- Helps retention and attracts new patients
- Utilises excess capacity
- Increases revenue from share on sales.
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