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This story was created and shared by Optometry Victoria South Australia (OV/SA).
The atmosphere at the O=MEGA23 Trade Show was electric as delegates from the optometry and eye care community gathered in Melbourne for three days of learning, networking, exploring the latest innovations and fun connecting with peers from near and far. At 9,000 square metres there was a lot to see, creating a real buzz as delegates spent the long lunch breaks catching up on the latest equipment and innovations.
One of the highlights of the Trade Show was the chance for delegates to interact directly with industry experts. The opportunity to ask questions that were particular to their practice, to try equipment and for front of house staff to attend masterclasses allowed delegates to update their knowledge while building connections with manufacturers and distributors.
After the Trade Show and as part of the conference’s social offerings, the Koorie Market offered attendees a unique and captivating addition to the event, which delivered a touch of cultural richness to the conference.
Creating a stunning backdrop to the market were the sublime musical talents of Madi Colville Walker. The amazing young Yorta Yorta singer songwriter, who was mentored by the Archie Roach Foundation, serenaded delegates as they perused the market. Featuring a variety of Indigenous businesses, attendees bought a range of treasures from clothing and art to skincare and native Australian food.
The poster displays and presentations during the Trade Show were also well received by attendees as they enabled diverse learning and opportunities to connect with contemporaries around works of interest. The 90 posters were selected as part of the call for abstracts process for the clinical program.
Christina Ly, optometrist who presented her poster on the eye health of newly arrived refugees in Adelaide, found the face-to-face forum beneficial. ‘I enjoyed the chance to connect with like-minded colleagues and explore opportunities to collaborate in the space. My research found that most of the vision impairment among refugees is preventable with a pair of spectacles, so it’s important we find ways to improve access to eye care services to maximise their vision and support them to integrate into the community,’ she said.
The team at the OV/SA booth were, among other things, delighted to hand out hundreds of ‘Welcome to Melbourne’ koalas to passers-by, which became a common sight on the lapels and pockets of people at the event as the days wore on. The OV/SA booth became a hub for member conversations as well as an easy meeting point for delegates to then peruse the trade.
A series of fabulous social events held over the three days were the cherry on the cake for many conference delegates. The ‘Meet and greet’ event, hosted by Zeiss, featured dazzling entertainment and a fun DJ and the Trade Fair Welcome Reception on the first evening of the conference was also abuzz with happy faces and glasses clinking. The Meet and Greet was also where the OV/SA award winners and WCO bursary recipients were announced.
Dr Chelsea Lane: “Optometry is a exciting space, which is so apparent when celebrated during events such as this”
OV/SA delegate and member of the ECOVSA Committee, Chelsea Lane summed up her time at O=MEGA23/WCO4, in her words below.
“O=MEGA23/WCO4 was a celebration of how much our profession has grown and an exciting glimpse into where we are going. Optometry is an exciting space, which is so apparent when it is being celebrated during events like this where we meet in person, share clinical cases, academic research and a glass (or two) of champagne.
In our siloed, occasionally isolating clinic rooms, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the day to day, seeing only the patient in front of us. After the COVID years of world closure, having over 3,000 delegates from all corners of the globe was a welcome opportunity to look at who we are as optometrists in the community, within the wider healthcare sector and as a global profession. Meeting with our colleagues and friends gives us the chance to reconnect, retrain and reinvigorate.
The mood of the conference was positive and inclusive. Even walking to the convention centre from the train, you couldn’t miss delegates proudly donning their lanyards. We filled the nearby coffee shops, bars, restaurants and hotels, making socialising possible well away from the conference itself.
The lectures covered a wide range of content, from the minutiae of microglia beneath electron microscopes, to the application of academia to the consulting room, to the community impact of dysfunction, finally translating all this to our global community. With targeted streams for educators, PhD candidates, international candidates, clinical practitioners and early career optometrists, there was truly something for everyone throughout the conference.
The trade fair was well attended with delegates excited to peruse the latest equipment, the best new frames and the poster display with exciting new research. The only challenge here was getting across the trade show floor – with friendly faces, old colleagues/classmates and interesting exhibits making very slow progress.
Many of our international colleagues were in attendance and were fascinating to meet. It was exciting to compare and contrast our profession globally; in particular our American and New Zealand associates, whose scope of practice includes work in surgical clinics, prescribing oral medications, and completing their own surgeries. Seeing these examples provides exciting glimpses of the potential we have and the space we can continue to move into. We were also able to celebrate how far we have come, with the OV/SA stall showcasing some of the old optical tools, highlighting the advancements we have already made – it was not long ago that optometrists could have only dreamed of owning an OCT machine.
Finally, OMEGA was a chance to celebrate our profession and our colleagues and reflect on our own successes. This was epitomised at the Saturday night Meet & Greet where our own OV/SA Optometrist of the Year and Rising Star were awarded at the inaugural awards night, as well as Travel Grants celebrating those in our field doing truly amazing work.
Having filled my social cup, updated my knowledge and reinvigorated my passion, I would like to express my immense gratitude to all the staff, volunteers, speakers and sponsors for contributing to an excellent conference. I can’t wait to see everyone at the next one!”
Grace Hand: “Optometry united and it was worth the wait!”
OV/SA delegate and member of the ECOVSA Committee, Grace Hand, also gave us her account of the conference, below.
“Optometry united for the highly anticipated OMEGA/WCO4 conference over the weekend and it was certainly worth the wait. Over a three-day extravaganza, Melbourne played host to delegates from around the globe, showcasing the latest advancements in optometry. Marking the largest international gathering of eye health professionals in the Southern Hemisphere, the conference provided the perfect setting to learn and collaborate with colleagues in a way that has been sorely missed over the last few years.
The educational program brought together the best and brightest speakers from the worldwide optometry community to deliver three days of engaging talks. Topics covering every aspect of optometry from dry eye to glaucoma, myopia control to prism prescribing, Aboriginal health and collaborative care models, as well as optometry education, meant there was no shortage of new knowledge to be gained. This valuable opportunity to get the most up-to-date clinical knowledge means we can be confident we are offering our patients the best standard of care possible and challenges us to consider the ‘why’ of our current practicing habits. Hearing the latest in optometric research, and how this is being translated into future diagnostic tools, was both exciting for the future of optometry but also highlights how far these advancements have driven and continue to drive the profession.
After the isolation experienced by the industry over COVID, it was wonderful to once again see dispensers, eyewear designers and equipment manufacturers all come together under the one roof at the trade fair. The fair showcased the technological advancements taking place in optometry, and the breadth of expertise and ever-evolving tools available to optometrists to improve diagnosis and patient care. The fair provided a rare forum for practice owners and equipment providers to interact and experience these latest innovations in action.
The poster portion of the fair further highlighted the impressive range of research being undertaken both locally and internationally. From a cellular to a clinical care level, the relevance and practical applications of these collaborations were never more evident than during the course of the conference.
The conference was a testament to the tireless efforts of the many organisations across the globe, but especially here in Australia, to support the professional development of optometrists. The collaboration seen throughout the conference cements the role of optometry not only in the provision of eyecare, but in driving the understanding of ocular conditions and improving the visual outcomes of the patients they affect.”
Tagged as: OMEGA23, WCO4