February 19-22, 2025
Orlando, FL

Vision Expo Organizers Announce New Educational Planning Committee and New OptiCon Advisory Board Members for Vision Expo West 2022 and Vision Expo East 2023

New Educational Program To Debut at Vision Expo West, taking place September 14–17, 2022 at The Venetian Convention Center & Expo in Las Vegas

Alexandria, VA – May 31, 2022 – The Vision Council and RX, co-organizers of Vision Expo, today announce the new Educational Planning Committee and new members of the OptiCon Advisory Board that will oversee the education program for Vision Expo West 2022 and Vision Expo East 2023.  

The new Educational Planning Committee, which is responsible for developing Vision Expo’s clinical accredited CE program and selecting course topics and speakers, will be co-chaired by Mark Dunbar, OD and Marc Bloomenstein, OD.  Additional members of the committee include: Melissa Barnett, OD; Mick Kling, OD; Millicent Knight, OD; Jack Schaeffer, OD; and Vincent Young, MD.  For more information on the Educational Planning Committee, click here.

Vision Expo’s new education program, featuring more than 320 hours of CE, will debut at Vision Expo West 2022, taking place September 14-17 in Las Vegas.  The Show’s educational program, together with OptiCon®@Vision Expo, will open Wednesday, September 14, and the Exhibit Hall will open Thursday, September 15.  To pre-register, click here.

“The new Education Planning Committee for Vision Expo has developed a unique and comprehensive educational program that offers learning opportunities for every member of the eyecare team.  We have developed an educational curriculum to help expand your practice offerings in areas such as aesthetics, lasers and advanced therapies, as well as myopia control and scleral lenses,” said Mark Dunbar, OD, co-chair of the Educational Planning Committee.  “We recognize the importance of new technology and how these advances help us to provide better care for our patients.  To that end, we have included courses focused on the latest imaging technologies as well as advances in wavefront technology.  There are also courses focused on new therapeutics approaches to treat presbyopia, dry eye and meibomian gland disease, as well as the latest surgical advances in cataracts, glaucoma and retinal disease.”

The OptiCon Advisory Board Members for Vision Expo West and Vision Expo East 2023 have also been selected.  The OptiCon Advisory Board is comprised of members of the American Board of Opticianry & National Contact Lens Examiners (ABO-NCLE) Board of Directors.  The OptiCon Advisory Board develops and oversees the creation of the industry’s premier OptiCon @ Vision Expo Education Program that focuses on subject areas including: Contact Lens, Business and Practice Expertise, and Clinical Concepts, specifically designed for Opticians, Contact Lens Practitioners and Ophthalmic Health Professionals. OptiCon’s partnership with Vision Expo brings this premier education program to the largest gathering of eyewear and eyecare professionals.

The OptiCon Advisory Board co-chairs are: Tina Palumbo, Foerster & Hayes LTD, ABO-NCLE Board Public Member; and Phernell Walker, MBA, ABOM, NCLEC, Pure Optics, LLC.  New additions to the board include: Ledonna Buckner, ABOC, NCLEM, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare; Deedee Finisecy, ABOM, Wagner Opticians; and Bev Harper, ABOC, Owner, Cook Inlet Eyecare.

For more information on the OptiCon Advisory Board, click here.

“ABO-NCLE is proud to partner with Vision Expo to provide Ophthalmic Professionals with the premier source for educational opportunities in Spectacle, Contact Lens, and Allied Health education, as well as providing the OptiCon Hub to expand professional networking opportunities with numerous in-person events,” said Tina Palumbo, OptiCon Advisory Board Co-Chair and ABO-NCLE Board of Directors’ Public Member.

Additional OptiCon Advisory Board Members include: Janet Acara, NCLEM, ABOC, Erie Community College; Tom Barracato, ABOC, NCLEC, Owner, Adolph Optical; Sandy Brown, ABOM, NCLEC, VisionWorks; Curt Duff, ABOM, NCLEM, Owner, Tinder-Krauss-Tinder; and Carri Rivera Russell, NCLEM, Bausch Health Specialty Vision Products, NCLE Chair.

Vision Expo West 2022 will take place at The Venetian Convention Center & Expo in Las Vegas from September 14–17, 2022. The Show’s educational program, together with OptiCon®@Vision Expo, will open Wednesday, September 14, and the Exhibit Hall will open Thursday, September 15.  Registration will open in June 2022.  To pre-register, click here.

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About Vision Expo
Vision Expo East and West are trade-only conferences and exhibitions for eyecare and eyewear presented by co-owners RX and The Vision Council. Vision Expo is the complete event for ophthalmic professionals, where eyecare meets eyewear, and education, fashion and innovation mingle. In the Vision Expo Exhibit Hall, eyecare providers can discover trends, interact with new technologies and access innovative products and services. The Vision Expo education program is driven by the profession, offering content of the highest quality and relevance to enhance overall patient care. For more information, visit VisionExpo.com and follow Vision Expo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.   

About The Vision Council
As the vision care leader in enabling better vision for better lives, The Vision Council positions its members for success by promoting growth in the vision care industry through education, advocacy, research, consumer outreach, strategic relationship building and industry forums.

About RX
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com