Passport to education

The ACE Campus will be a dedicated facility to accommodate all the educational activity at Optrafair 2005. With the help of the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians as one of the platinum sponsors, we plan to construct three lecture theatres each holding 120 people, two workshop areas (each accommodating 30) and a large caf area where we have decided to hold the 'Lunch and learn' sessions supported by co-platinum sponsor Bausch & Lomb.
In addition, the design of the
800sq m campus includes a quadrangle where we will locate the administration kiosk and Essilor's Advanced Learning Centre. The AOP plans to provide about 80 hours of top-notch education spread over some 40 courses made up of lectures and workshops.

Subjects on offer
Broad subject themes will include lectures and workshops on: contact lenses and refractive management, ocular pathology and therapeutics, diagnostic procedures and investigative techniques, low vision, spectacle lens and frame dispensing, and practice management and communication topics.
Optometrists and dispensing opticians will be able to obtain their annual CET requirements (GOC-approved) in one location over the three days alongside Optrafair 2005. All speakers, as in previous events organised under the auspices of the Vision Education Partnership, have been chosen not only for their expertise but also for their excellent presentation skills.
These speakers will include Professor Tony Cullen from Canada who will give presentations on various subjects including ocular disease and therapeutics in practice. Cullen and Professor Roger Buckley will also be sharing the podium to deliver the prestigious Partnership Lecture, entitled 'Ocular therapeutics and optometry - a winning combination!'
Other presenters include Professor John Lawrenson, Professor David Thomson, Dr Christine Dickenson, Judith Morris and Professor Nathan Efron.
Throughout the weekend and on the Monday, the three lecture theatres will be running talks, while the two workshop facilities will offer a variety of skills and interactive tutorials - simultaneously.
The Campus Caf will also be busy with special events from time to time. Meanwhile, the quadrangle will house Essilor's Advanced Learning Centre - an interactive electronic facility with a range of education material imported from the February 2005 meeting in Atlanta of our partners SECO International.

Goc and cope approved
All the courses at the ACE Campus are GOC approved and some will also have Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) accreditation. With more than 80 hours of education spread over 43 courses, delegates will easily be able to 'top-up' their CET needs or pick-up their annual quota while visiting the Optrafair 2005.
Delegates will be issued with vouchers as proof of attendance after every course, and we will record the GOC numbers of every attendee at every course, with a view to submitting this data to the appropriate authorities to credit the individuals. It will also be possible for delegates to have 'Certificate of Attendance' for the whole event if they chose to have one for their practice wall.
Delegates in the past have told us that they wanted flexibility with as little 'hassle' of paperwork as possible. The 'passport' system which was introduced in 2003 was very well received by attendees and therefore we will continue with this approach. These passports will allow delegates to attend lectures, special events and receptions at preferential prices. For example a gold passport will give holders unlimited access to courses (lectures only), all the special events and receptions over the three days.
Additionally, there will be options for those who wish to have a one-day only pass, a Saturday or Sunday silver passport, or a Monday bronze passport for similar access to courses (lectures only), special events and receptions on the day of their choice.
Buying a passport is therefore going to be by far the easiest way of 'booking-in' to the event. Delegates will even be able specify courses in advance (up to three lectures per day with a passport). Workshops, however, because of the limited numbers that can be accommodated, will still need to be booked and paid for on an individual basis and are thus excluded from the gold and silver passport options. Finally, if people feel that a passport is not for them then they will still be able to book and pay for individual courses (minimum three courses in advance) if they prefer.

The AOP Continuing Education (ACE) conference will be held alongside Optrafair on April 16-18 2005, at the NEC, Birmingham. The conference is organised by the Vision Education Partnership (VEP) - a partnership between the AOP in the UK and the US Southern Council of Optometrists. www.ace-education.org.uk

 Professor Nizar Hirji is programme director of ACE and the founder of Hirji Associates