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Vision Expo East kicks off Thursday, March 16 in New York, New York, at the Javits Center and will feature education and a busy Expo hall until Sunday, March 19.

The education program runs from 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM on Sunday. The Expo hall is open 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM on Friday and Saturday and 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM on Sunday.

Global contact lens forum: Elevating your contact lens practice

Melanie Frogozo, Thomas Quinn, OD, MS, FAAO; Jason Compton, OD; Sheila Morrison, OD

Top 10 things you need to do to market your practice

Global contact lens forum: Seeing red: Practical problem-solving of CL red eye

What is SEO & why is it important for my marketing?

March Madness: Case challenges in optometry – Optimizing ocular imaging workshop

Global contact lens forum: Marketing for specialty contact lenses

Glaucoma grab bag: Practical guidelines for effective glaucoma management

March Madness: Case challenges in optometry – Optimizing ocular imaging – Round 1

Mark Dunbar, Mohammad Rafieetary, Steven Ferrucci, Carolyn Majcher, Julie Rodman, March Schaeffer, OD; Marc Bloomenstein, OD; Spencer Johnson, OD, FAAO

Visual assessment: More than just a refraction

Michelle Hoff, OD, FAAO, ABOM, FNAO; Isabel Kazemi, OD, FAAO

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Corneal relationship therapy: Managing the neurotrophic keratitis

March Madness: Case challenges in optometry – Optimizing ocular imaging – Semifinals & Finals

Take this class first: Know how to assess a frame line for quality & fit before you visit vendors

The neuro-ophthalmology of concussion: The evaluation management of vision & visual-motor abnormalities

Optical case studies of the rich & famous

Prescription formulas for the pediatric patient

Uncommon & complicated case reports in troubleshooting

Biomicroscope usage in a contact lens practice

COVID-19, diabetes, hypertension, & racial health disparities

Frame styling with science and savvy to minimize thickness and maximize patient delight

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Leadership & culture: How to be a great leader by influencing the culture within your practice to make your team smarter

Vision Expo East 2023 will take place in New York, New York, on March 16-19 at the Javits Center. 

Conference

Vision Expo East 2023 preview: An agenda jam-packed with education, frame sales, and practice management tips


Mark T. Dunbar, OD, FAAO, director of Optometric Services at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, offers a look at what attendees can expect from Vision Expo East's high-stakes competition "March Madness: Case challenges in optometry." 

The competition kicks off Thursday (March 31) with a workshop followed by  panelist case presentations (moderated by Dr. Dunbar) highlighting imaging technology. 

Panelists include: Julie Rodman, OD; Mohammad Rafieetary, OD, FAAO; Steven Ferucci, OD; Brad Sutton, OD; Carolyn Majcher, OD; Jay Haynie, OD; Joseph Pizzimenti,  OD; and Sherrol Reynolds, OD.

The schedule is as follows:

11:15 am - 1:15 pm
Optimizing Ocular Imaging Workshop

1:30 - 3:30 pm
Optimizing Ocular Imaging Round 1

3:45 - 4:45 PM 
Optimizing Ocular Imaging Semifinals and Finals



To register for the competition, click here

Mark Dunbar, OD, FAAO, offers a look at what to expect from this year's high-sakes competition at Vision Expo East.

Sneak peek: March Madness case challenges at Vision Expo East


After a two-year hiatus, The Bridge —the main stage destination at this year’s Vision Expo East (VEE)—will serve as a destination to get inspired, learn, and connect with peers.

The Vision Council and RX, co-organizers of VEE, promise an exciting line-up of speakers and panelists during the 2022 event.

From eyewear fashion trends to the vision industry’s place in the metaverse and how to improve access to eyecare in underdeserved communities, The Bridge will have a broad range of offerings, according to Mitch Barkely, Vice President of Trade Shows and Events at The Vision Council, in a news release.

Starting 

the Bridge will feature 3 days of panels and presentations. Included in the line-up is the EYE2EYE Series, an educational series of panels and discussions, with a fashion trends presentation by Eyecare Business, followed by a panel exploring the meta verse, Web 3.0 and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and how eyecare, eyewear, and optical are well-positioned to be a part of these trends.



At 5 pm, 20/20 Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Spina will moderate a panel titled “Onward to Independence,” spotlighting independent designers.

Following the panel, the winner of the OPTImum Retail Award, which celebrates independent boutique retailers, will be announced during a champagne reception.

The 2022 award finalists include: Black Optical (Dallas, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Tulsa, OK; St. Louis, MO); Eyes on Sheppard (North York, Ontario); Ocean Optometry (Halifax, Nova Scotia); and OPTYX New York (New York, NY).

Also on Friday, the National Optometric Association (NOA) will host a panel on improving social determinants and access to eyecare in underserved minority communities.

, Vision Expo East’s EYE2EYE Series continues at 10 am with a panel on cryptocurrency and the metaverse.

Also on Saturday, the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS) College Bowl, supported by EssilorLuxottica, will kick off from 12:30-1:30 pm. The event, a fast-paced quiz competition, will feature students representing NFOS member opticianry schools competing to test their optical knowledge.

At 2 pm, EYE2EYE Series will continue with “The Next Generation of Eyewear Panel,” featuring up-and-coming ‘opti-entreprenuers.’ Later, at 4 pm, fashion innovator and author Dapper Dan will share his story with moderator Lilliana Vazquez, host of “E! News” and “Pop of the Morning” with a Q & A directly after. 

The Bridge will also feature the Innovation Stage, the show floor destination dedicated to groundbreaking content and state-of-the-art products and services revolutionizing the industry. The Innovation Stage Series will include presentations from RVL, EssilorLuxottica, Bausch + Lomb and Perfect Corp.

EYE2EYE Series: Eyecare Business Trends Presentation

EYE2EYE Series: Why the Metaverse Was Made for The Vision Industry

Innovation Stage: My Clinical Experience with Upneeq: Diagnosis Ptosis, presented by RVL Pharmaceuticals

Innovation Stage: EssilorLuxottica Crizal(R) No-Glare Lenses - Mastering Innovation

Innovation Stage: EssilorLuxottica Keynote Lunch: Welcoming Patients to Presbyopia (ABO Course)

Innovation Stage: Bausch + Lomb: The Latest AREDS2 10 Year Follow-on Study Results

Innovation Stage: EssilorLuxottica Leonardo: Science for a New Vision

NOA Presents: The Importance of Eye Health and Improving the Social determinants and Access in Underserved Minority Communities

EYE2EYE Series: Onward to Independence Panel

EYE2EYE Series: Cryptocurrency and The Metaverse and How It Is Changing The Future

Innovation Stage: Coming Into Focus: AI + AR Revolution for Eyewear, presented by Perfect Corp.

NFOS College Bowl, powered by EssilorLuxottica

EYE2EYE Series: The Next Generation of Eyewear Panel

EYE2EYE Series: A Conversation with Dapper Dan, Fashion Innovator and Author

An exciting line-up of speakers and panelists is promised for the main-stage destination at VEE 2022. 

The Bridge at Vision Expo East: full schedule 

Myopia has rapidly become one of the most pressing public health challenges of the 21st century. Once considered a benign refractive error easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses, it is now recognized as a progressive, potentially sight-threatening disease. In developing countries, myopia is a leading cause of preventable blindness.

 Beyond impairing distance vision, myopia significantly increases the risk of severe ocular comorbidities and contributes to a growing global socioeconomic burden. With prevalence rates rising rapidly among children and adolescents, particularly in urbanized and developed regions, projections estimate that by 2050, nearly half of the world’s population will be myopic.

The global prevalence of myopia has surged from 22.9% in 2000 to an estimated 34% in 2020 and is expected to reach 50% by 2050, affecting nearly 5 billion people.

 High myopia (≤ −6.00 diopters [D]), which carries a heightened risk of pathological complications, is projected to affect almost 10% of the global population by 2050.

Recent meta-analyses indicate that among children and adolescents, the prevalence of myopia increased from 24.3% in 1990 to 35.8% in 2023 and is forecasted to exceed 39% by 2050.

 The highest rates of myopia are currently seen in East Asia and urban areas.

The progression of myopia, particularly to high levels, is associated with irreversible vision-threatening conditions, which include the following:

: This is the leading cause of blindness in individuals with myopia, characterized by progressive retinal atrophy and significant loss in best corrected vision.

Even children are affected; in a study of 274 children and adolescents (ages 7 to 17) with high myopia (≤ –6.00 D), 12.2% developed myopic maculopathy over 4 years.

: Myopic eyes are structurally elongated, predisposing them to retinal holes, lattice degeneration, vitreoretinal traction, and detachment.

: Structural changes in highly myopic eyes increase susceptibility to these conditions.

 The risk of glaucoma increases by about 20% for every increase of 1 D in myopia, with a disproportionately greater risk observed in individuals with high myopia.

Recent analyses have shown that there is no safe level of myopia.

 Even low to moderate myopia significantly increases lifetime risk. Each additional diopter of myopia increases the risk of myopic maculopathy by 67%, whereas slowing progression by just 1.00 D could reduce the risk by 40%.

 This relationship holds across all degrees of myopia, emphasizing that even seemingly mild cases carry substantial lifelong risk.

Although genetic predisposition plays a significant role in myopia development, particularly among children with at least 1 parent with the condition, the recent, dramatic global surge in prevalence cannot be attributed to genetics alone. The rate of increase is too rapid to be explained by hereditary shifts, implicating environmental factors as the primary drivers of this epidemic. Large-scale studies confirm that while heritability contributes substantially to risk, environmental exposures, such as near work and reduced outdoor time, are critical modulators of myopia onset and progression.

Urbanization has emerged as a major contributor, with children living in urban areas consistently demonstrating higher myopia rates than those residing in rural environments. This disparity is likely due to differences in lifestyle, including less time spent outdoors and greater engagement in near tasks such as reading and screen use.

 Reduced time outdoors is a well-established risk factor for myopia progression in children and adolescents.

Exposure to natural light is believed to stimulate retinal dopamine release, a key factor in inhibiting axial elongation, thereby offering a protective effect against myopia.

Conversely, increased near work and screen time have been associated with higher risks of both myopia onset and progression.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these environmental risks by shifting children’s activities indoors and dramatically increasing screen-based learning and entertainment. Studies during lockdowns revealed a marked rise in myopia incidence, especially among children aged 6 to 8 years.

 One large-scale Chinese study reported a mean myopic shift of up to –0.30 D within just a few months of confinement—an acceleration unprecedented in previous years.

Early-onset myopia, particularly before the age of 10, is strongly associated with faster rates of progression and a markedly increased lifetime risk of developing high myopia and its associated sight-threatening complications.

Younger children experience more rapid axial elongation and faster spherical equivalent changes compared with those with later onset, making early identification and timely intervention critical to mitigate future risks. Evidence indicates that children with earlier myopia onset not only have faster annual progression rates—often exceeding −0.75 D per year—but are also more likely to experience sustained, rapid progression over subsequent years if left untreated.

The global economic burden of myopia is substantial. In 2015, the potential productivity loss from uncorrected myopia was estimated at $244 billion, with an additional $6 billion attributable to myopic macular degeneration.

Direct costs include refractive correction, clinical management of complications, and surgical interventions. Indirect costs include reduced work productivity, poorer school performance, and diminished quality of life (QOL).

Importantly, individuals with myopia experience significantly lower vision-related QOL compared with emmetropes, even after optical correction. Myopia adversely affects both visual functioning and socioemotional well-being, with even very low degrees of myopia associated with substantial declines in QOL.

 Studies have shown that high myopia impairs QOL to an extent comparable with keratoconus, an ocular condition traditionally associated with significant disability.

 Factors such as dependency on optical correction, limitations in recreational activities, reduced self-esteem, and financial burden related to ongoing care contribute to this diminished QOL.

The rise in myopia is not only a crisis of visual acuity but also a looming epidemic of vision impairment and blindness. It is imperative that clinicians, educators, policymakers, and parents act collaboratively to implement evidence-based strategies to address this growing burden.
Focusing efforts on delaying the onset and slowing the progression of myopia, particularly during childhood, has the potential to significantly reduce future ocular morbidity and socioeconomic costs. Immediate action is essential to protect the visual health and QOL of future generations.

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Haarman AEG, Enthoven CA, Tideman JWL, Tedja MS, Verhoeven VJM, Klaver CCW. The complications of myopia: a review and meta-analysis.

van Leeuwen R, Haarman AEG, van de Put MAJ, Klaver CCW, Los LI; Dutch Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Study Group. Association of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment incidence with myopia prevalence in the Netherlands. 

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Understanding the scale and scope, by the numbers.

Calista Ming, OD, FAAO, FSLS

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