British Contact Lens Association

9 January 2012

The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is inviting members to book their place at the 36th Clinical Conference and Exhibition by 9 March in order to receive up to 45 per cent off the full delegate rate as part of a new member loyalty scheme.

Anyone (including non-members) who books before the early bird deadline of 9 March will receive a discount on the full delegate package – but under the new loyalty scheme, the rate will be higher for those who have been a BCLA member for two to five years, and even higher at five years plus.

With more than 60 hours of learning available, new clinical topics, world renown speakers, practical tuition and the introduction of Clinical Grand Rounds, the 2012 BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition, to be held from 24-27 May at the ICC Birmingham, looks set to be the highlight of the 2012 optical calendar.

‘Competing for Excellence’ is this year’s Games-inspired theme and, as always, there will be an abundance of CET tracks and fresh features to attract all those with an interest in contact lenses – from student optometrist to contact lens optician to ophthalmologist.

NEW features:
• Clinical Grand Rounds
• Skin and lids
• Contact lenses and sport
• Anterior eye and nutrition: implications for contact lenses
• Contact lenses and the future
• Taking the presbyopia challenge
• Dry eye management in practice

Keynote speakers:
• BCLA Medallist, Professor Alan Tomlinson (UK)
• Irving Fatt Memorial Lecturer, Dr Martin Cardall (UK)
• Dr Stuart Richer (USA)
• Professor Richard Collin (UK)
• Professor Mark Andre (USA) (pictured)
• Professor Patrick Caroline (USA)

There are seven CET workshops to choose from this year, plus a CET clinical presentation. As always the Association’s annual Therapeutics Academy and Training Day for Medics will run in tandem with the conference offering, respectively, invaluable therapeutics CET points and exclusive contact lens tuition for ophthalmologists.

The Exhibitors’ Pavilion will be back by popular demand after its successful launch in Manchester last year – and with space virtually sold out for the three-day free exhibition (25-27 May) there’ll be ample opportunity to find out what’s new and improved in contact lenses and related products.

In the spirit of the conference theme, ‘A question of contact lenses’, based on the BBC quiz show, A Question of Sport, will close this year’s conference. Popular presenter Sarah Morgan will referee teams captained by Immediate Past President, Shelly Bansal, and 2012-13 BCLA President, Dr Catharine Chisholm. This year’s Gala Dinner will have a Wild Wild West theme, and as usual interesting excursions have been laid on for accompanying persons.

BCLA Conference Scientific Programme Consultant, Chris Kerr, commented: “Never before has the BCLA Clinical Conference presented so many hours of scientific learning. In my view, no other clinical conference presents such a unique and diverse programme allowing delegates to pick and choose relevant tracks, grouped around pertinent topics, designed to help them be the best they can be in clinical practice. Now, with the introduction of Grand Rounds and other cutting edge clinical sessions, the annual BCLA Clinical Conference is – to coin this year’s theme – truly ‘Competing for Excellence’.”

Patron Sponsors of the 2012 Clinical Conference are CIBA Vision and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care; Platinum Sponsors are Bausch + Lomb and CooperVision, and Gold Sponsors are Abbott Medical Optics, Optometry Today, Sauflon and Topcon.

Visit www.bcla.org.uk to register your place. Contact the BCLA office on +44 (0) 20 7580 6661, fax +44 (0) 20 7580 6669 or email conf@bcla.org.uk