Vision Expo has announced a full line-up of Pop Up Talks, celebrity appearances, networking and social events in the ABO-NCLE OptiCon @ Vision Expo Hub, a space designed exclusively for Opticians and Contact Lens Technicians. The Hub, located between the Galleria and Eyewear + Accessories Pavilions at booth #G1164, will also provide attendees with access to representatives and resources from ABO & NCLE, NAO, OAA, NFOS and vendor partners.

In addition to free amenities including food and beverages, giveaways, and more, the OptiCon Hub will host daily happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration on March 17. TV personality and The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey will be in the Hub from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16, and Sunday, March 18 from 12:30 to 1:30, for attendee photo ops. Pop Up Talks will take place throughout each day of the Show in an intimate and interactive setting and will focus on a variety of topics, including sessions from the eyewear designer and deejay duo Coco and Breezy and style expert Joy Gibb.

The full OptiCon Hub Schedule of Events is listed below and can be found online here.

“Vision Expo is proud to have partnered with ABO & NCLE and its affiliates to bring the industry’s premier Opticianry and Contact Lens Technician education program to the largest gathering of eyewear and eyecare professionals in the Americas,” said Mitch Barkley, The Vision Council Vice President of Trade Shows and Meetings. “We are excited to introduce the OptiCon Hub as the centerpiece of this partnership and offer a dedicated space for Opticians and Contact Lens Technicians to network and learn at the Show.”

In addition to more than 75 hours of educational content developed by the OptiCon Advisory Board and just steps away from the Exhibit Hall with over 260,000 net square feet of eyewear and eyecare products, Opticians and Contact Lens Technicians can now take ABO & NCLE review courses and sit for exams at Vision Expo East. (Sitting for exams requires a separate exam registration and fee).

Attendees can also join their colleagues for an opening night party on Friday, March 16, from 7:30–9 p.m. at Stitch Bar & Lounge to meet and mingle with eyecare professionals celebrating OptiCon @ Vision Expo.

Complete OptiCon Hub schedule of events:

Friday, March 16

11:00 a.m.: Scott Shapiro, STATE Optical
Telling the story
1:00 p.m.: Phernell Walker, ABOM, NCLEC, Pure Optics
Optical Geek is Chic: Lens Tech Meets Fashion
2:00 p.m.: Coco and Breezy Dotson, Coco and Breezy Eyewear
How to Nurture Your Entrepreneurial Spirit
3:00 p.m.: Laurie Pierce, LDO, FNAO, ABOM, Hillsborough Community College
My Top 3 Dispensing Tips
4:30 p.m.: Celebrity Appearance and Photo Op with Cynthia Bailey, The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Sponsored by Eye Candy
4:30 p.m.: Happy Hour

Saturday, March 17

11:00 a.m.: Erinn Morgan, Eyecare Business
Spring’s 5 Biggest Eyewear Fashion Trends
1:00 p.m.: Scot Morris, OD, Morris Education & Consulting Associates
The CL Tech Talk
2:00 p.m.: Michael Vitale, ABOM, LDO, NCLEC, The Vision Council
Spectacle Lens Update – What’s New?
3:00 p.m.: Joy Gibb, ABOC, Daynes Eye and Lasik
Style On Site with Joy
4:30 p.m.: Happy Hour

Sunday, March 18

12:30 p.m.: Celebrity Appearance and Photo Op with Cynthia Bailey, The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Sponsored by Eye Candy
For more information about the unique benefits available to Opticians and Contact Lens Technicians at Vision Expo East this March, visit VisionExpo.com. To register for this special package please visit VisionExpoNY.com/OptiCon.