The 3rd edition of the OSI National Summit took place from November 15 to 17, in the spectacular mountain environment of Whistler BC. 

Close to 250 optometrists, opticians and visual clinic employees from across Canada gathered at the magnificent Fairmont Château Whistler for a weekend of discoveries, high-calibre training and insightful seminars presented by renowned speakers. 

Dedicated to OSI Group Members, the OSI National Summit is the ideal forum for continued learning, networking and mapping out key business strategies to enhance patient care and achieve a more profitable practice. 

“We strive to foster a strong entrepreneurial culture among owner optometrists in Canada. Through innovation and continuous improvement of our practice management solutions, OSI Group Members can benefit from a full range of value-added tools and services that provide a competitive edge and pave the way to a thriving business model for independently owned clinics across Canada” said Patrice Lacoste, President and CEO of the OSI Group.

SUMMIT PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Eyewear fashion and style 

The event was off to an impressive start on Friday night with the presentation of the “Travel Without the Jet Lag” fashion show, which played host to the latest trends in eyewear by some of world’s top frame designers. 

The highlight of the show was the stunning Transitions® dress, made entirely from 200 of the latest innovative grey-coloured light intelligent Transitions® Signature® GEN8 lenses provided by Essilor Canada. The dress was modelled by Vancouver-born Ashleigh McIvor, Canada’s ski cross gold medallist at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Created exclusively for the OSI Group, this distinctive composition was crafted by fashion designers Vincent Knesevith and Branagan Auld. 

Supplier trade show 

More than 30 partners and suppliers were onsite to showcase their latest collections of fashion frames in a variety of colours and styles, as well as present some of the leading-edge technologies in lenses, dry eye treatment and screening instruments. 

A great opportunity for participants to discover new products and innovative trends in eyewear. 

Conferences and training 

A solid line-up of well-known and engaging keynote speakers and training professionals, such as award-winning entrepreneur and digital marketing expert Darrell Keezer and Dermatologic Surgeon and Clinical Professor Dr. David Zloty, shared their expertise on a wide variety of patient care and practice management topics. 

Throughout the weekend, participants also took advantage of networking opportunities during summit activities, breaks as well as gourmet meals like the Chef’s competition on Friday night and the Black & White theme dinner on Saturday. 

The 2020 edition of the OSI National Summit will be held from November 20 to 22, at the beautiful Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto.