Valuable 100% Optical return for ABDO
ABDO president, Kevin Gutsell, speaks with stand visitors
ABDO staged a successful return to 100% Optical last weekend – with a stand adjacent to the Dispensing Workshop area showcasing the Association’s 2026 campaign celebrating the centenary of the profession.
As well as delivering two lively CPD discussion workshops – one focusing on clinical communication outside the consulting room and the other on spectacles vs. contact lenses for myopia management – a number of ABDO staff, Board members and regional leads spent time speaking with members and non-members alike across the three days.
Centenary branded items were available for stand visitors to take away, with a competition to win £100 worth of John Lewis vouchers offered to ABDO members who visited the stand in a nod to the 100th anniversary celebrations.
The Association also used the SmartScan app for the first time, to enable follow-up communications to take place more readily.
Enjoying one of ABDO’s discussion workshops
As well as delivering the CPD discussion workshop on ‘Myopia vs. spectacles for myopia management? You decide’ alongside Dean Dunning, ABDO head of professional qualifications, Association president, Kevin Gutsell, took time to speak with as many stand visitors as possible.
Kevin said: “100% Optical once again proved to be a fantastic opportunity to meet with ABDO members, explore the latest developments in our sector, reconnect with friends and colleagues, and return home with fresh ideas – alongside those all-important CPD points.
“This year, however, the event felt particularly meaningful for me as I had the privilege of co-delivering a thought-provoking discussion workshop each day focused on the choices available for contact lenses and spectacles in myopia management.
“The session generated lively debate, with strong engagement from attendees and a wide range of opinions expressed on the most effective ways to manage the increasing number of myopic children we are seeing in practice,” added Kevin.
ABDO’s Max Halford and Alex Webster act out a patient encounter
The ABDO discussion workshop titled ‘Are you up to the challenge?’ led by ABDO clinical and policy director, Max Halford, also sparked engaging discussions among delegates – who were able to take home valuable learning around sensitive patient communication, a patient’s right to complain, maintaining appropriate boundaries and much more.
Alex Webster, ABDO director of professional development, said: “It was fabulous to see so many dispensing opticians and ABDO members taking part in the ABDO CPD workshops provided at 100% Optical. These discussion workshops were a great opportunity for members to share their knowledge and experiences in practice with other General Optical Council registrants and we weren’t disappointed.”
Summing up the event from ABDO’s perspective, Gavin Berkerey, director of communications and engagement, said: “Our three days at 100% Optical were incredibly valuable. From connecting with people who can support our members’ wellbeing and personal development, to speaking with employers about our Pay and Reward Survey as momentum builds in recognising the vital contribution dispensing opticians make.
“I’ve been inspired by conversations about promoting our paediatric dispensing expertise across NHS trusts, talking to our members about our CPD offering and 100-year celebrations, and guiding future dispensing opticians as they begin their career journey,” Gavin added.
Further coverage of 100% Optical 2026 will be contained in the upcoming April issue of Dispensing Optics.