How independent practices could – and should – adapt to the fast-changing business environment will be a key focus at the 2022 SightCare conference on Sunday 18 and Monday 19 September at the Telford International Centre.
The theme of this year’s conference is: ‘The future is now’ – and delegates can expect two days of workshops, keynote speakers, CPD, fun and a suppliers exhibition.
Sunday’s interactive workshop, titled ‘Organisations don’t change – people do’, will explore how to make businesses more human.
John French, SightCare chief executive, said: “Ultimately, all business is about ‘people’. No business succeeds without them. The better we understand ourselves, each other and our customers, the better we can serve them, sell more, and build trusted business relationships over the long-term.”
The Sunday evening will see the presentation of the 2022 SightCare Awards celebrating the ‘independent spirit’, followed by “comedian with eyes on optometry”, Sarah Louise Keegan, who will entertain with her latest stand-up material.
On the Monday, motivational speaker Kriss Akabusi will talk about delivering peak performance in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) World. He will share his approach to dealing with the, “Hey, it’s crazy out there!” feeling in the small business world.
Hakim Group founder and CEO, Imran Hakim, will be on hand to answer questions and provide an insight into “the secret of his success, what he believes the future looks like for the optical High Street, the hazards to look out for and what independent optical practices need to do, not just to survive but thrive”.
The Monday will also feature 14 business workshops covering topics such as, ‘Making the most of your brand’, ‘Menopause in the workplace’, ‘Mastermind your way to private practice’, ‘Myopia management’, and ‘Initial steps to becoming a sustainable practice’.
John French added: “There is no going back. The fundamental changes in ways of working caused by Covid-19 require independent optical practices to change, too. Innovative approaches to agility and inclusion, which helped practice owners and their teams through the crisis, are at the core of resetting practices for long-term resilience.”
View the full programme here.