It’s all happening in Harrogate

Early bird booking open until 6 May: special rate for ABDO members

The world of eyecare takes place in teams. Whether dispensing spectacles or fitting contact lenses, in practice the dispensing optician (DO) works side by side with their optometrist colleagues to provide a service to their patients.

This shared practice, along with the wider eyecare team in secondary care, is being celebrated and supported by the College of Optometrists’ Optometry Tomorrow 2026 conference.

With this year’s conference partners – ABDO, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists – the programme has been opened up to welcome eyecare teams from across the disciplines to come and learn together.

Whatever your role in practice, there are plenty of CPD-accredited sessions to support both your personal learning journey and the shared goals of your eyecare business.

Below are just some of sessions that would provide both DOs and contact lens opticians (CLOs) a good opportunity to engage with their optometrist colleagues.

Sunday 14 June

• 09.30-10.45 Optometry 2049: AI and the future of vision care. Everyone needs to have confidence about artificial intelligence (AI) and this session is designed to help eyecare professionals get up-to-date on how AI is reshaping eye health
• 11.00-12.00 Matilda: little frames, big confidence. Bringing their expertise in paediatric eyecare to this workshop is senior DO at Great Ormond Street, Jessica Gowing, and DO frame expert Rob Barrow, helping everyone to understand how all children’s eyecare can be supported
• 11.00-12.00 The contact lens identity: cracking the keratoconus code. This practical skills workshop with Ewan Ramsay, principal optometrist at Oxford Eye Hospital, will develop confidence in assessing and managing keratoconus through three focused skill areas
• 13.30-14.30 Choose your own adventure: mapping eyecare careers. Ever wondered what you can do? Join a panel of optometrists and DOs in this session to explore career possibilities in eyecare
• 14.45-15.45 The Great British peer review: mixed edition. Learning as peers in this collaborative session, DOs and optometrists will discuss a diverse range of patient cases
• 16.45-17.45 Sex in the City: STDs in the EED. Maybe not a conversation people are comfortable with, but rising rates of STDs means eyecare professionals need to be confident in picking up the signs and managing patients appropriately

Monday 15 June

• 09.00-10.00 The illusionist: decoding Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). This lecture will explore the latest research on CBS to enable eyecare professionals to provide supportive patient care
• 09.00-10.00 Marvel at the tear film: hands-on punctum plug. A great chance to pick up a new skill and expand your dry eye practice to support patients
• 11.00-12.00 Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD): have we found the cure? Alongside other eyecare professionals, DOs have a role to support patients with MGD and this session will help provide an understanding of the latest research and management options available
• 13.30-14.15 Unblind your mind: how to become a champion. Though not CPD accredited, this keynote speech from paralympian and psychologist, Darren Harris, looks set to raise everyone’s game
• 14.30-15.30 The evidence gap: closing it together. This workshop will consider what evidence will be needed in eyecare practice in the future and how practitioners can provide safe and evidence-based care
• 16.30-17.30 Supervision: start with the end in mind. With changes to eyecare education, DOs can now be involved as part of the team supporting pre-reg optometrists. This session will explore common scenarios that can arise in supervision

And, don’t forget, in between sessions there is plenty more to explore – with a large exhibition of manufacturers and professional bodies with plenty of space to network with colleagues.

Representatives from ABDO will also be there to catch up with members and delegates, with a dedicated stand.

We look forward to seeing you at the Harrogate Convention Centre on 14 and 15 June.

Discounted two-day tickets are available from £200 for ABDO members – available until midnight on 6 May.

For more details, to check CPD accreditation for individual sessions and to book, visit the Optometry Tomorrow 2026 website.