CPR refresher - Thursday 15 October
| Time | Session | Room/location |
|---|---|---|
| 2pm - 6pm | Thursday 15 October 2026 ( supported by Eye Institute) | Eye Institute Wellington Level 1, Bell Gully Building, 40 Lady Elizabeth Lane, Wellington |
All CPD has been approved: 8.42 General, 1.75 Cultural, and 3.0 Ethical
Day 1 - Friday 16 October
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) | Room/location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00am |
Conference registrations open |
Huihui Parliament | |
| 8:50am | Conference opening and welcome with NZAO President | Renata Watene | Banquet Hall |
| 9:00am | Keynote speaker: Future of Eye care - Gene Therapy, Stem Cells & AI Through the Optometrist’s Lens | Professor Lauren Ayton | Banquet Hall |
| 10.00am | Platinum partner: The Dawn of a New 1-week lens; | Alcon Marissa Cassimatis |
Banquet Hall |
| 10:30am | Morning tea - supported by EIKANCE | Grand Hall | |
| 11:00am | Reflecting on communication | Dr Lucy O’Hagan | Banquet Hall |
| 12:00pm | Lunch - supported by Eye Institute | Grand Hall | |
| 1:00pm | Don’t Forget the Girls! Optometric Care of Female Carriers of X-linked Eye Disease | Professor Lauren Ayton | Banquet Hall |
| 1:30pm | Towards equitable sensory health in Aotearoa: progress from the Diabetes and Sensory Health (DaSH) study | Jacqui Ramke | Banquet Hall |
| 2:00pm | Scleral Shell Prostheses: Bridging Gaps in Care for Blind, Disfigured Eyes | Janice Yeoman | Banquet Hall |
| 2:20pm | Eyes on Trial: Ophthalmic Manifestations of Systemic Agents in Clinical Trials and Beyond | Dr Hannah Kersten | Banquet Hall |
| 2:40pm | Platinum sponsor: Treat the Fire, Not the Smoke - Integrating ciclosporin 0.09% into clinical practice for moderate-severe dry eye disease |
Sun Pharma |
Banquet Hall |
| 3:10pm | Afternoon tea - supported by EIKANCE | Grand Hall | |
| 3:40pm | Optometry without Retail: Farce or the Future? Alex Petty's Bay Eye Care Experience. | Alex Petty | Banquet Hall |
| 3:55pm | What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up? Optometry Careers of the Future | Professor Lauren Ayton | Banquet Hall |
| 4:40pm | Platinum sponsor: Using Psychology to Better Work and Life | Eye Institute Dr Vipin Kuriachan |
Banquet Hall |
| 4:55pm | Eyes on outreach: connecting eye care providers with under served communities | Lucy Goodman | Banquet Hall |
| 5:10pm | Prescribing trends of optometry in Aotearoa / New Zealand | Richard Johnson | Banquet Hall |
| 5:30pm | Drinks and networking - supported by Eye Clinic Wellington | Huihui Parliament |
Day 2 - Saturday 17 October
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) | Room/location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30am | 5km conference run | Meeting point at Fergs Kayaks | |
| 7:30am | Understanding Visual Function and Dysfunction in Patients With Dry AMD: a Guide for the General Optometrist. | Paul Graveson | Banquet Hall |
| 8:00am | Gene Therapy & IRDs – What Primary Care Needs to Know | Professor Lauren Ayton | Banquet Hall |
| 8:45am | Seeing the Whole Person: Looking Beyond the Vision | Jenni Willson and Sharlene Turner Blind Low Vision NZ |
Banquet Hall |
| 9:15am | Seeing the Whole Picture: The Patient Journey in AMD Care | Macular Degeneration NZ Sarah Berman, Dr Jo Sims |
Banquet Hall |
| 9:45am | Panel discussion | Lauren Ayton, BLVNZ, MDNZ | Banquet Hall |
| 10:00am | Annual General Meeting | Banquet Hall | |
| 11:00am | Morning tea - supported by Alcon | Grand Hall | |
| 11:30am | Platinum sponsor: Focus on Photobiomodulation: The Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask | Wellington Eye Clinic Dr James Leong |
Banquet Hall |
| 12:00pm | How to develop your own 24-Hour Breakdown Service | Keith Lightfoot | Banquet Hall |
| 1:00pm | Lunch - supported by Sun Pharma | Grand Hall | |
| 1:30pm | Practise well - and keep going. A practical reset for optometrists under sustained pressure | Sue Johnston | Banquet Hall |
| 2:30pm | Myopia Management: Minimum Standard of Care, Patient Communication, and Innovations and Frontiers of Care. | Eleisha Dudson | Banquet Hall |
| 2:45pm | Platinum sponsor: 3 Rules | Eye Institute Dr Andrew Thompson |
Banquet Hall |
| 3:00pm | Platinum sponsor: Low-Dose Atropine: From Evidence to Practice | Aspen Pharma EIKANCE Eleisha Dudson |
Banquet Hall |
| 3:30pm | Afternoon tea - supported by Alcon | Grand Hall | |
| 4:00pm | Alan Styles Memorial Debate: This House believes publicly funded primary eye care would do more harm than good for the New Zealand optometry profession | Team Alex vs Team Ryan | Banquet Hall |
| 4:45pm | Close of conference | Banquet Hall | |
| 7:00pm | Gala Dinner (pre-registration required) | Foxglove Restaurant |
*Programme subject to change