Numerous tours of the city and the surrounding area can be arranged Image credit: ©jovannig – stock.adobe.com

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2023 annual meeting is returning home to San Francisco on Friday 3 November through Monday 6 November. The venue is the George R. Moscone Centre. In addition to the main programme, the Subspecialty Days are set for Friday and Saturday, 3 and 4 November.

AAO is continuing with the opportunity for clinicians to participate once in-person or virtually options at this year’s conference.

For those interested in attending virtually, more than 200 sessions will be available in the AAO 2023 Virtual Meeting platform through March 1, 2024. Clinicians can peruse the AAO’s Mobile Meeting Guide using the link: https://aao.apprisor.org/apsHome.cfm?CFID=1872340&CFTOKEN=a492b99d2278d253-99F8C5A2-98D0-18EC-3BD277CBA4F1F6CD

Once online, the following these steps provided by AAO will guide clinicians to desired topics:

Choose "Programme" from the main menu

Select the "Programme Search"

"Filter by Format" then select formats with "On Demand" to view those sessions available in the Virtual Meeting. Multiple filters can be searched at the same time.

Clinicians attending in person also can have access to the virtual meeting. Upon registration, they will automatically have access to the corresponding virtual content for that meeting. Registration for an in-person Subspecialty Day Friday or Subspecialty Day Saturday meeting includes access to the Subspecialty Day Virtual content from that same day.

If a clinician wishes to view the virtual content for a meeting that he or she has not already registered for, they can register for that separately: https://aao.apprisor.org/apsforward.cfm?goto=https://secure.aao.org/aao/Experient-SSO

Orbital Gala: a new look

The Orbital 2023: Gold Rush, previously called the Orbital Gala, is a special event to be held at the iconic Westin St. Francis Hotel on Sunday, 5 November. This is the AAO Foundation's premiere fundraising celebration that supports Academy programmes. Those interested can use the link to purchase tickets: https://www.aao.org/foundation/orbital-overview

Camp AAO

AAO is introducing a new feature to accommodate clinicians attending the conference with their children. This childcare option is provided by ACCENT.

Parents of children aged 6 months to 12 years old can enroll them in this programme that is located near the Moscone Centre.

According to the AAO announcement, “Your kids will love playing at Camp AAO — a safe, nurturing environment located near Moscone Centre. Children will have the opportunity to participate in arts and crafts, a variety of active games and additional activities.”

No meals are included, but parents may provide food at drop off or bring food during the day. In addition, the staff will not administer any medication.

Camp AAO will operate from 7:30 am to 6 pm from Friday, 3 November to Sunday, 5 November and from 7:30 am to 4 pm on Monday, 6 November.

The registration and payment deadline for Camp AAO is October 27. More information and online registration are available at https://www.accentregister.com/Event/CEvents/7071

San Francisco vibe

In addition to the innumerable educational opportunities for AAO attendees, San Francisco provides an abundance of activities to enjoy before, during, and after the conference.

Put aside some time to investigation AAO’s Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye situated conveniently at Fisherman’s Wharf. To find out about the hours of operation and any special exhibits, use this link: https://www.aao.org/museum/visit

Numerous tours of the city and the surroundings can be arranged. These include a trip to Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, a ride on a cable car, time on Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Street, and Golden Gate Park to name just a few.

Restaurants are available to satisfy any palate, and don’t forget a stroll through Chinatown.