How AAO 2024 will elevate clinicians' skills, knowledge and experience in Chicago

Along with a robust in-person schedule, here will also be virtual attendance options for the AAO 2024 meeting and Subspecialty Day. Image credit: ©Kathy – stock.adobe.com

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) will hold its annual meeting from 18 to 21 October, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Its program will feature symposia, instruction courses, clinical sessions, original papers, skills transfer lectures, videos and posters and the Expo.

According to Debra Rosencrance, vice president of meetings and exhibits at the AAO, the theme for AAO 2024 is “elevate.”

“The academy’s annual meeting helps attendees elevate their skills, knowledge, and the profession,” she explained. “We encourage physicians to bring their entire team to the annual meeting as there are sessions and networking opportunities that can elevate one’s entire practice.”

Celebrate on Saturday night

A new addition this year is the Saturday Night Celebration, being held from 19:30 to 22:30 on 19 October. Rosencrance said the new meetingwide event supports the academy’s education initiatives. Attendees can buy tickets through registration.

“The new Saturday Night Celebration is a great place to connect with friends and colleagues, meet academy leadership, and just have fun at one of Chicago’s hottest nightclubs, TAO,” she said.

More educational opportunities are also available in the AAO 2024 Expo.

“In addition to the sessions taking place in the Learning Lounge and Poster Theater, industry will talk about products and trends in the Showcase Theater,” she said. “Exhibitors from early-stage and start-up companies will speak in the new Innovation Theater, and academy education, advocacy, and research initiatives will be highlighted in the new Academy Theater.”

During the meeting there will be a range of educational opportunities available, including hands-on workshops and certification courses, with an educational opportunity for everyone, regardless of their learning style. Rosencrance highlighted events of particular interest:

• Small-group learning at the Learning Lounge, Academy Café, Poster Theater, Poster Discussions, new Innovation Hub and more
• Hands-on surgical labs, which allow attendees to practice a new technique or brush up on an old one
• Symposia rooms where attendees can listen to ophthalmology’s key opinion leaders on the latest research, then immediately discuss with nearby colleagues during the breaks

Keynote speakers for the AAO meeting will include:

• Jasmine H. Francis, MD, delivering the Jackson Memorial Lecture, titled “Histiocytosis Advancements Parallel Ophthalmic Innovation”
• Mary Street Alinder, delivering the Michael F. Marmor Lecture in Ophthalmology and the Arts, in a presentation titled “Ansel Adams: The Development of Vision”

Major conversations, quiet moments

Rosencrance pointed out that there are several must-attend sessions on the schedule this year. New sessions and hot topics include Office-Based Surgery; Ophthalmology Mythbreakers; The Year in Literature: Editor’s Choice Highlights From the Ophthalmology Journal Family; Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology; Geographic Atrophy; New Retinal Therapies; and New Therapies for Corneal Endothelial Diseases.

“We encourage attendees to stay for Cataract Monday, the academy’s must-attend Spotlight on Cataract Complications,” she added.

The primary objectives for planners this year, according to Rosencrance, have been to provide more networking and educational opportunities in the Expo and to develop programs for the entire practice team.

“We continue to look for ways to make the meeting more comfortable for attendees,” she added. “One way we are addressing this at this year’s meeting is the introduction of a quiet room. We’ll be providing a room away from the action where attendees who may be feeling a little overwhelmed can sit quietly to read, work, or relax.”

Each year, the academy sets out to make the event a little different.

“AAO attendees will find something different every year because the program is based on what is hot in ophthalmology right now,” Rosencrance explained. “We are continually tweaking the educational opportunities to continue offering value to all attendees.”

Take time to socialise

Chicago remains a favorite destination for the academy, she added. “It is easy to travel to and from the city, and there is always something new to see, hear, and experience,” Rosencrance said. “It is known for its cutting-edge theatre, breathtaking architecture, world-renowned museums and inventive chefs.”

Networking opportunities are a major part of the programme, too, Rosencrance said. “We have been creating more and more business-ready networking lounges designed for attendees to conduct meetings and interviews, charge devices, check in with the office, focus and relax,” she shared. “We’ve added more educational opportunities to interact and discuss in small groups—Learning Lounge, Academy Café, poster discussions, and introducing ‘continue the conversation’ areas in selected session rooms.”

Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of regularly scheduled breaks in the scientific program to meet up with colleagues and mentors, visit affinity group lounges and explore the AAO 2024 Expo.

While the in-person schedule is jam-packed, there will also be virtual attendance options for the AAO 2024 meeting and Subspecialty Day.

To learn more, register and begin assembling your agenda, visit the AAO 2024 meeting guide.