Two workshops at O-SHOW 2026 are reframing the future of Australian eyecare – one spotlighting women driving change, the other equipping clinicians to master non-clinical aspects of the myopia epidemic.
For decades, optometry conferences have been a stage for optics, innovation and the occasional free microfibre lens cloth. But at O-SHOW 2026, something subtler yet seismic is shifting.
Two workshops hosted by show organisers the Optical Distributors & Manufacturers Association of Australia (ODMA) are putting business strategy, mentorship and real-world practice wisdom at centre stage.
Taking place on 16 August 2026 at O-SHOW in Melbourne, the two sessions – Myopia Mastery and Women in Optics – are aimed at practice owners, managers and practice staff.
Myopia Mastery
With myopia rates rising and more corporate networks rapidly entering the space, ODMA’s Myopia Mastery workshop is designed with practicality in mind. It is intended to equip independent practice owners and managers with insights and practical business tips and to assist with promoting evidence-based solutions and strong, family-centred communication.
Sponsored by HOYA, the half-day workshop from 9.30am to 12.30pm won’t be clinical in its delivery, says ODMA CEO Ms Amanda Trotman.
“Having your practice set up to deliver myopia services is essential” she says.
The workshop will give practice owners real tips for delivering myopia services across all the disciplines, including marketing pointers and assistance with patient-facing language.
The workshop will arc away from the clinical and toward commercial uptake across product domains: spectacle lenses, orthokeratology (orthok) lenses, atropine eye drops, paediatric frame merchandising, in-practice displays, equipment and technology, and marketing documentation.
Presentations will also cover consumer behaviour insights, tips for marketing to families, social media campaign tips and communication.
Every supplier who is presenting in the workshop – lens providers, frame suppliers, atropine partners – are also exhibiting in the O-SHOW trade fair.
“So if people are interested,” Trotman says, “they only need to walk 20 metres and they have the rest of that day and the next day to follow up with those suppliers in detail.”
Workshop speakers, including Ms Allison Abdullah from Lens Avenue and Dr Emma Gillies from Purple Key Consulting, will deliver segments on marketing and patient-family dialogue – the commercial communication skills where independent practices need fluency.
Women in Optics
The Women in Optics leadership event, taking place from 1.30pm to 5.00pm, marks the first event where women in leadership have had substantial input into the events topics.
It will ride the momentum of the inaugural event that took place in mid-2025 at ODMAFair in Sydney.
The 2025 event was facilitated by keynonte speaker Carli Phillips with an emphasis on wellbeing. This time, ODMA is implementing a collective advisory format to bring out lived experiences of female optical professionals while offering practical tips in various key business areas.
With the venue capped at 80 delegates, the workshop’s format is orchestrated to generate discussion and connection.
“We want to keep it intimate. That connection between people is the whole point,” Trotman says.
Trotman will open the workshop by introducing keynote speaker Ms Roni Millard, an emerging voice gaining recognition for her candid, business-first worldview.
“Roni brings a fresh voice to the professional speaking space,” she says.
Founder of The Wellbeing Edge, a motivational speaker, and wellness advocate, Millard’s keynote will set the theme around resilience, time management, and achieving and maintaining life balance.
She’ll be joined by independent practice owner Ms Belinda Musitano from Eyes@Optometry in Western Australia who “will weigh in on some real-life perspectives” toward the end of Millard’s address, Trotman explains.
The workshop’s next session focuses on legal and financial matters – arguably the least glamorous but most structurally important topic for female practice leaders’ security and independence, Trotman says.
ODMA has approached a Melbourne-based law firm whose client base is largely medical professionals to lead the session.
“We want practice owners to have everything set up right for their future business protection, including insurance, structures, assets, financial agreements, and strategic planning,” Trotman says.
The session is positioned to prevent avoidable legal or financial woes. To complement the law firm’s advice, Trotman has formed a supporting panel of independent female practice leaders who will relay “things that have happened to them that caused financial issues – what to avoid, what to fix earlier, what they would do differently”.
“Women tend to want to talk about the real stuff. They don’t want to be spoken at the whole time,” Trotman says, which leads to the workshop’s core: round-table conversations across six pre-selected topics.
Registration forms will list all six topics with space for participants to nominate three preferences. “We’ll assign people to tables beforehand,” Trotman says. “That way, when they take their seat at the table, they’re ready to begin; they’re meant to be there.”
Each table has a facilitator, better known as an ‘ambassador’ – a layer of ongoing professional support Trotman wants to continue after the event.
“We really want our ambassadors to become the people emerging women leaders can lean on,” she says. The ambassador cohort includes respected independent owners such as Ms Helen Summers from the Northern Territory, Ms Heidi Hunter from the Newcastle region, and Dr SooJin Nam from Sydney.
Ambassadors at each table will take notes, synthesise key takeaways, and then deliver summaries to the entire cohort.
“This way, every table still gets the key takeaways on every topic,” Trotman says.
The program closes with principal optometrist of Eyeconic Optometry Southport Ms Celia Bloxom, both ambassador and voice of inspiration.
For more information on O-SHOW26 or the workshops visit www.o-show.com.au or email events@odma.com.au
