An important part of the upcoming O-SHOW26 event is education. Insight talks with a number of speakers about what they will cover during the Myopia Mastery workshop and what attendees will learn.
Myopia is a key focus of eyecare professionals around the globe, including Australia.
That’s why the Optical Distributors & Manufacturers Association of Australia (ODMA) has put together a powerful line-up of speakers for its Myopia Mastery workshop at O-SHOW26, on 16 August 2026 in Melbourne.
Sponsored by HOYA, the half-day workshop from 9.30am to 12.30pm is aimed at practice owners, managers and practice staff, and won’t be clinical in its delivery, says ODMA CEO Amanda Trotman.
“Having your practice set up to deliver myopia services is essential,” she says.
With that audience in mind, the workshop will focus on practical tips and is intended to equip independent practice owners and managers with insights and useable business ideas and help to promote evidence-based solutions and strong, family-centred communication.
Topics covered will include how to best set up a practice to offer myopia related services, look after young patients when dispensing and the best ways to communicate to both the young patients and their families.
Presenters include both relevant product suppliers, subject experts and respected optometrists and practice owners who are offering myopia services.
One of the evidence-based solutions those attending the workshop will hear about is HOYA’s latest development of its MiYOSMART lens technology.
HOYA, the event’s major sponsor, will be launching its new MiYOSMART iQ lens at O-SHOW26.
Ulli Hentschel, sales and marketing manager at HOYA, says it is using its presence at the workshop to highlight the new product because it sees O-SHOW26 as a crucial opportunity to connect directly with independent practices across Australia and New Zealand, many of whom may not otherwise have regular contact with HOYA’s team.
With optometrists and dispensers often occupied within the “four walls” of their practice, he believes trade shows like O-SHOW26 offer a rare chance to understand market developments, engage in deeper clinical conversations, and showcase innovations that might otherwise take months to circulate through traditional sales channels.
This year, myopia management will take centre stage.
HOYA has been a global leader in the field since the release of MiYOSMART in 2018 – the first spectacle lens to incorporate multiple defocus segments across the surface.
Launched in ANZ in late 2020, MiYOSMART has rapidly reshaped how practitioners approach myopia control, says Hentschel.
Now, five years on, HOYA is launching its second-generation lens, MiYOSMART iQ.
He says workshop attendees will hear about early six-month study findings that indicate children wearing MiYOSMART iQ experienced no measurable myopia progression on average.
“The 12-month clinical data is due to be presented at the ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) conference in early May, and HOYA expects that information to help clinicians make confident, evidence-based prescribing decisions,” says Hentschel.
“By August, we’ll be able to share the full study results.”
HOYA emphasises that the Myopia Mastery program is designed not just to promote one product, but to build a holistic understanding of myopia management – from frame selection and wear-time compliance to practice setup and communication strategies.
He believes the push toward myopia management is no longer optional.
“With global prevalence climbing and strong evidence linking high myopia to future sight-threatening disease, practices that do not provide myopia care risk being left behind,” he says.
“While regional clinics may see fewer cases than urban ones, HOYA stresses that when a progressing myope walks through the door, every practitioner should be equipped to offer an evidence-based solution.”
For independent practices in particular, myopia care represents both a clinical responsibility and a business opportunity.
With greater consultation flexibility and the freedom to choose from the full range of treatment options, independents are well placed to deliver tailored, higher-touch care, he says.
“Collectively, we are fundamentally changing the future of people’s eyes, and independents can take that to another level.”
When retail meets clinical
One of the key workshop speakers will be Brian Walker, who is keen to help eyecare professionals and their practices get to that next level.
He is founder and CEO of Retail Doctor Group, a consultancy that helps businesses grow by better understanding their customers and translating that into strategy, store experience, and execution.
“We’ve worked across health, wellness, and service-based retail, including optical, pharmacy, cosmetic, and allied health, where the balance between clinical credibility and retail performance is critical.”
Walker says healthcare businesses, including those in the optical sector, are strong clinically but the retail side of the operation is “often underdeveloped or treated as secondary”.
“The opportunity is there, but many businesses haven’t fully leaned into it or structured it strategically.”
The biggest challenge is mindset.
“It’s about seeing retail as complementary, not conflicting, with care,” he says.
“The opportunity is significant: better retail execution can improve patient outcomes, increase compliance, and drive commercial performance without compromising trust.
“Leading with education and outcomes helps build that trust. When patients understand the long-term impact and feel the recommendation is genuinely in their best interest, the commercial aspect becomes a natural extension of care.”
His session will be about myopia as an opportunity, clinically and for the business side of a practice.
“I’ll focus on how customer understanding – particularly behavioral and emotional drivers – can shape better in-practice experiences, improve conversion, and build long-term loyalty in a healthcare context.
“Independents win with expertise and personalisation. They can be more tailored, more community-led, and more responsive. The key is to deliberately design that difference, rather than relying on it to happen naturally.”
A myopia control practice
Heidi Hunter has built a strong independent practice – Custom Eyecare Newcastle, NSW – with a big focus on the eye disease.
“It’s definitely a big part of what we do now, especially with kids,” she says.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in referrals from other optometrists, ophthalmologists and GPs as everyone is realising myopia is not just correcting vision but trying to actually manage it long term.”
Many people are referred to her practice because it has “built a bit of a niche in specialty lenses and myopia control” and is comfortable with contact lens fittings and patients with corneal irregularities.
Her session will cover what a myopia-focused practice looks like in practical terms – “not just the theory, but how it actually works day to day”.
“That includes a lot of practical things, like how to handle tricky prescriptions without overcomplicating it, how to choose the right tools for your practice, and how to fit myopia management into an already busy schedule.
“The idea is to keep it practical so people can walk away with something they can implement tomorrow.”
Hunter will also cover communication – “how to explain things to patients and parents in a way that makes sense, and how to build a system that actually works long term”.
That included how focusing on what you enjoy and are skilled at could make running a specialty practice sustainable and rewarding.
“That’s a message that resonates beyond just myopia control.”
Those keen to know more can visit o-show.com.au.
