NORWALK, Conn.— Registration has opened for Vision Expo West in September at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada (Education: Sept. 14 to 17; Exhibition: Sept. 15 to 17). Registration for education courses is also open.

“International Vision Expo in Las Vegas is a great opportunity for eyecare providers to get the continuing education they seek to improve patient care and profitability,” said Ashley Mills, vice president, Trade Shows and Meetings, The Vision Council. “We understand the challenges of taking time away from the practice, and work to ensure that Vision Expo delivers high value for our attendees and exhibitors, alike.”

Exhibitors routinely use Vision Expo West to launch or preview new products and show organizers are urging exhibitors to share award@thevisioncouncil.org their news with Vision Expo.

The Vision Expo continuing education (CE) program is positively impacting practices and customers, according to research following Vision Expo East 2016, which found that 94 percent of Vision Expo East attendees believe education they received at Vision Expo would help provide better care for their patients. The same research found that nearly 3 in 4 will make changes based on their education experience—including implementing learnings and training staff on what was learned.

Attendees at Vision Expo West can look forward to co-located meetings including the Cohen Fashion Optical Annual Meeting, which will feature a sponsored welcome cocktail party on Sept. 13 for the 125 expected franchisees and the PERC Bi-Annual Meeting featuring custom continuing education which will be held on Sept. 16.

The conference—showcasing company and product innovation across 183,000 square feet of exhibit space and offering 320+ hours of education—will take place during dozens of related events held in Las Vegas during the week of Vision Expo, including concerts by the Goo Goo Dolls, Pitbull, Boyz II Men and Marc Anthony.

An opening night party will feature the Bad Habits “Eye Docs of Rock” at the Hard Rock Café, the ODs on Facebook Party at TAO Nightclub at the Venetian Hotel and the 9th Annual Swing Fore Sight Golf Outing with Prevent Blindness,. Other events include parties for the Young Professionals Club and OD students as well as alumni functions including Arizona College of Optometry and University of Houston College of Optometry.

Vision Expo maintains a niche in offering elevated business education catered to those wishing to open a practice or identify new ways to improve patient care, customer experience and profitability. With 100+ hours of education in the Business Solutions track—color-coded for easy readability on the daily course grid—focused on specific solutions to the most pressing areas of focus (leadership, customer experience, human resources, data and profitability & growth), attendees can focus their learning to bring back actionable solutions that can be immediately implemented.

“Vision Expo is the industry’s most inclusive event,” said Tom Loughran, industry vice president, Reed Exhibitions. “In addition to offering an incomparable experience, and value, Vision Expo helps strengthen the entire profession through programs like Think About Your Eyes.”

Think About Your Eyes will launch its second round of advertising on July 18, with commercials focusing on kids vision to capitalize on back-to-school preparations, and early detection of eye disease. Ads will be featured on cable TV channels, radio, online radio and in online banner ads. The ads will encourage consumers to visit the Think About Your Eyes website to find an eye doctor near them. More than 150 million Americans have been exposed to Think About Your Eyes messaging and coverage for the campaign has been featured in The Huffington Post, Parents and SELF magazines.

Attendees who register by Aug. 18 will benefit from early bird pricing featuring a $25 discount on registration fees. Customizable education packages are available with a la carte options and total office pricing offers discounts for practice groups. To learn more about Vision Expo, or to register, visit www.VisionExpoWest.com.