ST. LOUIS—The American Optometric Association (AOA) expects to go all out when it welcomes the 122nd meeting of the association to its home town here next June. Optometry’s Meeting will provide “attendees the full St. Louis experience and tak[e] them out to the ballgame,” AOA said in its announcement Thursday, which noted that AOA president-elect Barbara L. Horn, OD, is scheduled to throw out the first pitch that Saturday in June at the Cardinals’ game. The 122nd AOA Congress & 49th AOSA Conference: Optometry's Meeting convenes at America's Center Convention Complex, St. Louis, from June 19-23, 2019, for five days of the latest continuing education, professional leadership and networking opportunities, and the newest industry advances and services in the exhibit hall, the announcement noted. Optometry's Meeting is an opportunity for doctors of optometry, paraoptometrics and students to make a positive impact on their career and profession.

St. Louis, the “hub of America's heartland,” is home to the AOA's national headquarters, and AOA said it will extend a personal invitation to its members to join in for new, original entertainment and events geared toward the whole family at the 2019 event.

As a substitute for the traditional Opening General Session, Optometry's Meeting will kick off Wednesday, June 19, with the AOA Block Party, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd. headquarters of AOA. The Block Party will offer a festival-like, laid-back and casual experience, with an opportunity for attendees to watch the annual AOA Awards ceremony and tour AOA’s home. Indoor and outdoor events also are planned.

At the meeting’s closing event, attendees will be able to take part in “a memorable, scenic experience,” AOA said, as the association invites registrants out to the ballgame for “a grand slam AOA Celebration of Optometry.” Hoya Vision Care is the sponsor of the Saturday, June 22, event. Attendees will watch the game from the all-inclusive, private, four-story Cardinals Nation outside left-center field.

Located inside Ballpark Village, Cardinals Nation is a 34,000-square-foot baseball experience, replete with the Cardinals' Hall of Fame museum and outdoor stadium seating with scenic views of both Busch Stadium and downtown St. Louis.

Dr. Horn will get the ballgame started when she throws out the first pitch that day as the hometown Cardinals square off against the Los Angeles Angels. Dr. Horn will be the first incoming AOA president to throw a first pitch at a Cardinals game since Richard Hopping, OD, took the mound in 1972 at the 75th AOA Congress, according to Thursday’s announcement.

Registration for the meeting opens in early January, while housing is already open for booking. For more information, visit optometrysmeeting.org.