ST. LOUIS and Orlando, Fla.—The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and the American Academy of Optometry announced they will be co-hosting the 3rd World Congress of Optometry in conjunction with the Academy meeting to be held in Orlando, Fla. at the Orange County Convention Center. The meeting will feature joint CE tracks and will tentatively take place Oct. 23 to 28, 2019.

“The Academy is very excited to announce our partnership with the WCO on our joint 2019 meeting in Orlando. The cutting-edge and diverse educational program coupled with Orlando’s world-class attractions will make for a truly exciting meeting,” said Academy president Joseph Shovlin, OD, FAAO.

As in past World Congresses, the 3rd World Congress of Optometry will serve as the global platform where practitioners, students, researchers and educators will share expertise and engage in the development of the future of the profession. The Congress will have two principal tracks: Scientific and Educators.

The specially designed Educators’ track of the Congress will offer lectures, workshops and poster presentations maximizing the opportunity to advance the optometric education agenda across the world and will support the sustainable development of highly needed human resources. The Scientific track of the Congress will provide a rich and diverse program of lectures, symposia and clinical workshops complemented by poster presentations, video and photography covering a spectrum of significant themes.

The Academy’s 98th annual meeting will feature a wide array of clinically relevant CE courses and cutting-edge research in the clinical and vision sciences. Attendees can choose from over 250 hours of lectures and workshops, Section and Special Interest Group symposia, hundreds of scientific papers and posters, and several memorable social events. Attendees will also have access to learn about the latest optometric products and services in the exhibit hall.

Information on all aspects of the meeting will be available in the future at www.worldcongressofoptometry.org and www.aaopt.org.