By Cheryl G. Murphy, OD 
Seeing is Believing 2013: Optometry’s 1st Virtual Conference premiered this week, and with a turnout of over 1,200 attendees, a juicy roster of forward-thinking speakers and a collection of big-name sponsors, it already is being deemed a big success.
When it came to teaching optometrists how to develop their online presence, Seeing is Believing 2013 took education and networking to a whole new level. It offered over 35 online education sessions relaying the latest techniques, trends and tools geared towards making practices and their staffs fully knowledgeable and well equipped to handle this new era of social media and technology. The classes and chats were hosted by an array of experts who live, work and practice all over the country giving attendees exposure to a wide range of diverse views, ideas and methods from innovators in the many realms of optometry and from all across the nation.
There were many educational and networking advantages to attending this first-of-its-kind conference online.
The Educational Edge
One of the biggest advantages of signing up to attend this online experience was its flexibility. Despite its pre-recorded classes scheduled over the course of the conference’s two days, Wednesday January 30 and Thursday January 31, attendees currently have the freedom to access the classes again or for the first time for the next 30 days. That means that they can watch them as many times as they want at their convenience anytime over the course of the next month rather than having had to clear out their schedule or a huge block of time to attend classes all at once.
Also, with classes that one attends in person, there might be little time for audience interaction or one might have to wait in line at the end to get to meet and talk with the presenters. Not at Seeing is Believing. Its live chat enabled you to ask questions and interact with speakers in a great, unobtrusive way while their pre-recorded presentation played. No more raising your hand and disrupting the whole lecture for everyone else. Attendees were able to get answers from the speakers and make comments freely to the group in real time while the lecture was happening without being disruptive to those who wanted to keep the flow of the lecture moving forward. And for those who didn’t watch the pre-recorded classes at their live, scheduled times? There is still a chance to ask questions and make comments. Presenters at the conference have made their e-mails and contact information readily available to attendees and they welcome questions, comments and interactions during the lecture or at any time thereafter.
Networking Nationwide
By making Seeing is Believing an online conference, its creators brought together incredible speakers from every part of the nation to the same virtual place. No more missing out on the great west coast speakers and educators because one lives on the east coast and vice versa. Attendees had an easy way to network with optometrists, eyecare professionals and business strategists from all over the country, making connections at the event and continuing to nurture those connections online with each other beyond the conference.
Plus, since the meeting was online, there obviously wasn’t any commute, travel expense or pricey hotel stay which made it affordable, as well as convenient. Optometrists, opticians and staff could take the classes in their office, their living room, their pajamas or on the go!
While unconventional, Seeing is Believing 2013, like successful virtual conferences in other industries, has become an additional, awesome new way for us all to approach education and networking. It is convenient, collaborative and cost-effective!
But since this conference was the first of its kind, the big question loomed on everyone’s mind: Will there be a Seeing is Believing 2014? Fortunately for us, its organizers are not making us “wait and see.” Instead they are answering that question with a resounding, “You better believe it!”
To find out more information about Seeing is Believing, you can visit its web site: http://www.sib2013.com
Were you aware of Seeing is Believing 2013? Did you attend? What did you like or dislike about it? Do you agree with the advantages of a virtual conference? Do you think this will be the first of many to come?
Cheryl G. Murphy, OD, practices at an independent optometric practice in Holbrook, NY. You can like her on Facebook or follow her on twitter @murphyod. To contact her: murphyc2020@gmail.com.
