THE SECOND ANNUAL MEETING WAS FANTASTIC! Hot

 THE SECOND ANNUAL MEETING WAS FANTASTIC!
As written by Aj DeVivo, O.D., AOS Volunteer Liaison-Ohio

The second annual AOS meeting and conference held in Tampa, FL at the beginning of April, was a huge success!  We had a fantastic time and shared a lot of laughs!  For only being a year and a half old, the AOS sure is making a good name for itself in combining high quality optometric education, with energetic enthusiastic professional camaraderie in great locations!  The inaugural AOS conference was held in San Diego last Spring and was equally enjoyable and successful.  Our next AOS meeting and conference will be in Scottsdale, Arizona on Feb. 24-26, 2012! Save the date, ..seriously!  See you there!

The atmosphere of the event was energized and fun!  Tampa presented perfect weather with cloudless sunshine and activities to meet everyone's needs.  One group of ODs went on a Segway tour of Tampa.  What a beautiful city it is!  Others went fishing and shared their catch with classmates while enjoying a live band and drinks at an Irish Pub that prepared their fish to order.  What a unique experience that was!  Another group made up of AOS State Volunteer Liaisons and Optcommers enjoyed a gathering and family sit down meal at a Tapas Bar, (...that's Tapas!  :)  The great weather gave our speakers some competition, but our quality speakers won us over, and the classes were packed. All of the speakers were excellent, ...attendees sure got their money's worth, and every class was fun and interactive!  Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves!  There were 10 very nice raffle prizes donated by the AOS and exhibitors.  The vendors appeared to keep busy, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was festive and celebratory!  What a wonderful weekend, ...congratulations to the AOS on another success!

The AOS really has a family vibe mixed with strong feelings of enthusiasm!  It is so rewarding and exciting to be a part of this new national optometric organization and to experience first hand how fast we have grown in such a short period of time! Many of the colleagues that I have met will be my lifetime friends!  It is very rewarding to be a part of this positive professional change in our wonderful profession!  Mix that in with true friendship and natural vitamin D, ..it doesn't get any better than that!  This really is history in the making for professional organized optometry!  The character, ethics, and integrity of the transparent AOS leadership is both refreshing and humbling.

More comments from the meeting:

"I was especially impressed by the quality and organization of the entire conference. The facilities were excellent and the sponsors were integrated in a way for their maximal exposure. The  audience was one of the best and most interactive that I have ever experienced. While the AOS was born from a political issue, I felt nothing but general good education and professional  camaraderie with no political messaging whatsoever".  -Dr. Joe Sowka, Davie, FL

"For an organization in its infancy to pull off such a flawless meeting was quite impressive. The lectures were great. Not a bad one in the bunch.  ...The food was great and plentiful. You guys  kept me fed all day long and there was always coffee and drinks available.  ...Then on top of all that, the weather and location were perfect.  Looking forward to next year's meeting in Arizona." -Dr. Rich Cohen, Boca Raton, FL

"The recent AOS conference and CE meeting were informative, fun, and empowering.  There were so many dynamic people in one place it was almost overwhelming; I wanted to talk at length  with each one and share ideas and experiences. I certainly made a lot of wonderful contacts and, from conversations with my colleagues, have already implemented positive changes in my  practice.  Attending the conference was worth every penny.  The AOS is a true think tank for the profession.  I hope it continues its momentum to help steer our profession in a direction that  will benefit the doctors and patients without letting third party interests interfere.  We need more like-minded individuals to speak up, join the effort to reclaim our profession, be part of the  discussion, and help others who have become complacent to wake up before it is too late." - Dr. Laura Burke, Virginia Beach, VA

"Congratulations to the AOS.  It is so refreshing to see a professional group with backbone!" -Dr. Gary Fisher, President and CEO of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Ceder Rapids, Iowa

"The conference was great - certainly one of the more enjoyable I've attended in quite some time.  The camaraderie was unmatched by any other event.  I, for one, if any way possible, will be in  Scottsdale next year!  I cannot overstate the outstanding job that PamB and the board did with this meeting.  All their hard work is very much appreciated.  AOS has a bright future!" -Dr. Bruce Bell, Rome, Georgia