By Cheryl G. Murphy, OD 
With Vision Expo East right around the corner, now is the time to conduct pre-event planning and preparations to get the most out of this spectacular eyewear and eyecare event.
It seems nowadays, almost everyone has a smartphone or a tablet device. While the infiltration of such technologies into our society is sometimes seen in a negative light, there are definitely ways in which their utilization can simplify things for us and make our lives less complicated and more efficient.
I have attended Vision Expo East for a few years now. I usually take a lot of classes and peruse the showroom floor exploring all of the new medical and lens material technologies it showcases, not to mention the fantastic fashion trends and frame lines. When I first started going to expo as an optometry student, I didn’t have much of a game plan. I went without much thought or prep work. As a result, I often felt lost and overwhelmed by all that was on display and found myself reaching to grasp whatever info I could while aimlessly wandering the aisles for free pens and giveaways.
Paperless Education
Over the years, I learned to take a more organized approach toward attending Expo, and I have unlocked many benefits in doing so. The first thing I usually do is view the Continuing Education grid schedule to see what types of courses are offered on the day(s) I am able to attend. If I see a course title which sounds appealing, I star it and read its description. After reading all of my starred descriptions, I choose the courses that are the best fit for me. Then comes the part I used to dread, printing out a zillion pages of course handouts. Or worse, arriving early before classes start to try to print out the handouts there at Vision Expo along with the masses who were also scrambling to do so. No more.
Last year, I ditched the printed course handouts and opted to live-tweet the lectures. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Twitter or are not sure how live tweeting is used as a form of note taking, have no fear. There is another way for you to get notes during courses without thumbing through stacks of course handouts (and the expensive printer ink and painful paper cuts that go with them) and that is with The Vision Expo Mobile app! The Vision Mobile app is available for download on iPhone, Android and other devices at www.visionexpomobile.com. It puts course handouts as well as speaker profiles, surveys and the entire education schedule right at your fingertips. Gone are the days where you would lug around stacks and stacks of papers with you to these courses. Take advantage of technology and bring it with you electronically on your mobile device of choice or on your smartphone. That said, make sure you also bring a back up battery or charger cord with you. After a full day of classes and using the other wonderful tools on the Vision Mobile app, you don’t want a low battery to put an early, unexpected end to the fun.
Live, Interactive Map
Other cool tools besides Education on the Vision Mobile app include an Interactive Map of the Exhibit hall floors so that it is easy to find where you are and how to get to your next appointment or exhibitor of interest. By simply pushing the “Here & Now” button which looks like an arrow and a dot on the top of the app, you will learn your current location (similar to “You are Here” on a map) and it will give you the interactive option to see what exhibitors are around you and what special events are currently happening. You can also zoom in and out to gain a greater perspective. Besides the live, interactive floor plan and map, the app’s other features include information about new products, alerts and show specials.
Also, if using the app on an iPhone or Android, you can sign-in using your badge number and create custom lists and notes, connect to social media, use your own personalized planner to organize your agenda and more.
This will be my first year using the Vision Mobile app and I couldn’t be more excited as I think it will prove to be an excellent tool at the Expo and I am glad I will no longer look like a “tourist” at the Expo by unfolding the Expo map and trying to haphazardly direct myself to the next booth of interest.
On a side note, I will still be live-tweeting and sending tweet pics from the Expo so be sure to follow me, @murphyod on Twitter for live coverage of the classes, tech, trends and fun!
Hope to SEE you at VEE!
Have you ever attended Vision Expo East? Do you know last year it broke a record for number of attendees that was set at its inception back in 1986? Have you ever tried using mobile apps and technologies to navigate a big event like VEE? Do you think it is an advantage or a disadvantage to use electronic tech tools versus paper- or brochure-based maps and information?
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.
