NECO’s Industry Collaborative debuted in 2020 when we hosted 63 partners representing 44 organizations in the eye care industry. The meeting was one of the first times eye care professionals from multiple areas had gathered to openly discuss the future of optometry with education as a critical component of that future.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2021 event, but came back strong in 2022. The meeting covered new technologies and the role they might play in the future of optometry — especially telehealth, which had roared to the forefront of healthcare during the pandemic.

Our 2023 Industry Collaborative focused on the growing imbalance between supply and demand. Statistics proved that the need for optometrists would grow exponentially through the end of the 2020’s. The 124 participants discussed how the industry and optometry schools will respond to meet that demand.

In 2024, more than 100 industry, government, community healthcare, and academic professionals joined us to talk about equity in vision care and how these inequities impact patients, students, and providers. Discussion again focused on the dire need for optometrists in the face of flat enrollment numbers for optometry programs across the country. Check out the video of last year’s Industry Collaborative. 

Our 2025 Industry Collaborative is set to tackle the complicated issue of reimagining optometry while exploring ways in which we can prepare graduates for a new level of patient care and service.

We welcome anyone interested in the future of vision health to attend and join the conversation.