Providing AAO 2017 Attendees With Unparalleled Learning Opportunities

Daniel F. Martin, MD, delivered the Jackson Memorial Lecture, “Intravitreal Therapy for Retinal Diseases: From CMV to CNV.” Dr. Martin discussed the reshaping retina practice and the paradigm shift away from intravenous and oral therapy to multiple repeat intravitreal injections. The professor and chair of the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute also covered the rationale and results from many of the most important clinical trials, in particular, the political challenges and important clinical findings from the Comparison of Treatment Trials.

AAO 2017, the 121st annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, was the year’s most important showcase for research and innovations in eye care, with 537 exhibitors, 239 instruction courses, 53 symposia and hundreds of scientific papers and posters. It was also the single largest global ophthalmic education opportunity. Nearly 23,000 ophthalmologists, health professionals and industry personnel from around the world convened in New Orleans to hear from thought leaders, gain insights into practice management trends and get hands-on experience with cutting-edge treatment techniques.

Highlights of AAO 2017:

The Academy pioneered a Scientific Poster Lounge, housing touchscreen poster kiosks and the new Scientific Poster Theater. These kiosks provided attendees with a communal environment to view the electronic posters. All six theater sessions proved highly popular, with excellent attendance.

The Academy continues to develop novel educational formats. The annual meeting secretariat introduced a newly designed instruction room at AAO 2017 to improve engagement with both the material and class participants. We also piloted a phone-based audience response system so that attendees could further interact with lecturers. Ten sessions were held in this new environment, including Diagnose This Live, during which attendees competed in teams to solve some of the most difficult “Diagnose This” quizzes.

AAO 2017 attendees also spent time recharging in the beer garden, challenging colleagues to a game of chess and discovering other ways to relax in the brand-new EyePlay Experience. This area was designed by the Academy with a focus on increasing physician well-being.

The Academy again offered the free AAO 2017 Virtual Meeting to bring the conference to those who were not able to attend in person. This year, we streamed more than 20 hours of educational content for live remote access. More than 2,300 people from 117 countries accessed AAO 2017 and Subspecialty Day presentations.