Sep 2016

SPECIAL FEATURE: VISIONZ 2016
What’s on at Visionz 2016
The biennial conference, organised by the New Zealand Optical Wholesalers
Association (NZOWA) and run in tandem with the Association of Dispensing
Opticians (ADONZ), is being held on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th October at the
Ellerslie Events Centre in Auckland.
This year Visionz 2016 will include a comprehensive, one-day low vision conference
on Friday 14 October as part of a targeted educational programme for optometrists,
practice managers and other optical staff, all in addition to New Zealand’s own,
popular industry showcase.
As well as low vision, Visionz – or EduVisionz (the educational side of the event) – will
also focus on the business of optometry with speakers addressing the commercial
aspects of running a business in today’s competitive environment; health and safety in
the workplace, including the opportunity to take part in a St John’s first aid course; the
pros and cons of social media and whether a practice can benefit from incorporating
a social media platform into its marketing strategy; and picking the best team and
getting it right from the start.
Visionz and Eduvisionz, as well as being held in conjunction with ADONZ’s annual
conference, will also incorporate the International Opticians Association (IOA) annual
meeting, which is being hosted for the first time in New Zealand.
And don’t forget the social side: a Visionz ‘Happy Hour’ has been organised for late
on the Friday afternoon and then there’s the popular Gala dinner on Saturday night.
Sign up now at http://nzowa.org.nz/em-registration
Welcome to Visionz 2016
BY GARY EDGAR, PRESIDENT OF NZOWA
Welcome to Visionz & Eduvisonz, the biennial New
Zealand industry exhibition and educational
seminars.
Also a big welcome to members of the NZAO, ADONZ,
NZOWA and members of the International Opticians
Association (IOA) who are visiting from overseas, and are
looking forward to joining us to further their knowledge
and to network with their colleagues.
Whether you are here in Auckland for the Friday low vision
seminar or the educational seminars over the weekend or
the level 1 St John First Aid Course (Saturday), this year’s
Visionz weekend includes the latest in fashion eyewear and
technology that will impress.
Our exhibitors will make your trip worthwhile. They have
worked hard for months preparing for this event so you can
experience the best from your wholesalers.
The Friday evening cocktail party, hosted by the NZOWA,
should be fun with a blind wine taste of various New
Zealand wines. While the Gala Dinner hosted by ADONZ
should be a sell out on the Saturday night.
We will have the passport control again, just answering
a few questions on the exhibitors’ products could see you
flying away with travel prizes and gift vouchers and product
donated by the wholesalers themselves.
There’s even prize draws just for registering.
We hope you enjoy the weekend,
catching up with friends and
networking with colleagues.
When you support Visionz/
Eduvisionz 2016, you are
supporting your industry.
I look forward to welcoming
you in all in October.
Kind Regards
Gary J Edgar
NZOWA President
Gary Edgar, president of NZOWA
Meet the
speakers
There’s a great line up of
23 speakers at this year’s
event, across both the Low
Vision and EduVisionz
programme. NZ Optics
caught up with five of them
to find out a little more
about them and what they
do before we meet them on
the day.
Tell us about being a LinkedIn influencer?
Back in October 2013, I was asked to join the
first 150 LinkedIn Influencers worldwide as the
‘business voice’ of New Zealand. I know there are
people better qualified for the role, but since I’d
developed a relationship with the LinkedIn APAC
team, they knew me and so I readily agreed,
who wouldn’t? It gave me a great platform to
publish long-form opinion stories and enabled
me to grow my network of followers to over
400,000. I share posts and tips on developing
digital marketing as well as just being nicer, a
bit friendlier in business, something I feel there
can be a lack of. So I’ve made the most of the
opportunity and am grateful for the exposure.
Why is social media and digital
marketing so important for businesses
these days?
Digital marketing is huge now, it’s hard to think
of a time when we didn’t have it, but there are
LINDA COLES,
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT, BLUE BANANA
still many companies not using it, which is crazy.
Why wouldn’t you want to develop an audience
that are interested in what you do so you can
deepen that relationship with them, and create
some super fans, those that think your product
or service is the bees knees? It’s also a great
way to establish feedback and develop word-ofmouth
marketing, and it’s relatively cheap to do,
not to mention easily measurable.
What are the challenges for optometry
businesses?
I don’t see there are any more challenges for
optometry than any other business. The simple
way to create great content is to figure out what
your audience wants to hear and deliver that
in such a way they want to share it – simple.
Nothing is new; it’s just a bit different than
putting an advertorial together for the local
paper, but this way you get to measure its
success. Optometry is not a barrier to doing great
social media!
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ROD082 Impression Freesign3 Insight HPC.indd 1
September 2016
11
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
7/06/2016 3:49 PM