ST. LOUIS—Optometry's Meeting has announced that after further examination, it will hold its 2021 Optometry's Meeting in Denver, Colo. at the Colorado Convention Center. The dates will remain the same, starting June 24 and be held through June 26. Optometry's Meeting had previously been scheduled for the same dates in Anaheim, Calif. In a letter to members, the American Optometric Association (AOA)'s president, William Reynolds, OD, and Alex Bennet, Amercan Optometric Student Association (AOSA) president, wrote, "The optometry community faced the growing challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 through a dedicated approach of adapting, overcoming and advancing, always delivering the highest level of safe care for patients nationwide throughout the crisis.

“It’s finally time to come together, and we are taking the same approach to convene our optometry community and leaders for AOA/AOSA Optometry’s Meeting in 2021, to celebrate the incredible resilience and compassion demonstrated by our members, as well as look forward and plan for an even brighter future."

The letter said, “After an extensive review of potential venues, the Denver Convention Center was selected by our team because Denver is safely open and due to the health and safety protocols put in place and accreditations received from GBAC Star, ASM Global, and Denver 5-Star certification programs, all of which go beyond what is required by public health experts. Rest assured, we will continue to work closely with the convention center, government and local health officials leading up to the event and communicate any updates accordingly."

Pre-registration for Optometry's Meeting is open now. On its website, AOA asks for members’ and partners’ continued patience as the meeting pivots to Denver. As Optometry’s Meeting registration and housing portals become available in early April, the AOA will provide the latest information. In the meantime, interested attendees can submit their email for immediate notification here for when meeting registration becomes available.

"We would like to thank our members and partners for your continued patience, support and commitment throughout the pandemic. We look forward to seeing everyone in Denver as we continue this process of recovery and renewal of our profession," the letter said.