SightCare, the business support community for independent practices is holding its 2022 conference on Sunday 18th and Monday 19th September 2022 at the Telford International Centre.
The theme of this year’s conference is ‘The Future is Now.’ Independent optical practice is changing, and it will continue to do so regardless of how we feel about it. Although some business owners may still hope to go back to the way things were pre Covid-19, it’s clear that the independent sector is changing fast and small businesses must learn to adapt accordingly. In other words, the future is now—and here to stay.
The SightCare conference brings independent practice owners and their teams together to network with their colleagues and peers and enjoy 2 days of workshops, keynote speakers, CET education, learning, and fun.
On Day 1 the popular Sunday workshop will be ‘Organisations don’t change, people do’. The theme ‘The Future Is Now’ encourages us to recognize that the future really is now and that we are all going to have to find new ways to deliver even greater value to our patients, customers, and staff. Especially with so much online competition, rising prices, and the cost of living eating into all our budgets. But online is never personal. It’s rarely human and there are still so many advantages to be had for those that offer a more authentic, people-centric human-focused service. This interactive workshop will explore how to make our businesses more human.
John French, SightCare’s Chief Executive, says, “Ultimately all business is about ‘People.’ No business succeeds without them. The better we understand ourselves, each other, and our customers the better we can serve them, sell more, and build trusted business relationships over the long term.”
The Sunday evening will see the presentation of the 2022 SightCare Awards celebrating the Independent Spirit followed by comedian with eyes on optometry, Sarah Louise Keegan, who will entertain with her latest stand-up material.
On Day 2, the SightCare conference will welcome motivational speaker Kriss Akabusi who will talk about delivering peak performance in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) World. He will share his approach to dealing with the “Hey, it’s crazy out there!” feeling in the small business world.
SightCare invites entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of the Hakim Group Imran Hakim to answer our questions and give us an insight into the secret of his success, what he believes the future looks like for the optical high street, the hazards to look out for and what independent optical practices need to do, not just to survive but thrive.
Day 2 will also be filled with 14 eclectic business workshops covering topics such as ‘Making the most of your brand’, ‘Menopause in the workplace’, ‘Mastermind your way to private practice’, ‘Myopia Management’, ‘Initial steps to becoming a sustainable practice’ and many more. To see the full program go to www.sightcare.co.uk/conference.
John French says, “There is no going back. The fundamental changes in ways of working caused by Covid-19 require independent optical practices to change, too. Innovative approaches to agility and inclusion, which helped practice owners and their teams through the crisis, are at the core of resetting practices for long-term resilience.”
This year’s conference is supported by 37 of the optical sector’s independent focused suppliers demonstrating in person their support for the independent sector. To find out more about the SightCare conference for Independent Optical Practices please go to www.sightcare.co.uk/conference
