New Benefit For PECAA Max Members: VSP® OD Recruitment Support Launches January 2026! Details To Come.
Education That Points The Way — an exciting new framework of curated learning paths designed to help you explore sessions that align with your goals. Whether you want to lead strategically, strengthen your practice, empower your team, or elevate the patient experience, this approach makes it easy to navigate your options. Learn more about the 2026 PECAA Annual Meeting.
Inspiring Greatness Through GRIT: Igniting The Passion And Perseverance To Pursue The Impossible Robyn Benincasa, world champion adventure racer, firefighter and bestselling author, has spent her life proving that there’s no finish line a connected team can’t cross. In this high-energy keynote, she shares how GRIT — Guts, Respect, Innovation, and Teamwork — fuels resilience and world-class results. Reflecting the spirit of Bright Horizons: Connecting Your True North to What’s Ahead, Robyn will inspire you to lead with purpose, elevate your team and create a culture that thrives through challenge and change.
As a two-time World Champion Adventure racer, San Diego Firefighter, and CNN Hero, Robyn Benincasa knows a thing or two about creating Human Synergy, or as she puts it, “That magic that allows ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things together.” Through harrowing experiences in places like the jungles of Borneo and the Himalayan peaks, Robyn has studied the good, the bad and the not-so-pretty of Extreme Teamwork. Her refreshing and unique techniques build and foster impactful, inspired teams that succeed against all odds and turn setbacks into comebacks.
Robyn was named one of 2020s World’s Top 50 Keynote Speakers (Real Leaders Magazine), the #1 Female Speaker for Meetings.net and is one of the Top 10 Speakers featured by Harvard Business Review. She has motivated countless leaders and teams for Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, Starbucks, Walmart, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, HubSpot, Intel and more. Her game-changing keynotes inspire us to grab life with one hand, our teammates with the other and create that special magic that makes each of us stronger together than we could ever be alone.
Beyond The Ramp: Perseverance, Reinvention & Finding Your True North From backyard ramps to becoming a global skateboarding icon, Tony Hawk’s journey has been defined by perseverance, reinvention and an unshakable sense of direction. In this inspiring keynote, Tony shares how perseverance carried him through setbacks, how rebuilding became a path to growth and how staying true to his core values helped him navigate uncharted territory. His story aligns with Bright Horizons: Connecting Your True North to What’s Ahead — reminding us that no matter the obstacles, clarity of purpose can guide us toward new heights.
The most recognized action sports figure in the world, Tony Hawk was just 9 when his brother changed his life by giving him a blue fiberglass Bahne skateboard. By 14 he’d turned pro, and by 16 he was widely considered the best skateboarder on earth. He was world champion 12 years in a row and is a 16-time X Games medalist. In 1999, he became the first skater to ever complete a 900, the holy grail of vert skating. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Activision to launch Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, now a billion dollar video game franchise. He has created a Tony Hawk brand that includes Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys.
Tony served as a correspondent at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for NBC when skateboarding became an Olympic sport for the first time. And he recently launched a new podcast co-hosted by Jason Ellis called Hawk vs. Wolf. Tony authored a New York Times bestseller, the bio “HAWK—Occupation: Skateboarder,” and his book “How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO,” covers the business side of his career. And in 2022, a biographical documentary film titled “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off” by award-winning director Sam Jones debuted on HBO, giving an in-depth look at Tony’s legendary career and personal life. Tony also oversees his own film, television and commercial production company, 900 Films. In 2002, Tony founded The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), which has given away over $10 million to help fund over 650 public skatepark projects throughout the United States that serve over six million visitors a year.
Rediscover your purpose, strengthen your foundation and explore new ways to lead — all surrounded by peers who truly understand your journey. We can't wait to see you in San Diego, register today!
Dive into the world of AI with our hands-on immersion workshop. Participants will work in teams to explore practical AI tools through an engaging exercise. Learn to create business plans, develop investor pitch decks and build websites or prototypes. This session will demonstrate effective prompting techniques across multiple AI platforms, providing valuable insights for enhancing your practice. Join us for an interactive experience that bridges technology with real-world applications.
Chances are you're here because you care about people. In a world where everything feels automated and rushed, creating genuine human connection IS your practice differentiator. Here's the thing: connection isn't some soft skill you either have or you don't. It's a practice. And this workshop is your chance to make connection happen. We're ditching the lecture and diving straight in. You'll learn techniques you can use immediately, from how to read a room in seconds, to body language that signals "I'm here WITH you," and real conversation starters, not lame ice breakers. You'll practice these skills in real time with the people in the room. Which means you'll leave with new techniques AND actual connections already made. Talk about a strong start to your conference! You'll walk away with: concrete presence and connection techniques for the conference (and every patient interaction back home), a mindset shift from transactional to relational and real practice under your belt–not just theory you might try later. Bottom line: When patients and teams feel seen, heard, and valued, everyone thrives. That’s what we’re going to anchor into during this workshop.
The future of private practice lies in how well you connect with patients today. This two-day course blends foundational training with advanced selling techniques to help your team shine. Explore visual merchandising, frame board strategy, and effective patient hand-offs before diving into lifestyle selling, multiple pair recommendations, and confidently addressing objections. You’ll leave with proven skills to maximize every patient interaction, strengthen your optical performance, and set your practice on a trajectory toward lasting success.
Join Drs. Justin Manning, Arti Shah and a panel of contact lens experts as they uncover the Promise within your existing patient base. Through compelling insights, industry data and proven strategies, this engaging conversation will guide you toward your practice’s true north — empowering you to realize the full Promise of what’s possible.
Your brand identity is the foundation of your practice! It communicates your values, showcases your expertise, and shapes the experience patients can expect from the moment they discover you. In this course, you’ll learn how to craft a clear, compelling, and authentic brand identity that builds trust, attracts the right patients, and sets your practice apart. Through guided lessons and practical exercises, you'll gain the tools to define your message, strengthen your visual presence, and create a brand that reflects the heart of your work. Whether your practice is new or established, this course equips you with everything you need to communicate your brand with authority and clarity.
As someone who isn’t in control of managing a practice it can be easy to feel disconnected or un-empowered to make a difference when it comes to the overall patient experience. In this course we will look at why the in-store-experience is such a hot topic and will focus in on how important staff members are when it comes to shaping that experience. We will then look to retail and optical best practices for how those who work with patients every day can create positive change and contribute to excellent patient experiences... and why they should want to.
In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, stress can become a constant companion. This course is designed to help participants learn how to center themselves, ground their energy and build resilience by engaging with multiple meditation modalities. Participants will develop a personalized toolkit for calming the nervous system, cultivating self-awareness and accessing inner peace, even during life’s most chaotic moments.
This session explores practical, forward-focused strategies to help optometry practices tackle real-world revenue cycle challenges. Bringing together a panel of leading industry experts to share actionable insights for improving financial performance and operational efficiency. The presentation illustrates real-world challenges and actionable solutions across three key areas: patient revenue and collections — addressing financial transparency and improving low point-of-service collections through better pre-visit workflows and collection practices, documentation and coding accuracy — purposeful initiative to reduce coding inconsistencies and improve compliance and A/R management and billing KPIs — demonstrating how tracking key performance indicators reduces denial rates, increases transparency and drives operational efficiency.
This course provides a structured framework for defining the business strategy of an optometric practice and translating that strategy into actionable, results-driven business plans. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success, thriving practices consistently demonstrate three key elements: a deep understanding of their unique capabilities, a clear and compelling vision of their goals and disciplined, effective execution. Through this course, participants will learn how to align strategic thinking with operational planning to drive sustainable growth and long-term success.
From NBA dynasties to Google’s data-backed insights, the secret to success isn’t who has the biggest résumé — it’s how people connect. Discover how the wisdom of a legendary coach aligns with Google’s most important team research. In this lecture, we’ll break down the five dynamics that transform ordinary groups into unstoppable teams.
This hands-on workshop will provide detailed instructions on Rigid Gas Permeable (GP) contact lens verification. Participants will learn how to verify lens power using a manual lensometer, measure base curve(s) using a radiuscope, and how to measure lens diameter and center thickness, and evaluate lens color. To establish a foundation, a brief theoretical review of GP specifics will first be presented, but most of the class time will be dedicated to hands-on learning. Participants will be allowed to proceed at their own pace. They will have access to a range of RGP lens types and designs, ranging from spherical to bitoric.
Discover how to activate the key drivers of happiness with your staff — team harmony, meaningful appreciation and a sense of purpose — to cultivate a thriving, engaged practice and strengthen the patient experience. This course explores the science and strategies behind creating a positive work environment, empowering you and your staff to foster genuine connection and well-being. Through practical tools and interactive discussion, participants will learn how happiness at work leads to greater engagement, resilience and long-term success for individuals and the practice.
This course challenges the common belief that multitasking is an effective productivity tool and highlights how prioritization, not multitasking, drives true productivity and accuracy. Attendees will learn how to prioritize tasks effectively, maintain focus and manage competing demands to improve workflow, patient care and job satisfaction.
This hands-on workshop will provide detailed instructions on how to perform lensometry using a manual lensometer. To establish a foundation, a brief theoretical review of basic optical concepts will be presented, demonstrating the use of Tscherning’s Ellipse and the Nominal Lens Formula. A large portion of class time will be dedicated to hands-on learning, during which step-by-step directions for neutralizing ophthalmic lens powers and verifying prism, will be provided.
Myopia management is no longer a single-modality approach, it is a toolbox filled with evolving options. Just like a skilled contractor chooses the right tools for each project, eye care teams must evaluate which interventions to use, when to layer them and how to communicate choices to families both involving the parents and the child. In this “Home Improvement”–themed session, we’ll explore every tool available: spectacles, contact lenses, orthokeratology, atropine, lifestyle guidance and AI monitoring and show how to design the right blueprint for each child.
This course is designed to empower optometrists and staff with the knowledge and confidence to incorporate amniotic membrane treatment into everyday practice. Through a blend of clinical science and practical application, this course explores the regenerative properties of amniotic tissue and its role in managing ocular surface disease. Participants will learn how to identify appropriate candidates, understand membrane types, perform in-office procedures and navigate billing strategies. Whether you're new to amniotic membranes or looking to refine your approach, this course offers actionable insights to elevate patient care.
This workshop will expose attendees to high tech and low tech devices used in sports vision, and how to utilize them to design a visual performance training session and program that is focused on achieving higher performance in athletes. This workshop will build on the knowledge from the course preceding it. This workshop will be split into several circuits which will start with the fundamentals of visual performance training, and then transition into sports specific training drills. Attendees will have hands-on experience with light reaction systems and other sports vision technology. Sports covered will include racket sports such as tennis and pickleball and ball sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball and football.
This lecture will demonstrate how optometrists can target the nutrition of the eye to support and enhance vision for all patients. It will also explain the wider potential impact of primary eye care in advancing Health 3.0 where prevention, personalization, and patient empowerment reshape the future of healthcare.
This is an interactive panel discussion designed for optometrists and office managers who want to strengthen their practice by building the right team from the start. This session will explore practical, real-world strategies for recruiting, selecting and onboarding employees in independent optometry — focusing not just on filling roles, but on creating alignment, accountability and long-term success. Attendees will gain guidance on how to make confident hiring decisions, set new team members up for success early, and create systems that support retention, culture and growth — so practices can move forward with clarity and purpose.
This lecture will introduce attendees to aspects of sports vision, a visual-cognitive evaluation and training methodology. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of sports vision performance and expose them to new concepts when working with athletes, and the different technology available. This lecture will expose athletes to the role of the oculomotor system in visual performance and concussion. This lecture will also discuss the role of common optometric diagnoses such as dry eye syndrome that affect athletic performance.
Using the four guiding principles — referred to as compass points — for achieving excellence in eye care: navigating the future, strengthening the practice, empowering the team and wowing the patient. Each principle is explored through practical strategies, examples and stories that highlight adaptability, continuous improvement, collaboration and patient-centered care.
Rediscover your purpose, strengthen your foundation and explore new ways to lead — all surrounded by peers who truly understand your journey and share your passion.