Education
In-Person Education
Select courses for this live activity are COPE-accredited. This activity, COPE Activity Number #125125, is accredited by COPE for continuing education for optometrists.
Virtual Education
Courses for the virtual program are COPE-accredited as online interactive CE. This activity, COPE Activity Number #125126, is accredited by COPE for continuing education for optometrists.
The Presentation Theater courses located within the exhibit hall (Optometry’s Marketplace) are free and participation is granted on a first come, first served basis. You cannot reserve a spot, but you can receive credit for attending official continuing education courses and your Verification of Attendance will note your participation.
If you are licensed in a state that requires CE Broker such as FL, SC, or TX, the courses noted as eligible for credit will automatically be reported to CE Broker. You must include your Florida, South Carolina, or Texas license number during the registration process in order for your credit to be reported to CE Broker.
All CEE/TQ testing for SECO 2023 will be held online! Shortly following SECO100, you will receive an email with a link to complete the CEE/TQ test online. If you do not receive this email, please contact education@secostaff.com. The fee for each test will be $26.00 to be paid by debit or credit card. All passing scores of 70% or higher will be reported to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and updated with Florida CE Broker.
Visit attendseco.com during or after the conference and select VERIFICATION OF ATTENDANCE (VOA). You will need your Reg ID # OR last name and email to access the VERIFICATION OF ATTENDANCE (VOA) records. Please allow up to 24 hours for your courses to show on the VERIFICATION OF ATTENDANCE (VOA). If you notice any errors, visit the Education Office in A307 during SECO, or email education@secostaff.com following the show.
Advanced learning courses are Optometrist COPE-approved courses open to all attendees. It is important to note that not all courses are accredited for EVERY group. For example, not all courses are ABO/NCLE, AOA PARA, or state board approved. Please verify approvals before registering and attending.
All CEE/TQ testing for SECO100 will be held online! Please visit click here for a list of available courses.
What are the best days to attend as an Allied Healthcare Professional (AHP) to get the maximum CE?
Attend all five days and earn up to 43 hours of CE, or up to 27 hours over the weekend! The Congress Packages include a variety of CE hours and select events, details can be found at https://attendseco.com/in-person-registration/
Attend all five days and earn up to 45 hours of CE, or up to 26 hours over the weekend! Congress Packages include all CE hours and select events, details can be found at https://attendseco.com/in-person-registration/
CE can be found in the exhibit hall in the Presentation Theaters, and the NAO Lounge. There is no pre-registration for courses in the exhibit hall, and they are first come first served.
50 minutes of class time constitutes one hour of credit. Attendees are allowed a 10-minute break per a one-hour accredited course. If attendees arrive 10 minutes after the course begins or take a break longer than 10 minutes during the course, they will not receive credit. SECO is required to follow these policies mandated by accrediting agencies.
SECO’s iconic special sessions are well known as the place to be to see the top thought leaders you will not see at any other optometry meeting. Make sure to add these to your schedule today. Thursday, March 2, 4:30pm-6:30pm – General Session: Remote Eyecare: Virtual Reality of Virtual Certainty? (Course #61);Friday, March 3, 10:30am-11:30am – Special Session: Neuro Nuggets! (Course #63);Saturday, March 4, 8:00am – 10:00am – Special Session: Retina Revealed! (Course #64)
The Symposium Series is a set of free, non-accredited courses presented by industry supporters. Free meals are served at each symposium. Pre-registration is required to attend all symposiums. Once registration has reached its maximum, registration will close. A limited amount of open seats may become available onsite on a first come first serve basis. Entrance is not guaranteed but we encourage attendees to stand in the queue outside of each symposium to gain access. Learn more at https://attendseco.com/symposia-series
Exhibit Hall
The leading companies in the optometric industry support SECO international year-round by sponsoring, partnering and exhibiting and their support helps to keep costs to attend and obtain CE low. Their goal is to provide optometric professionals with the tools to achieve the highest levels of clinical knowledge and performance.
General
Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for SECO 100. You may also call Delta Meeting Network at 1.800.328.1111* Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (CT) and refer to Meeting Event Code NMV3Y. *Please note there is not a service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via our reservation 800 number.
Yes. Children ages 18 and younger may attend SECO100 at no charge. SECO verifies the age of attendees registered in this category onsite. Due to space limitations and the potential for disruption in course rooms, as well as safety issues should overcrowding occur, the presence of infants and children may not attend continuing education courses.
Yes. Lost and Found is in Room 307A at the Georgia World Congress Center. SECO is not responsible for items lost during the event
Yes. The Official SECO100 mobile app will be available on both iOS and Android. The app is a great resource to use before, during, and after the conference. Use the app to pre-plan your experience, stay up to date, and refer back to information. When the SECO100 mobile app is available, it will be listed on the www.attendseco.com/download page
Mamava mobile nursing units will be located outside room 411 (level 4) at the Georgia World Congress Center for SECO100. The nursing room pods are controlled by the app on the website, https://www.mamava.com/all-products/original-mamava-lactation-pod. The pods are open 24hrs around the clock.
SECO is committed to providing an outstanding experience for all participants at its live events. We strive for full access to the activities of these events based on an awareness of participants, needs and appropriate planning. We ask that requests for reasonable accommodations at our live events be made no later than February 27, 2023, so we may best accommodate individual needs and requirements. Onsite requests will be accommodated to the best of our ability; however, available resources may be limited. For questions or concerns about accessibility at SECO’s live events, please contact info@secostaff.com. To make accommodations for your hotel stay, please contact our housing partner, EventSphere, at seco@eventsphere.com. For flight assistance, the TSA Cares program can simplify travel for attendees requiring special accommodations.
To commemorate the centennial anniversary of SECO, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the Silent Auction to benefit The ALS Association, Lou Gehrig® in the name of Mel Annis. This auction is a perfect way to honor the long history of SECO’s extraordinary commitment to giving back to the community. For more information and to place a bid, please visit https://attendseco.com/frames/
Beware of false and fraudulent housing claims. Eventsphere is the only housing provider for the SECO 2023 Congress. Fraudulent companies will present themselves as official partners of SECO and offer you a room that might not be available or guaranteed. We encourage you to use only the link from the attendseco.com website. SECO has contracted discounted rates with the Omni Hotel, the headquarter hotel and hotels throughout the city to offer you luxury accommodations at the best possible rates. Reservations must be made through our official housing company, Eventsphere, by February 6, 2023 in order to reserve rooms at the discounted rates. Hotels sell out quickly, so we recommend booking your room today. If you have any questions or need assistance with your hotel needs, contact Eventsphere at (864) 208-2927.
Official Hotels: AC Hotel Downtown – 101 Andrew Young International Blvd. ($219); Embassy Suites Atlanta Centennial Park – 267 Marietta Street ($245); Glenn Hotel (A Marriott Autograph Collection) – 110 Marietta Street ($239); Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown – 275 Baker Street ($226); Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Downtown – 111 Cone Street NW ($184-$194); Omni Hotel at CNN Centre – 100 CNN Center ($239); The Ritz Carlton Atlanta – 181 Peachtree Street NE ($256)
The Georgia World Congress Center provides ample parking for the event. Reserve your space online at https://gwcc.parkingguide.com – Visit SECO’s travel page for MARTA, shuttle and rental car details while in Atlanta – https://attendseco.com/hotel-travel.
The Georgia World Congress Center in Building A at 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA
SECO offers curated continuing education for Optometrists, Opticians, Ophthalmic Technicians, Paraoptometrics, Practice Administrators, and the entire team.
Yes, Childcare services will be provided for SECO100. To make reservations, click here.
Please contact info@secostaff.com for more information.
There will not be any shuttle bus services offered at SECO100. We recommend staying at one of the hotels within walking distance of the Georgia World Congress Center. Please visit https://attendseco.com/hotel-travel/ for additioanl information.
Other
SECO is committed to partnering with our member State Associations to provide value to association members and by providing continuing education year-round. SECO International has formal relationships with 13 state optometric associations and five schools of optometry. We work together on issues, concerns, and opportunities relating to optometric education. Within our 13 member states, SECO provides annual optometrist and paraoptometric grants totaling more than $45,000. Any practicing optometrist that is a member of the state association of any of these 13-member states is considered a member of the Southern Council of Optometrists and receives a $50 discount (Congress, Premium or Summit Packages) when attending the annual SECO Congress. SECO is also proud to include the following Associate members: Armed Forces Optometric Society, Association of Optometrists (UK), Colegio de Optometristas de Costa Rica, Federacion Colombiana de Optometras (FEDOPTO), South African Optometric Association, and the Trinidad & Tobago Optometrists Association.
Looking for free breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Hot Topic Breakfasts: Thursday, March 2, 2023 8:00AM – 10:30AM & Friday, March 3, 2023 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM. Lunch and dinner, the SECO Symposium Series offers several opportunities (*Symposiums are not for credit). Wednesday, March 1 – OD Lunch 11:30AM-12:30 PM & Joint Dinner 5:30-6:30PM; Thursday, March 2 – AHP Lunch 11:30AM-12:30PM & OD Lunch 12:30PM-1:30PM; Friday, March 3 – OD Lunch 12:30PM-1:30PM & AHP Lunch 11:30AM-12:30PM; Saturday, March 4 – OD Lunch 12:00PM-1:00PM.
SECO’s alumni receptions bring you together with your classmates-turned-colleagues, so you can reminisce about those days spent hitting the books, share family stories, and get up to date on your recent adventures. Alumni receptions will be held Friday, March 3 at the Omni Hotel, 7PM to 11PM. For a full list of almuni receptions, please visit www.attendseco.com
As the owners and producers of SECO100, we work diligently to protect our exhibitor’s commitment to and investment in both the trade show and the industry by taking a firm stance against outboarding. Outboarding is when any non-exhibitor hosts an unofficial event anywhere in the city that attracts SECO attendees. SECO is organized so that companies in the optometry industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and customers and examine market trends and opportunities, while participation dollars provide SECO with the funds to host this event and invest back into the industry. The integrity of the show is diminished, and the value becomes diluted when companies seek in an unofficial capacity to capitalize on SECO attendees. If you hear of an outboarding event, please contact management at exhibits@secostaff.com. If you observe this activity during SECO 100, please inform any of the SECO volunteers or visit the show management office (Room 307).
First aid services will be available should an attendee need medical assistance. Location will be to the right of the entrance to the Exhibit hall. For non-emergencies, dial ext. 4911 from any RED house phone to reach First Aid services or you can reach the First Aid office at 404-222-6282. If an emergency occurs, please call 911 and then call the Security Command Center by dialing ext. 4911 from any RED house phone or call 404-223-4922.
As a professional organization, the Southern Council of Optometrists, Inc./SECO International, LLC is dedicated to providing a safe, harassment-free, and inclusive experience for all participants at all Association-organized events and has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of participants in any form. Participants include but are not limited to Association employees, volunteers, members, attendees, guests, staff, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors, etc. An Association-organized event includes business at the Association office, SECO International Annual Congress Meeting, official social events such as receptions, membership meetings, board meetings, committee meetings, and any other event for which participants are asked to RSVP or register through the Association. Please report any incidents in which an attendee is abusive, insulting, intimidating, bothersome, or acting in an unsafe or illegal manner to SECO staff or security immediately. The Association shall have no liability whatsoever arising out of its interpretation and enforcement of the Code of Conduct. Please visit https://attendseco.com/terms-and-conditions for further information on SECO100 policies.
Recording or live streaming content delivered in the education courses at SECO100 is prohibited. If there is a violation of this policy, the individual will be removed from the event and no education credit or refund will be provided (if applicable). Participants are not permitted to take photos or shoot video where it is unsafe or disruptive, such as in doorways, escalators, fire exits, expo floor aisles, hallways, sidewalks, etc. Not complying with a request to move or stop capturing content could result in participant’s removal. SECO International may take pictures or record videos during the conference. In registering for the event, you grant SECO the freedom to photograph you during the meeting, and you acknowledge and agree that we may include images of yourself, intact or in part, for conference promotional activities or other related endeavors. This material may also appear on the conference website, print and digital collateral or associated social media outlets.
SECO encourages the use of social media and blogging at the SECO Convention as a way for attendees to summarize, highlight, and promote presentations, or to share their experience in general, provided that presentation content and materials are not shared in full, and authors or presenters are referenced and cited where appropriate. Please keep in mind that presenters hold the intellectual property rights and copyrights to their materials. Please visit https://attendseco.com/terms-and-conditions for further information on SECO100 policies.
Charging stations will be located in the exhibit hall and are brought to you by Bausch + Lomb.
Complimentary basic wireless Internet service is offered in lobby areas of the Georgia World Congress Center. Basic service allows attendees to perform low-bandwidth functions, such as checking e-mail. Complimentary internet access is not available in the session rooms or exhibit hall; however, can be purchased for a daily fee.
Registration
Please email info@secostaff.com if you have an urgent need to switch your registration type.
Residents and Students will need to provide appropriate credentials in order to gain entry to the Show floor and affiliated sessions at SECO100. Residents can provide a letter from their Resident Director. Students can provide a copy of their Student ID or an acceptance letter for their school. These items can be uploaded during the process of registration, and you can log into your registration at anytime and upload via the ConnectME Dashboard.
SECO will continue to offer the option to download your badge, print-at-home or print on-site. An email will be sent to all registrants 72 hours prior to the Congress with badge details.
Use the mobile app to search for people you know by name or organization. (Note: This option in the mobile app is opt-in only and includes only those who indicated that they wished to be listed as an attendee when registering.)
Doctor’s Registration – Attend all five days and earn up to 45 hours of CE, or up to 26 hours over the weekend! Our most popular, the Congress Package, includes a variety of CE courses, exhibit hall access and select events. Details on packages offered can be found at https://attendseco.com/in-person-registration/
Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHP), Opticians, Paraoptometrics, Technicians and Practice Administrators Registration – Attend all five days and earn up to 43 hours of CE, or up to 27 hours over the weekend! Our most popular, the Congress Package, includes a variety of CE courses, exhibit hall access and select events. Details on packages offered can be found at https://attendseco.com/in-person-registration/
SECO International, LLC is dedicated to providing continuing education for optometrists and eye care professionals. It is the responsibility of the attendee to obtain any travel documentation needed to attend the Congress. To that end, SECO will provide an introduction letter and a confirmation letter upon request to aid in obtaining the necessary paperwork to travel to the United States. The introduction letter outlines the dates and important information related to registering for the Congress. The confirmation letter states the attendee has registered to attend the Congress. Only registrants may request a confirmation letter, and they must provide the contact information of the agency issuing the travel documents. SECO will release information letters directly to the government agency issuing the travel documents. SECO International will provide updated information concerning the registrant to the agency upon request. To request an introduction letter and confirmation, please email info@secostaff.com
To make changes to your registration you can: • Access your registration anytime online to add or change a course – please use the LOGIN button that was in your registration confirmation email and it will take you directly to your dashboard.• Visit the Registration Desk (located just outside of the Sydney Marcus Ballroom of the Georgia World Congress Center)
When you register online, you will be given the option to ‘Add Another’ or ‘Finish’. Click on ‘Add Another’ and repeat the registration process for the new registrant(s). When you are finished entering the registration(s), click on ‘Finish’ to continue to the payment page and complete your session.
You may register for SECO100 online at www.attendseco.com/registration. If you require a hard copy registration form, please email your request to info@secostaff.com.
If you have already registered and paid the full registration amount for SECO 100 and you are an NAO member in good standing, please contact info@secostaff.com for further information on obtaining a refund. All refunds will be processed minus the refundable $100 registration fee.
If you did not receive a confirmation email, please call (844) 353-2916 or email seco@csreg.zohodesk.com to request a confirmation letter.
You can reach out to our Registration Customer Service Center at (844) 353-2916 or email seco@csreg.zohodesk.com.
If you recently signed up as an NAO member, please allow 5-7 business days before registering with your discount code to allow ample time for our database to be updated with your new NAO member number needed to take advantage of this special offer. If you have any questions, please email info@secostaff.com
When you attend SECO 100, you’re investing in your profession, your practice, your patients and your future. Choose from registration options designed for a variety of budgets and access special group discounts when you bring your team. For a full list of registration categories and prices, please visit https://attendseco.com/in-person-registration/
Early Registration Deadline: January 17, 2023
Regular Registration: January 18, 2023 through March 5, 2023.
Please visit https://attendseco.com/register/ for a full list of conference packages and pricing for in-person registration.
The Build-A-Package and Congress packages have the option to add a Spouse/Guest package and allows access to SECO’s Optometry Marketplace. Guests are not eligible to earn continuing education credits. Children age 18 and younger may attend SECO100 at no charge. SECO verifies the ages of attendees registered in this category on-site. Children may not attend continuing education courses.
Students may attend SECO100 at no charge. To qualify, students must be enrolled at an accredited University or College. An ID or proof is required to process registration.
To qualify for the Faculty registration discount rate, an attendee must be a full-time faculty member at an accredited Optometric University or College. An ID for proof is required to process registration.
The cancellation policy for SECO100 is as follows:
All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing by February 15, 2023 to info@secostaff.com. All approved cancellation requests will be processed after SECO 100 in the form of a credit rollover. You will receive notification of your credit rollover within 60 days of processing. Credit rollovers are valid for SECO 2024 continuing education only. Please note that no refunds will be issued for any approved cancellation requests or for any no-shows.
• Credit rollovers will not be granted for unused hours
• Credit rollovers can be transferred to another person from the same company
• Credit rollover will expire if not used by SECO 2024
• No refunds will be given if the credit rollover is not used in full
• Refunds will not be issued for cancellation requests
• Refunds will not be issued for no-shows
The National Academy of Opticianry (NAO) is pleased to announce FREE SECO 2023 registration for their NAO members in honor of SECO’s centennial celebration and the first NAO-developed educational track for Opticians at SECO 100. This package (valued at $341.) includes continuing education*, access to the exhibit hall, the infamous Saturday Night Party, as well as the Friday night party for Opticians, Technicians, and Paras!
SECO 100 will take place March 1 – 5, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. A $100 fully refundable reservation fee is required at the time of registration to hold your seats in the courses you register to attend. Upon verifying your attendance onsite at SECO, the reservation fee will be refunded to the original method of payment within 30 days of the conclusion of the event. *See below for complete terms and conditions.
To register, visit https://attendseco.com/register/, and in the “Start New Registration” section on the first page of your registration dashboard use promo code NAO23 and next enter your NAO member number. If you need any assistance during the registration process, please contact Cheryl Simmons, SECO registration manager, at info@secostaff.com or 770/451-8206 ext. 113.
Need to renew or sign-up for an NAO membership, click here (https://www.nao.org/join-now/). Questions regarding your membership can be directed to the National Academy of Opticianry (Brian.Iciek@nao.org), Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Eastern), or by phone at 800/229-4828.
The National Academy of Opticianry and SECO International would like to thank VSP for their support of this free registration promotion for SECO 100!
*Terms and Conditions: A $100 refundable deposit is required at the time of registration. The deposit will be refunded if the registration is canceled by February 15, 2023, or after confirmation of attendance at the Congress. All refunds will be processed within 30 days following SECO 100 and via the original payment method. If you are unable to attend, the registration package has no cash value and is only valid for SECO 100, March 1 – 5, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. This promotional registration package does not include workshops or edutainment continuing education courses and is non-transferable. By registering for SECO 100, you agree to the terms and conditions of this promotional program, and the attendee consents to the collection and use of their personal data as outlined in this statement, including the use and provision of their personal data for direct marketing. Attendees’ information is kept in SECO’s database and used by SECO and the NAO to assist in providing event-related information and selected products and services which may be of interest to the Attendee and which will be communicated by letter, phone, email, or other electronic means. The personal information (including e-mail address) provided by Attendee will be held by SECO in the company’s database and may be shared with the sponsor for direct marketing purposes. Please note, however, that SECO may also release the Attendee’s personal data if required by law. All other terms and conditions for participation at the SECO 100 Congress is available during the registration process. If you do not wish your personal data to be stored, you may request that your personal data not be stored or provided to the sponsor by emailing us at info@secostaff.com.
Virtual Attendee
Yes, if you are logged in using your registration number, we can track your attendance time as required by the accrediting boards, no matter how many different devices you use.
We strongly suggest you use a laptop or desktop as it provides the best learner experience. Additionally, using a phone or tablet may or may not limit your ability to access features such as chat and Q&A that could prove vital should you need assistance.
To obtain credit, each learner needs to log in on a separate device using his or her registration number. This is a requirement needed to accurately track and document accreditation requirements. CE credit will not be provided to multiple participants.
No, attendees that purchased the Congress all-access packages can attend as many or as few courses as they want, however, you must be registered for the courses you want to attend in advance of the event.
No, you are not required to have your full name as the ZOOM user. We will track attendance using your email and IP address as well as your registration number. Please use the same email you used to register for SECO. It does not matter what username or device you are logged in on. Your registration number will be your unique identifier.
Attendees needing COPE accreditation are required to be present for 50 minutes per hour of accredited content as verified by the webinar platform auditing tools. Opticians are required to attend 60 minutes per hour for GA State approvals.
Your course attendance will be reported to COPE if you provide your OE Tracker number during registration. Attendance will be reported within 30 days of the completion of the show. : If you are licensed in a state that requires CE Broker, your attendance will be automatically reported if you include your license number during registration. Attendance will be reported within 30 days of the completion of the show.
Please see the accreditation approvals listed for each virtual course. You can find the most updated course accreditation files here – https://attendseco.com/accreditation-information https://attendseco.com/2023z/accreditation-information **Please be sure to click on the virtual approvals. Please note, accreditation approvals for the virtual program may differ from those approved for the live event. Do not assume anything. It is the attendee’s responsibility to verify accreditations to ensure they meet their specific needs prior to taking a course.
Attend all five days and earn up to 40 hours of CE, or up to 25 hours over the weekend!
Doctor, Congress Package – $761 Early Rate, $866 Regular Rate.
Doctor/ Faculty, Congress Package – $289 Early Rate, $394 Regular Rate
Doctor/Resident or Student – $0.
To register as a virtual attendee, please visit https://attendseco.com/virtual/
You can find the most updated course accreditation files here https://attendseco.com/accreditation-information **please be sure to click on the virtual approvals. Please note, accreditation approvals for the virtual program may differ from those approved for the live event.
We highly recommend that you have a strong and wired internet connection. Should you lose audio or video during the event, we suggest you do a reboot of your device and log back in. Please note, SECO is not responsible for your internet connection, device capability, or power supply. Please plan accordingly.
Attendees should email education@secostaff.com if they missed the survey links.
You will be able to view and print your VOA report after all post-course evaluations have been completed. No individual course certificates will be generated for our virtual courses.
