SECO International 2009 is The Education Destination™. More than just an idea or concept, SECO proves year after year why it is the meeting for optometrists, opticians, ophthalmic technicians, paraoptometrics and other eye care professionals. The theme for SECO 2009 is "Eyeway to the Future." As a leader in continuing education, SECO 2009 will prepare eye care professionals for the road ahead. Join SECO 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta is known for its Southern charm and big city attitude. The Georgia World Congress Center provides a great venue surrounded by attractions for attendees. Stay in 4-star hotel accommodations at competitive prices and enjoy all that the city of Atlanta has to offer.

Almost 400 Hours of Continuing Education
SECO 2009 offers more than 150 hours of CE available for ODs and 200 hours of CE geared to AOPs. Education includes special sessions, hourly lectures, hands-on workshops, certification reviews, and joint education for the entire staff. Many of the courses and tracks; cleverly titled with road and highway themes, will "drive home" what is needed to provide the best patient care and build a successful practice.

300 Leading Industry Companies
This year, there are even more reasons for you to visit Optometry's Marketplace™. As one of the largest exhibit halls in optometry, SECO's marketplace combines everything optometry professionals need to deliver the best eye care possible. In an expanded, 70,000-square-foot hall, nearly 300 exhibitors will demonstrate the latest ophthalmic equipment, products and services available today. The industry's leading companies will showcase new trends in eyewear and the most recent product launches, as well as breakthrough technologies and services.

Visit www.seco2009.com to learn more!

Each year SECO International accepts nominations for four prestigious awards presented at SECO. The deadline for submitting award nominations for SECO 2009 is November 30, 2008. The awards will be presented at the House of Delegates meeting on Friday, March 6, 2009. SECO welcomes your participation in this exciting opportunity to recognize outstanding members of the optometric profession.

OD of the South - This award may be presented annually to a practicing optometrist who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the optometric profession. The recipient must be a member of the Southern Council and in practice during the year in which the award is presented. The President and President Elect of SECO International are not eligible to receive this award during their term of office. Past recipients of this award are not eligible to be nominated.
Please note: If you would like to enter your AOA "OD of the Year" nominee, all you need to do is forward a copy of your nominee's paperwork as submitted to the AOA.

Paraoptometric of the South - This award may be presented annually to a non-optometrist who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the optometric profession. By tradition, this award has been given to someone who resides in one of the Southern Council states. No employee of the President or President Elect is in office. Past recipients of this award are not eligible to be nominated.

Award of Merit - This award may be presented annually to a non-optometrist who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the optometric profession. By tradition, this award has been given to someone who resides in one of the Southern Council states. Past recipients of this award are not eligible to be nominated.

Young OD of the South - This award may be presented annually to an optometrist who has been in practice less than 10 years and who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the optometric profession. The recipient must be a member of the Southern Council and in practice during the year in which the award is presented. The President and President Elect of SECO International are not eligible to receive this award during their term of office.
Please note: If you would like to enter your AOA "Young OD of the Year" nominee, all you need to do is forward a copy of your nominee's paperwork as submitted to the AOA.

Please submit your nomination no later than November 30, 2008 in the form of a letter, describing the reasons why your nominee should be considered along with a copy of your nominees' Resume/CV to:
Awards Committee
SECO International
4661 N. Shallowford Road
Atlanta, GA 30338

SECO International is again collecting abstract poster proposals for publication in the Advanced Media Learning Center at SECO 2009, March 4-8, 2009. SECO offers a unique multimedia poster program unlike any other in optometry. SECO publishes posters on computers in a multimedia-format presentation similar to a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.

SECO 2009 will feature 100 multimedia posters for review. A panel of optometrists will review all abstracts submitted for review. An abstract approval requires a simple majority panel vote; SECO will deny abstracts that do not receive a simple majority panel vote.

SECO will publish approved posters at SECO 2009 in the Advanced Media Learning Center, located on Level 3 of Building A of the Georgia World Congress Center. Additionally, SECO International will recognize authors in an edition of the SECO Daily, an on-site trade publication SECO will distribute to attendees during SECO 2009. Finally, SECO will publish SECO 2009 posters online at www.secointernational.com for up to three years.

Authors may submit abstracts for review by visiting www.secointernational.com and choosing the "Proposal System" link; from the Proposal system, follow the instructions to submit a poster. Contact Jon Reading in the SECO office at 770-451-8206 for more information about the SECO 2009 Multimedia Poster program.