2025 Spring Elevate Conference
2025 Spring Elevate Conference
Taking Your Eye Care Business to New Heights
April 8 - 10, 2025

Spring Elevate is designed to engage the entire practice team, offering valuable learning opportunities for owners, ODs, and key staff alike. Unlike the Fall meeting, Spring Elevate emphasizes staff development while spotlighting frames with top vendors and education to boost optical sales.

Study group members experience 8 full hours of focused study group time on either Tuesday or Thursday, plus a dynamic main conference day on Wednesday. Wednesday’s agenda features a keynote speaker, engaging social events, and the opportunity to attend breakout sessions tailored to four distinct learning tracks: Business Management/Leadership (for ODs and owners), Frame Board Management (for optical leaders), Managed Care (for billers and office managers), and EOS Tools (ideal for any manager).

Join us for an inspiring experience filled with collaboration, education, and the tools to elevate your practice to new heights!

Agenda
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
7:00 AM - 7:30 AM
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Alpha, Bravo, Tres, Delta, Everest
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alpha, Bravo, Tres, Delta, Everest
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Alpha, Bravo, Tres, Delta, Everest
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
P3, MD/OD and Champions
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Alpha, Bravo, Tres, Delta, Everest
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
P3, MD/OD, Champions, Opti-Port Blank Check Marketing Budget: Maximizing Impact with Every Dollar Eugene Shatsman, National Strategic Group
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
All Conference Attendees Enjoy refreshments while exploring innovative exhibits from top industry partners and frame vendors. Don’t miss the chance to win exciting attendance prizes!
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Presidents' Alliance Exclusive Event Members of the Presidents' Alliance study group will enjoy a private dinner with their group, generously sponsored by an Opti-Port vendor partner.
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Exclusive event for members of the Presidents' Alliance and PERC Pinnacle Practices Champions group
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
All Conference Attendees Wrap up your evening with Cookies and Cocktails! Join us for a relaxed social hour to connect, unwind, and enjoy sweet treats paired with your favorite drinks.
7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Hot Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
All Conference Attendees
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
All Conference Attendees Courses can be chosen during registration. Full descriptions are available under "Course Descriptions" on this site.
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
All Conference Attendees Whether you need to set bigger goals or reach the ones you already have, Ben Nemtin will help you get from “ambition” to “accomplishment.”
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
All Conference Attendees Courses will be selected during the registration process. You can read descriptions under "Course Descriptions" on this site.
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
All Attendees: P3, MD/OD, Champions (Optional)
Pearl Winners, Goals, Survey, What's Next!
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
All Conference Attendees Join us for the Elevate Reception, a fun-filled social event for all attendees! The exciting location and theme will be revealed soon—stay tuned for more details and get ready to celebrate in style!
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Hot Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM
Basecamp, K2, Denali, Fuji, Olympus, Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro, MD/OD
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Basecamp, K2, Denali, Fuji, Olympus, Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro, MD/OD
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Basecamp, K2, Denali, Fuji, Olympus, Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro, MD/OD
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Members of the P3, MD/OD study groups will enjoy a private dinner with their group, generously sponsored by a vendor partner.
Keynote Speaker
Keynote Speaker
BenNemtin.com
Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and The Bucket List Journal.

Ben Nemtin

Ben Nemtin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and The Bucket List Journal.

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General Session Speakers


Jason Lake, OD
Jason Lake, OD
General Manager
Opti-Port & PERC

Dr. Jason Lake, General Manager of PERC and Opti-Port Alliance, is a passionate advocate for private practice. With 25+ years of experience, he empowers independent eye care owners and drives excellence across the eye care industry.

Eugene Shatsman
Eugene Shatsman
Marketing Workshop Speaker
National Strategic Group

Eugene Shatsman, Managing Partner of National Strategic Group and host of the Power Hour Podcast, is an expert in business strategy and marketing. He delivers actionable insights to help businesses optimize budgets and drive meaningful growth.

Barbara Khozam
Barbara Khozam

Champions Group Speaker

Barbara Khozam, Inc.

Barbara Khozam is a leading customer experience expert, delivering dynamic presentations and practical strategies to help businesses enhance satisfaction, build loyalty, and achieve lasting success.

Explore Your Learning Track

Spring Elevate offers 4 hours of dynamic and diverse education tailored to meet the needs of owners, doctors, and key staff. Each session is tied to a distinct learning track, ensuring there’s something relevant for every role in attendance. Explore the tracks below to find sessions designed to inspire, educate, and empower you and your team! Be sure to check the learning track noted in each description to select the sessions that best suit your goals.

Lakenomics, Dr. Jason Lake
Lakenomics, Dr. Jason Lake

Learning Track: Business Management, designed for Owners and ODs

The Lakeonomics session offers a comprehensive overview of crucial topics impacting the eye care industry, focusing on the evolving dynamics in Human Resources, the economics of eye care, and industry innovations. 

EOS Tools, Mark Leary
EOS Tools, Mark Leary

Learning Track: EOS Tools, designed for any people managers

9:00 am Session: Get a Grip on Your Eyecare Practice with Mark Henderson Leary

Are you running your eyecare practice or is it running you? Do you want to get the most out of your people, your business, and yourself? Join Mark Henderson Leary and other practice leaders to learn how to get a grip on your business. 

2:30 pm Session: Office Meetings Shouldn't Suck... and Other Ways to Be a Great Boss

If you're like most bosses, you were promoted based on your technical skills, not on your ability to lead and manage people. We get it. And without the proper training, many bosses start to feel frustrated, overworked, and under-appreciated. But with the right tools in your toolbox and the right approach, you can get more done and create the accountable, people-centric environment that people really thrive in. 

Bridging Generations, Melissa E. Trego, OD, PhD
Bridging Generations, Melissa E. Trego, OD, PhD

Learning Track: Business Management, designed for owners and ODs

Co-Led by Dr. Brianne Hobbs

This session is designed for practicing optometrists and optometric practice owners to address the challenges and opportunities of managing intergenerational dynamics in today’s workplace. With a focus on actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to effectively recruit, retain, and evaluate Gen Z employees, ensuring they become valuable contributors to their practices. Participants will learn how to: understand key characteristics and workplace preferences of Gen Z compared to other generations, learn proven methods for recruiting Gen Z talent using modern, values-driven approaches, develop strategies for retaining Gen Z employees by fostering engagement, growth, and loyalty, and implement an actionable, Gen Z-friendly framework for evaluating and supporting employee performance. Through practical strategies and actionable takeaways, attendees will be equipped to build cohesive, multigenerational teams that thrive on mutual respect and shared success, creating a foundation for a more effective and inclusive practice.



Managed Care Provider Insights
Managed Care Provider Insights

Pearls and pitfalls of your provider relationships, tips and tricks from your member peers, Q&A with providers!  Please see a list below for providers that will be joining us in Atlanta


EyeMed: Stephanie McCoy


Managed Vision Care, Dr. Jason Ortman
Managed Vision Care, Dr. Jason Ortman

Learning Track: Managed Vision Care, designed for office managers and billers

Common challenges practices have in applying managed care benefits, claims, payments and denials.   

An interactive session discussing challenges practices have with medical insurance and vision care plans.  The discussion will also discuss practical solutions for many of these problems.  This session will also discuss audits, chart requests, and clawbacks from insurance companies.   coordination of benefits between medical plans and vision care plans


Coordination of benefits and applying special benefits between Medical and Vision Benefit Plans

This interactive session will include how to correctly coordinate benefits between medical plans and vision care plans.  Additionally, the session will discuss the guidelines and submitting claims correctly for visually necessary contact lenses. 

Sanitas Advisors, John Walborn
Sanitas Advisors, John Walborn

Learning Track: Business Management, designed for owners and ODs

Navigating the Intersection of Innovation and Eye Care

Sanitas Advisors is a healthcare consultancy that empowers leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset to accelerate the inevitable. Their principals, including Jim Edwards and Jeff Poe, have decades of experience in large medical group practices and at the highest levels of manufacturing and commerce both inside the eye care space and outside providing them with an unbiased view of industry, change, and high performance. 


Psychology of the Sale, Bill Gerber
Psychology of the Sale, Bill Gerber

Learning Track: Frames and Frame Board Management, designed for optical managers

Bill Gerber, CEO an Founder of OMG (Optical Marketing Group) will be leading this course. 

In this course you'll learn about what makes us tick, why we do the things we do and what to do with that knowledge to improve your unique eyecare sales experience. 

This course will help all members of the eyecare community to enhance the lives of countless people through the gift of an amazing sales experience. This is of course all driven by a commitment to doing whatever it takes to help people see well and look amazing. That will lead to patients happily buying a wide variety of visual solutions including eyewear, contact lenses, and accessories. 

Frame Board Management to Optimize Profits
Frame Board Management to Optimize Profits

In this course you'll learn about what makes us tick, why we do the things we do and what to do with that knowledge to improve your unique eyecare sales experience.

More details on course and speaker coming soon!

Managed Care Insights, EssilorLuxottica
Managed Care Insights, EssilorLuxottica

Learning Track: Managed Vision Care, designed for office managers and billers

More course and speaker detail coming soon.

Selling Luxury, Kering
Selling Luxury, Kering

Learning Track: Frames and Frame Board management, designed for optical managers

Whether your patients realize it or not, many of them only want luxury. Being able to meet this need is crucial for satisfying your patients and keeping your practice healthy. This course will help attendees feel more comfortable with selling luxury eyewear. 


Hard to Fit Frames, Tura
Hard to Fit Frames, Tura

Learning Track: Frames and Frame Board Management, designed for optical managers

We know that all faces are different and some are simply more difficult to fit properly with a frame. Sometimes it is shape and other times it is bridge or temples, this course will discuss and show examples of how to fit people that are "hard to fit."


Conference Sponsors

EssilorLuxottica

EssilorLuxottica is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses.

Alcon

As a preferred partner, we look forward to helping you maximize on opportunities through innovative product technology, elite partnership rebates and unique educational opportunities to elevate your practice.

CooperVision

We’re a global leader in contact lenses. With the widest range of prescription options, trust in CooperVision for a contact lens that meets your patients vision, lifestyle and budget needs.

Advancing Eyecare

One Alliance of Industry Leaders The combined scope of the organization has the broadest product portfolio, the most knowledgeable people, and the most reliable service in the industry.

Capri Optics

Capri Optics is recognized for providing high-quality eyewear at competitive prices.

Charmant

Charmant's corporate philosophy and manufacturing ethos include precision and quality. Long tenured industry veteran sales consultants take care of you from start to finish.

Europa Eyewear

Independent for the independent - Europa offers exceptional customer service, independent brands, industry-leading warranties, and guaranteed sell-through. Because frame buying should be easy.

EyePromise

EyePromise is the #1 Doctor Recommended Brand of Nutraceuticals and MPOD measurement technology helping patients at risk or/with AMD, Diabetes, Dry Eye, Visual Performance Challenges and with Blue Light Protection.

HELIX

HELIX, a division of EssilorLuxottica, is focused on helping ECPs leverage modern technology to improve the efficiency of their practices.

Kenmark Eyewear

Designers & Distributors of Quality Eyewear Since 1972.

Kering Eyewear

Kering Eyewear is the pure leader in luxury eyewear. We design, develop and distribute a well-balanced portfolio of 15 brands.

Leonardo

Leonardo Learning Platform offers premium education for your entire practice.

L'Amy America

L’Amy America offers innovative fit solutions in the brands your customer wants and recognizes, from small fit/petites to extended sizes, as well as teen and tween styles with 180 hinges, and in a range of innovative materials your customer is looking for.

Marcolin

The story of Marcolin is an ever-evolving story and each and every partner plays a key role in our growth. Creativity, manufacturing skills and technological development are the pillars of our success, which is based on people’s value.

Modo

MODO is an independent eyewear designer, manufacturer and distributor whose brands include MODO & Eco along with a number of licensed brands including Derek Lam 10 Crosby.

OASIS Medical

OASIS Medical is a US based manufacturer & distributor of vision care solutions serving the eye care industry for over 37 years. As a privately owned family business out of California, OASIS nourishes and sustains the eye care community for the long term.

Optos

Optos devices image more than 80% of the retina in a single capture. Ultra-widefield technology provides high resolution 200° images in less than ½ second and helps uncover critical information and can help prevent vision loss.

PERC

Building a better community for our practices and patients.

PERC Events

Committed to bringing our members together to learn and grow through shared experiences.

PERC Frame Advantage

Innovative board management combined with an integrated supply chain.

Shamir Insight Inc.

Shamir Optical: Leading lens producer with cutting-edge tech. Customer-centric approach, dedicated to exceeding expectations.

Transitions Optical

Transitions® Gen S™ is the new lens standard, going beyond the ordinary and offering a dynamic, fantastic and love-wear experience that aligns with the everchanging rhythm of life

Tura

Partner with Tura for a superior brand experience. Our meticulous design process, paired with unparalleled quality, results in a diverse portfolio of styles and fits for all demographics, with a focus on comfort, quality, and attention to detail.

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