Heading to Bali: SILMO Academy Congress to Unite Global Eyecare Community in April 2026

The international optical and vision care community is set to converge on Bali, Indonesia, when SILMO Academy hosts its CPD-accredited International Congress from 6 to 8 April 2026 at Hotel Paradisus.

Over three days, researchers, clinicians and global opinion leaders will come together for a high-level scientific programme built around five strategic themes: putting people first, healthy ageing and presbyopia, gaining a competitive edge in practice, light management and myopia, and future advances in optometry and optics.

A Programme Built for the Profession

The congress opens on 6 April with a session focused on patient-centred care and evolving professional responsibilities. Topics include managing optical consumer complaints, supporting neurodiverse patients, and the increasingly pressing issue of burnout among optical professionals, a timely conversation as workforce pressures mount across the sector.

Day two turns the lens on healthy ageing, with presentations drawing on the WHO's global work plan and the Global Vision Database. Prof Rupert Bourne (UK) will address what population-level data tells us about vision impairment and blindness, including refractive error coverage, now the first eye metric incorporated into the WHO's Fourteenth General Programme of Work (2025–2028). The afternoon session shifts focus to clinical differentiation, covering contact lens discomfort versus dry eye disease, management of the irregular cornea, and adapting contact lenses for paediatric patients.

Day three explores light management and myopia, one of the most urgent public health challenges in eye care, before closing with a forward-looking session on artificial intelligence, smart eyewear and the evolution of medico-optometry. Delegates will hear how med-tech is beginning to disrupt traditional optometric paradigms and how technology is opening new doors for low vision and hearing solutions.

World-Class Faculty

The speaker line-up reflects the congress's genuinely international scope. Confirmed presenters include Dr Cindy Tromans, President of the World Council of Optometry; Gabrielle Janssen, President of the European Council of Optometry and Optics; and Prof Eric Papas from Australia. Also on the programme are Prof Rupert Bourne and Prof David Elliott from the UK, and Prof Weizhong Lan from China, whose work on light and myopia has shaped clinical thinking globally.

Australian and New Zealand voices are well represented throughout the programme, with contributions from Dr Marianne Coleman, Dr Grant Hannaford, Thao Hannaford, Jason Dhana and Stephen Caunter bringing a distinctly Asia-Pacific perspective to the discussions.

CPD Recognition for Australian Practitioners

For Australian practitioners, the congress carries CPD recognition, approved by Optometry Australia through the OA Institute of Excellence Quality Assurance process. It represents a rare opportunity to earn points while engaging with leading international research and clinical practice, and to do so in one of the region's most accessible international destinations.

Why Bali?

Positioning the congress in Bali underscores SILMO Academy's commitment to growing its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region, where demand for eyecare services is expanding rapidly and the profession is evolving quickly. The location makes attendance more practical for Australian and New Zealand delegates than a European venue, lowering the barrier for practitioners who might not otherwise engage with this calibre of international scientific programming.

The SILMO Academy Congress is the key scientific event within the broader SILMO ecosystem, which encompasses the world's leading optics trade show. For practitioners looking to stay at the cutting edge of clinical practice, connect with international peers, and earn CPD points, Bali in April is shaping up to be unmissable.

Registration and further information are available at www.silmoparis.com/en/silmo-academy/bali