OVDRA 2026: A First-Timer's Look Inside the Vision Therapy Community

This post was written by Reagan, James Smith's son. He worked his first OVDRA booth this year and wanted to share what it felt like from his perspective.

Attending OVDRA this year was an incredible experience for me, both as a new vision therapist and as a new employee at Emergent. Since it was my first national convention and my first business trip, I was excited long before we even arrived. I spent a lot of time preparing to work in the Emergent booth, learning about the equipment, training opportunities, and everything we offer to support vision therapists and clinics.

Once the conference started, I quickly realized it was much bigger than I expected. There were therapists, doctors, and vendors from all over, and it was amazing to see how many people are passionate about vision therapy. One of the coolest parts of the experience was meeting other therapists and hearing about their experiences in the field. As someone who is still new to vision therapy, it was encouraging to see how many people are making a difference in patients’ lives through this work.

Working alongside Robert and my dad (James) at the booth was another highlight for me. I learned a lot just by watching how they interacted with people and explained the equipment and training opportunities. I also really enjoyed walking through the vendor hall and seeing the different products and ideas people are bringing into the vision therapy world.

One of the most memorable parts of the convention was the banquet. Seeing therapists recognized and sworn in after earning their COVT certification was inspiring and showed the level of dedication people have in this profession.

Outside of the conference itself, I also enjoyed trying different restaurants and experiencing great food throughout the trip. Overall, OVDRA was an awesome opportunity, and it made me even more excited for the future of vision therapy and the chance to attend more events like this.