Events

The 2026 Summer Continuing Education meeting will be held July 25-26, 2026 In-Person at:

Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Downtown, 1200 Pickens Street, Columbia, SC 29201 USA 1 803-227-3400

 

 

We have room for 140 licenses and 48 apprentices each day.

 

If you already registered/paid for the last event, all you have to do is log into your account and then register for a FREE MEMBER TICKET.  

 

Please pay dues *BEFORE* registering for the event.  Dues can easily be paid online, just log into your account, scroll down, and click the renew button. Once dues are paid, you can register for Member Tickets to our CE events free of charge (included with membership). You MUST be logged into your account to register for the Free Member Ticket.

 

Please use the online portal to register yourself, if at all possible.  Manual registration should be a last resort, only for the members who have not paid yet, and cannot pay online in advance.

If you can only pay with check or money order, please mail it in and register online in advance.

 

Mail checks to:
South Carolina Association of Opticians
PO Box 8185
Greenville, SC 29604

 

Only if you are paying by cash at the door, use the Contact Us feature, indicate you wish to pay at the door, and ask us to manually register you for the event, specifying which event you wish to attend, licenses or apprentices.

Again, if you're paying by credit card online, please do so in advance, and register yourself, vs emailing asking us to register you.

 

If you don't register in advance, you'll create delays for yourself and others at the registration desk.  You may have to wait for CECs and nametags to be printed, and will likely enter the room last, getting the worst seats.

 

 

2026 Annual Business Meeting

The SCAO’s Annual Business Meeting will be held at: Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Downtown, 1200 Pickens Street, Columbia, SC 29201 on Saturday, July 25th, at 4:00 PM. All Board positions are open for election.

The deadline to write-in your intent to run is due by 11:59PM June 10th!
This term, if the bylaw revisions the board has approved pass, we will be adding a Legislative Lead to the board and a Second Vice President position as well increasing the term of the Area Representatives from 1 year to 2 year terms.
Pending that vote at the annual business meeting the list of the open positions is as follows:
Area Representatives and board members:
Charleston
Columbia
Florence
Greenville
Myrtle Beach
Rockhill
Legislative Lead
Executive Board:
President
1st Vice President
2nd Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Please reach out to your area reps and board members for any questions or refer to the bylaws:
Any intent to run should be emailed to Grant Brown, President, Joseph Venzie, VP, and Leslie Gier, Acting Secretary.

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