Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our list of frequently asked questions. This list can provide you with plenty of information about our annual event. If you still need assistance please feel free to email the GWCO office or give us a call at (206) 209-5273.

 


Registration Information

Q: How do I register for Congress?

Q: What are the registration deadlines?

Q: How do I register for courses?

  • General course registrations require no pre-registration, you will be able to select your courses during the event. Check out our schedule at a glance.

Q: What is the cancellation policy?

  • Attendee Policy: All cancellations requests received on or before Tuesday, September 1, 2020, will be issued a refund less a $75 processing fee. No refunds will be given thereafter except in the event of extenuating circumstances such as hospitalization or death. Requests for registration cancellation must be submitted in writing via email to [email protected]. If you are not able to attend one or more sessions, GWCO will not prorate or refund any part of your registration fee. Substitute attendees will be permitted. Substitution requests must be in writing via email to [email protected] no later than 7 days prior to the event start. 
  • Exhibitor, Sponsorship, and Advertising Policy: Full refunds will be sent for written cancellations emailed or postmarked no more than 30 days after purchase minus a $20 processing fee. There will be no refunds if cancellations are made after 30 days of purchase. Please note, sponsorship do not go into effect until payment of your Sponsorship is paid in full. By completing this online form, I understand and will adhere to the cancellation policy.

Q: Who is included in Paraoptometrics?

  • GWCO defines staff, paraoptometrics, and opticians under one heading: Paraoptometrics (Paras).

Q: What is the Physician Payment Sunshine Act?

  • The Physician Sunshine Act requires eye product manufacturers to report attendance registration information for CE, meals, and items of value which are supported by grant funding from such companies. GWCO will work with such companies to provide the information required by the Sunshine Act.

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Session Information

Q: How do I access the GWCO Congress live sessions?

Q: What format are the sessions going to be in?

  • The sessions will be done via Zoom Meetings.

Q: Will the sessions be pre-recorded or live?

  • Sessions will be live.

Q: How do I access the sessions?

  • All sessions will be accessible via Zoom. A know before you go email will be sent about a week prior with instructions on how to access the zoom links through our virtual platform. 

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Continuing Education Information

Q: Are all CE sessions included in the conference fee?

Q: How do I get handouts for my courses?

  • The handouts will be available online. Handouts will be made available approximately one-two weeks before Congress upon availability. Please Note: Some speakers do no provide their presentations or handouts for distribution. Please review the Course Information.

Q: Is CE Accredited?

  • GWCO makes every effort to secure accreditation for all continuing education through Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE), American Board of Opticianry (ABO), National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE), and American Optometric Association Paraoptometric Section (CPC). GWCO does not guarantee that a licensing board or certifying organization will accredit any course presented at GWCO Congress. Learn more about CEs on our Terms, Conditions, and Policy page.

Q: How will GWCO know which courses I attend?

Q: How do I get my CE certificates?

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Technical Questions

Q: Do I need Zoom to participate in the virtual conference? 

  • We recommend that you download Zoom Client for Meetings ahead of time: https://zoom.us/download
  • The web browser client will download automatically when you start or join your first Zoom meeting, but we recommend that you manually download it prior to the conference using the link above.
  • Although you do not need to download the Zoom application to participate—you can run the meeting in your browser by clicking “join from your browser” at the bottom of the page—the viewing experience is better through the app.

 

Q: Where can I find more information on the Zoom platform?

Q: I am having trouble with streaming audio, I can’t hear the speaker through my computer speakers, the streaming stopped…what do I do?

  • If you are not able to hear any audio through your computer speakers first check to make sure your speakers are not muted or turned off. 
  • The next step is to refresh your screen by pressing the F5 key on your keyboard or clicking the “refresh” button in your web browser. 

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Other Technical Items to Note

Please ensure your device meets hardware, software, and bandwidth requirements well in advance:

  • Step 1: Browser Tests: Please take the following browser test: https://zoom.us/test
  • Step 2: Please review the following Technical Requirements and be sure your system and networks are up to date.

Minimum System Requirements:

  • 2.0Ghz Processor or faster 2 GB RAM (Greater than 2 GB recommended)

Minimum Browser Requirements:

  • Your browser must support HTML-5. To detect your browser version, run https://whichbrowser.net/  
  • Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 or later Chrome 60 or greater Firefox 52 or greater Edge 14  or greater Safari 10 or greater iOS 10 or greater Internet Explorer 11 IP Addresses and Ports to Allow for HTML5: 72.32.161.112 port 80, 443 (web and audio) 72.32.200.104 port 80, 443 (web and audio) 72.32.221.65 ports 80, 443 (web and audio) 72.32.221.66 ports 80, 443 (web and audio) 67.203.7.114 ports 80, 443 (web and audio)

Additionally Recommendations:

  • Disable pop-ups blockers in your Internet browser settings.
  • A wired connection is recommended. WiFi signal strengths can vary causing bandwidth to increase or decrease. A wired connection gives a consistent signal and consistent bandwidth. A wired connection provides a better experience.
  • Audio (sound) is projected through your computer speakers. Be sure your computer is equipped with speakers or the room where the conference is being broadcast is equipped with speakers so you can hear the presenters.

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