Sight Loss Conference

World’s Largest Conference on Sight Loss to be held at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC) in London was the venue chosen for the Vision 2005 conference and exhibition which came to London for the first time in spring 2005, from 4-7th April. Billed as the world’s premier event on low vision and sight loss, the conference attracted 2,500 delegates and speakers from 55 countries and was hosted by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB).

The event is a tri-annual international conference and exhibition and was last held in Gothenburg in 2002. In previous conferences the emphasis has been largely on low vision and rehabilitation, but at Vision 2005 London the themes were broadened to encompass a much wider spectrum of issues around sight loss, such as technology and employment, making it by far the biggest yet.

RNIB successfully bid to host the 2005 event in London. Lesley-Anne Alexander, RNIB chief executive, said: “We’re delighted to have hosted such a prestigious event. The response we’ve had from professionals in the field to Vision 2005 has been fantastic and we’re privileged to have had some of the world’s most respected specialists speaking at the conference.

“We chose the QEII Conference Centre for Vision 2005 because it is a prestigious venue in the heart of Westminster and meets our requirements for flexible conference and exhibition space which accommodated our 2,500 delegates. The Centre provided for our large opening and closing ceremonies, 80 exhibition stands, and a wide variety of seminar and workshop rooms. In addition it was an ideal venue for our evening reception as it offers fantastic views over Westminster.