Many months ago, the iO invited me to attend their Convention as an exhibitor and to give a presentation. It seemed like a long time away so I said yes! And then I got really busy at Osteobiz HQ and suddenly it was getting close and I needed to get my slides done, my stand planned, leaflets created, branded and printed! Phew!
I heard varying reports about what to expect and one or two indicated that I might be bored witless! But I decided I was going to thoroughly immerse myself in the weekend and get stuck in! Having worked with Osteopaths for about 6 years, I couldn’t imagine that a collective of them could possibly be dull!
In the end, it all came together beautifully and I was really pleased with the layout of the stand I produced on Friday at the Beaumont Estate Hotel. Certainly the iO team had quite a job on their hands to organise such an huge unwieldy beast of a Convention. There were the bags with #OsteopathyWorks emblazoned on them with the requisite programme booklets, an Awards ceremony to practice until perfect, menus to choose, exhibitors to corral, speakers to organise, let alone planning out a three day learning extravaganza with 4-5 separate categories each day comprising multiple topics!
The iO team themselves had more team members than I had realised, many also running Osteopathic Practices alongside their duties. That’s what I call dedication to the cause!
Me -v- Dr Raymond Perrin and Mia Lederman!
I was due to give my talk at noon on Saturday. The strange thing is that because there are so many concurrent options on the timetable, the room numbers can ebb and flow like a tsunami! I attended the 11am presentation from GOsC about the new CPD standards. There was some healthy debate about that I can tell you! However, overall it did seem as though it might be easier and become more beneficial in the end.
Osteopaths were encouraged to look at a three year period, beginning with a peer review to identify where gaps were, knowledge or procedures were poor or where specialisms could be further enhanced. Having a plan at the beginning and finding the necessary courses and areas of study will surely mean that, over time, it will really become meaningful professional development rather than merely attending free gigs for the points!
As the presentation ended, the room emptied as though a fire was raging! Looking at the programme I could see that two behemoths of the Osteopathic world were also about to talk about their expert specialisms! Happily, many did come back with fresh coffee and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my three key strategies to attract more patients.
Convention party time!
Sadly, I don’t get out of Osteobiz HQ much what with my 6 day week, long hours and ever-hungry family, so it was fortuitous that a place became available at the Awards Ceremony! I wore my favourite blue frock and sat with the hard-working behind the scenes team of the iO. It was lovely to finally put some faces to names and we had some great chats.
The Awards themselves were wonderful and it was inspiring to see so many young Osteopaths being so genuinely enthusiastic about their burgeoning careers. My own VIP Client Chris Branch attended with his lovely wife, as a Finalist in the Practice of the Year category. Unfortunately this time it was not to be but I can guarantee you that he will be featuring there again in the future as he continues to harness his ambitions to be the best quality primary health provider in his community!
Spotting several more Clients there and instantly making new friends via their groups, I soon got into an Osteo Hugfest, chattering happily and ended up being one of the last to bed! It’s a relief to know that the old party animal is still alive and dancing – my 18 year old self made a solemn promise that I would dance until the day I died!
Allow me to introduce my new best friends!
Mint – Good Clinical Practice
I had met Debbie Smith of Mint Practice before at a BCOM Alumni gathering which I had been asked to give a presentation. Interestingly, I hadn’t realised she had also been an Osteopath for 13 years until this weekend! We had great some great banter and got to know each other better. There is excellent synergy between us so we may well work together in the future.
Debbie has produced some fantastic leaflets explaining what you do to the general public and they are a really useful way to augment your current marketing. Best of all Debbie has WILLINGLY (Eek!) trawled through all the GOsC regulations on good practice standards and created a complete manual which guides the Principal in how to run an excellent Practice. For instance, there is guidance on how to deal with complaints as well as requisite forms which enable you to deal with any issues correctly and efficiently. Well worth taking a look at this – you can even download digital versions as a whole or just the topics you want. At only £125 for the entire package, I think every Practice should have this Bible to refer to! Check it out here
SittingWell
Therapists Lorna and Rachel were delightful, knowledgeable and a pleasure to chat with. They offer a range of practical items to assist with more comfortable sitting, better posture and even seat belt adapters which ensure correct sitting when driving for long distances. I tried out an Osteopath’s new purchase of a SitFit cushion which provides a little imbalance so that the spine and core needs to repeatedly readjust. After about an hour of standing I sat down on this wobbly cushion and the tightness in my lower back was eased away in seconds – so I now have a bright red version in Osteobiz HQ!
I think these products are excellent ways for you to augment your Practice whilst providing your Patients with solutions to posture problems they are prone to suffer from. I’m so impressed by Lorna and Rachel’s range that I’ve become an Affiliate – and that is very rare indeed for me! Check it out and if you pop in the code OSTEOBIZ you will also receive a 5% discount. Take a look here
IDD Therapy
I’ve been in touch with Stephen Small for a couple of years on LinkedIn so it was lovely to finally meet him in the flesh at the Convention. A thoroughly nice chap, he is passionate about how this treatment can help people with disc issues. Several of my clients have these machines and they have become of crucial benefit to their communities. Obviously I don’t understand any more than that BUT if you have a reasonably large space, which is underutilised, do have a chat with Stephen about the benefits of this treatment for your community. Find out more here
In conclusion…
I felt that this Convention was extremely well put together with a super range of relevant exhibitors who were clearly of interest to the delegates. The programme was astonishing in its depth and variety, notably the entire day of experts talking about head pain. Indeed Helena Bridge who orchestrated much of it, explained to me how sometimes Migraineurs (a new word for my dictionary!) have a propensity for head pain possibly because of the genes they have carried forward for centuries. She believes that certain hyper-vigilant traits necessary in many women for survival of the group in tribal times have possibly continued forwards but are now intensely triggering in our highly stressful, busy and noisy worlds. If you’d like to be involved, there is now a new Facebook group and website which is ostensibly for gathering and sharing information from experts across the field on this important topic.
Many significant offers to collaborate with me were made and I am left feeling delighted that some key people want to harness my passion for building successful Osteopathic Practices with their particular event or business. More to come on this as they evolve!
On reflection, last weekend was in fact the pinnacle of my Osteobiz career and my entire life too. It feels like I have finally arrived at where I was always destined to be, if that makes sense.
So, if you’ve ever wondered about attending the iO Convention, I’d say it’s worth every penny – especially if you nab the Early Bird! Absolutely, this was a really valuable event for Osteopaths – many of whom came from all over Europe too. Even the President of Osteopaths New Zealand, Jonathan Paine, was in attendance and who, it turns out, is buddies with my own Osteopath Anne Wright! It’s a small world after all…
