Columbia, SC to be “Center of the Boomer Business Universe” with NARA and NAHB 55+ Collaboration

Aug. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Press Release
For more information, contact:
Dan Owens, President, National Active Retirement Association (NARA)
C (704)641-1469 * Toll Free (888)742-7362

Columbia, SC to be “Center of the Boomer Business Universe”
with NARA and NAHB 55+ Collaboration

Charlotte, NC (August 17, 2010) – The National Active Retirement Association (NARA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will be collaborating to offer 55+ business classes and educational seminars the entire week of Oct. 18-22 in Columbia, SC.

“You won’t be able to find another week of the year that will have more 55+ information, education and networking as this week,” said NARA Executive Director Dan Owens. “If you are interested in catching the Age Wave in business, you’ll want to be in Columbia, SC Oct. 18-22,” he said, adding that “more professionals involved in the building for, selling to and serving 55+ consumers will be in Columbia than anywhere else.”

NARA (www.retirementlivingnews.com) has hosted 10 annual business conferences for business, non-profit and government professionals who want to learn more about marketing to, building for, serving  and doing more business with the exploding 55+ age segment. NAHB has sponsored a 50+ Housing Council for years which has hosted an annual 50+ Housing Conference.

With the annual NAHB 50+ Housing Conference postponed until next year, NAHB is adding two full continuing education day classes – one each on marketing and sales – to combine with the three-day NARA retirement business conference to create the week of “Boomer and Beyond” education and networking. Both classes are needed to reach the homebuilder Certified Active Adult Specialist in Housing (CAASH) designation.

The week will start with two full day sessions at the Homebuilders Association of Greater Columbia. On Monday, Oct. 18, a Selling to the Active Adult class will be offered, followed by a Tuesday Marketing to the Active Adult class. Both classes will be presented by Jane Marie O’Connor of 55 Plus, LLC in Charlemont, MA. O’Connor is considered to be one of the leading consultants, speakers and trainers in the 55+ building industry. Both sessions will be held at the HBA offices in Columbia.
From Wednesday through Friday, speakers from around the country will converge on the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center to hear a number of speakers talk about business opportunities and challenges related to the aging of America.

NARA’s central theme? There are several that all point to the same conclusion:  aging is becoming big business and its only going to get bigger. For instance, over the next 20 years, more people will be in 65+ age bracket than have ever reached 65. And, remember those Baby Boomers? The first wave of boomers will be reaching that traditional retirement age of 65 next year. There are over 75 million boomers all rapidly heading in that direction.

The implications, as well as opportunities, for business are enormous. NARA speakers will address issues like strategies in financing and building 55+ housing and continuing care retirement communities (CCRC), planning to attracting affluent retirees to your town/city, brain health among older adults, trends in aging and demographics and ways to better market and sell products and services to older adults.

NARA Presenters will include:
*Dr. Joe Gribbin, head of the masters’ program at the Erickson School of Aging at the University of Maryland, who will give a detailed presentation about the future of Social Security and Medicare.
*Dave Reitz, Chicago, Ill. Formerly a leading executive with Del Webb’s Sun City brand, Dave now works in the residential building market targeting 55+ buyers.
*Colin Milner, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), one of the world’s visionaries on the health and well-being of the older adult.
*Simon Hudson, Columbia, SC. Chair in Tourism Research at USC. Simon has done extensive research into mature (50+) tourism and will discuss tourism as it leads to retirement in a location.
*John Cromartie, Washington, D.C. A senior demographer at the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, John has focused on retiree migration to rural areas.
*Gene Warren, Phoenix, AZ. A principal in Thomas+Warren, Gene is a leading authority on where retirees move and why.
*Tom Mann, Baltimore, MD. A principal of TR Mann Consulting and the Tuesday Morning Sales Club. Tom is also a co-founder of the networking group Mature Market Experts. Tom’s clients include senior housing developers, magazines, financial and consumer products and several fitness products, all aimed at serving the boomer and senior markets.
*Richard “Dick” Ambrosius, South Dakota, VP, NeoCORTA, an organization committed to assessing and improving brain fitness among older adults.

The Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board is the host organization and a Diamond Level sponsor. Other sponsors include the Go Texan state retiree attraction program and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. All NARA sessions will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia’s resurgent downtown “Vista” entertainment district (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=colacvb#p/a/u/2/3Dsft...)

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The National Active Retirement Association (NARA) is a 10-year old, grassroots trade organization that organizes and helps marketers, builders and professionals, businesses and organizations that provide products, housing and services to people age 55+.