LAFAYETTE, Calif. – (Mar. 12, 2010) – How has the recession affected baby boomer consumers?  Where is the growth in the boomer and senior market today?  What do businesses need to know to effectively engage boomers using traditional and new media, online communities, partnerships, etc?  Attendees will find the answers to these questions and more at the 7^th Annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit on Friday, March 19, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.  

What’s Next will explore the most effective go-to-market strategies for businesses selling to boomer and senior customers today.  The Summit is produced by Mary Furlong & Associates, the nation’s premier consultancy for marketing and business development strategies for the 50+ market.

“Nearly 108 million Americans today are age 45 or older, and households headed by someone 40 or older account for 91% of the America’s net worth,” said Dr. Mary Furlong, president and chief executive officer of Mary Furlong & Associates and the producer of What’s Next.  “Anyone attending this conference will leave with a much greater understanding of the trends that are shaping growth in the boomer, senior, and caregiver markets, how to use that information to more effectively engage their customers, and how to generate increased revenue streams for their organizations.”

Every year, What’s Next brings together the country’s leading baby boomer strategists and marketers at an event designed to introduce new research, products and services that truly represent what is next in the boomer market, and this year is no different. The 2010 event will emphasize integrated, social and mobile marketing; innovative distribution channels and will provide a profile of business segments that have moved into the rapidly growing sector of caregiving, an $800 billion market ¹.

Highlights of this year’s Summit include an Ask the Analyst session where top industry analysts will share the latest market research on what’s driving boomer purchasing behavior. Four pre-conference boot camps will be held in the days leading up to What’s Next. These boot camps will cover boomer entrepreneurship, opportunities in the caregiving sector, social media and how to market healthcare products directly to consumers. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to marketing to boomers, so experts will share their best strategies for segmenting the boomer population and creating the right marketing mix that includes media, distribution channels and Web 3.0 communications tools.

Additionally, attendees will connect with thought leaders, brand managers and entrepreneurs who are shaping the boomer market. During the Age Beat Luncheon, attendees will have the chance to interact with leading analysts, bloggers, authors and age beat reporters. There will also be plenty of time to network with decision makers who get deals done and find out how the changing economy will influence decisions about real estate, lifestyle, and the financial future of baby boomers.

Registration is available online at www.boomersummit.com. From there you may also view the full agenda and find other information on the What’s Next Boomer Business Summit. For assistance you may also send an email to inquiries@boomersummit.com.

Sponsors of What’s Next include AARP, Continuum Crew, i.e. healthcare, Microsoft, Caring.com, Dr.Marion.org, Early Bird Alert, firstSTREET, grandparents.com, Halo Monitoring, Hipcricket, Myine Electronics, Posit Science, Presto, Read How You Want, Retirement Living TV, SeniorCareMarketer.com, Silver Ride, Social.com, Southwest Airlines, Taheima, Verizon, Wellcore, Five-O, Vibrant Nation, Clear Sounds, Boomer Authority and Navigate Boomer Media.

The What’s Next Boomer Business Summit is an official post-conference of the NCOA-ASA National Aging in America Conference taking place March 15-19 in Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.agingconference.org.

About Mary Furlong & Associates

Founded in 2003, Mary Furlong & Associates (MFA) is a proven team of business innovators, comprised of talent from marketing, editorial, business, online content and community. Mary Furlong, Ed.D., the firm’s founder and CEO, has guided the offline and online 40+ market strategies of leading corporations and nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years. Furlong is Dean’s Executive Professor of Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, and previously founded SeniorNet and ThirdAge Media. Her latest book, Turning Silver into Gold: How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace, was published in February 2007. More information is available at www.maryfurlong.com.

¹ NCOA, Caring.com

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Liz Barlowe launches Innovate Today, LLC to assist businesses serving elderly and disabled individuals

Clearwater, Fla. (March 11, 2010) – Liz Barlowe, former COO of Aging Wisely, LLC is happy to announce her new venture in the eldercare and disability market, Innovate Today, LLC, which will provide consulting services, training and continuing education for industries involved in providing services to elderly and disabled individuals.

“Over the years, I have developed many skills, systems and processes that I recognized as useful for other businesses serving seniors and disabled individuals,” said Barlowe. “I’ve been approached throughout the years to share my expertise with individuals wanting to start a company or grow an existing one, so it’s very fitting that I would share what I’ve learned with others.”

Innovate Today, LLC will provide continuing education to help service providers meet their necessary requirements, as well as offer start-up and consulting services to newly established elder service businesses. Through training programs and sharing proven business systems and success strategies, Innovate Today, LLC will help businesses grow in a systematic way and avoid the costly mistakes often experienced. Coaching services covering both business and clinical issues will also be available to CEOs and COOs currently serving these markets. 

Barlowe is the Immediate Past Chair of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, Florida Chapter.  She is a frequent requested national speaker for elder issues.

“I am very excited to move forward with this new venture and look forward to improving services to seniors and disabled individuals while enhancing the businesses behind these services,” said Barlowe.

Barlowe will serve full-time as CEO of Innovate Today, LLC. For more information on Innovate Today, LLC, please contact Barlowe at LizBarlowe@InnovateTodayLLC.com or 727-709-9927.

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The long-awaited release date has been announced – the iPad is coming April 3rd. Of course as with any big tech gadget release, speculation arises – how many will be sold? What will that apps be? But, in this case, the number one question buzzing around the Internet is – do publishers have a plan in place for their product or service being offered on the iPad? Do they know how much they are going to charge for it?  It may come as a surprise that publishers are struggling with this, but considering that there is no real precedent or accurate model to fall back on, their lack of a decision becomes understandable. Read more on this topic here.

According to business researchers at the University of Central Florida as reported in a recent article in the Tampa Tribune, the areas with potential job growth in the Tampa Bay area are: professional and business service jobs, which are expected to grow 4.5 percent a year to 2013, followed by manufacturing, health, education and entrepreneurship. The industries experiencing a decline in job growth locally are construction, housing-related jobs such as mortgage brokers, and government work. The UCF research report stated that local job growth in the construction sector will not return until the second quarter of 2011, “and it will be two decades before construction employment reaches pre-recession peaks from 2006.”
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Economic conditions have created patterns of change, one change being adult children moving back in or continuing to live at home with their boomer parents longer. If this pattern continues, the results will be increased consumption of products and services due to the increase of people in one household.
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