Press Room – 2009 NIC Press Releases
NIC Conference Speakers to Help Providers and Investors
Succeed in Today’s Tough Economy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2009
Contact: Renee Tilton, (410) 626-0805 or rtilton@crosbymarketing.com
Annapolis, Md. – Seniors housing and care professionals looking for best practices to help them come out of the recession stronger will find them during the sessions scheduled at the 19th Annual NIC Conference. Acknowledged as the industry’s top dealmaking event, this hallmark conference of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC) will be held this year at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers in Chicago, Ill., Sept. 23-25, 2009.
In addition to keynote addresses by Penny Pritzker, CEO of Pritzker Realty Group and founder of Classic Residence by Hyatt, and Ben Stein, well-known economist and humorist, a slate of sessions that address the current financing and business environment in the seniors housing and care industry will deliver on the theme, “Succeeding in a Capital-Constrained Environment: Emerging Stronger, Smarter, Better.”
“Whether the topic is recapitalizing your facility or deciding the right time to jump back into new development or acquisitions, the NIC Conference is the place where the brightest minds in our industry discuss and share proven practices that can bring clarity and success in this constrained economy,” said NIC Board Chair Kathryn A. Sweeney, managing director, US senior housing, The GPT Group.
The first round of breakout sessions starts on Sept. 24 at 10:30 a.m.:
- A panel of seasoned professionals – Raymond W. Braun, managing member, Prospects Advisory Group LLC; John Moore, CEO, Atria Senior Living Group; Mark L. Myers, senior vice president investments, senior director – national senior housing Group, Marcus & Millichap; and Brian K. Reynolds, managing director – Long Term Care, Capital Funding Group, Inc. – will be “Coming to Terms with Valuations – Today and in the Future,” by exploring historical property valuations to better understand current financing, transaction and capital investment decisions, as well as to help predict future valuation trends.
- An “Introduction to the Business of Seniors Housing and Care” – provided by Kathryn A. Sweeney, managing director, US senior housing, The GPT Group; Kristen Ahrens, senior vice president, GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services; Lisa Burgess, V.P. portfolio management, Benchmark Assisted Living; and Ryan Frederick, principal, CoastWood Senior Housing Partners – will cover the basics from operations and marketing to financing and investing, including what it takes to become a “provider of choice” and how financiers recognize a good lending or investing opportunity. Attendees will also get a preview of key operating metrics developed by NIC to become the industry standard.
- “Debt Financing: The Real Deal, Part 1, Agency Financing” will cover the options available to seniors housing and care from all three government sponsored enterprises: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD. David G. Shillington, managing director – agency lending division, KeyBank Real Estate Capital; Christopher E. Honn, director, Fannie Mae; William J. Lammers, health systems advisor/acting director Section 232 Program, HUD; and Steve Schmidt, national director, seniors housing finance, Freddie Mac will explain what’s new in each agency, how to understand the new HUD LEAN program, and how proposed government changes may impact capital availability.
- The subject of “Affordable Senior Living” will be examined by Richard Schutt, CEO, Providence Management & Development; Rod Burkett, president, BMA Management, Ltd.; Brian Cloch, principal, Pathway Senior Living; John Cobb, CEO, Senior Lifestyle; and Wayne Smallwood, executive director, Affordable Assisted Living Coalition. They will discuss the innovative Illinois Medicaid waiver for supportive living, how to successfully operate such a program, and the corresponding capital and operational financing options.
Three additional breakout sessions will be offered at 2 p.m.:
- Margaret I. Scott, executive vice president and CIO, Belmont Village Senior Living; Charles J. Herman, executive vice president & chief investment officer, Health Care REIT, Inc.; Eric Kammerer, managing director, MidCap Financial, LLC; Chris Kazantis, director, AEW Capital Management, L.P.; and Danny Prosky, executive vice president, healthcare real estate, Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors will talk about “Capital in the New World Order.” They will discuss investing in a market marked by uncertain valuations, changing capital requirements and how they evaluate the fundamental factors that drive returns.
- In “The State of the Top 100 Seniors Housing Markets,” Michael Hargrave, vice president – NIC MAP®, NIC; Daniel J. Hogan, director, research, RED CAPITAL GROUP; andJim Sullivan, managing director, Green Street Advisors will provide an up-to-date analysis of current market conditions in the top U.S. markets including occupancy, rent growth, supply and construction trends. They will also share insights on future supply and demand projections, as well as analysis of economic variables that influence demand for seniors housing.
- Larry Lane, vice president of government relations, Genesis HealthCare; Allen Dobson, Ph.D., president, Dobson|DaVanzo & Associates, LLC; Joe Lubarsky, president, Eljay, LLC; and Alan G. Rosenbloom, president, Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care will provide an informative “Skilled Nursing Federal and State Reimbursement Update,” bringing their unique viewpoints on the subject from political and advocacy, as well as state Medicaid and Medicare policy perspectives.
Later that evening, a special plenary session moderated by Kevin McMeen, president – real estate, MidCap Financial LLC will be held on “A Comparison of Seniors Housing and Care Performance vs. Other Real Estate Asset Classes.” Thomas N. Bohjalian, C.F.A., senior vice president & portfolio manager, Cohen & Steers Capital Management; Jay Flaherty, chairman and chief executive officer, HCP, Inc.; Roger Pratt, managing director, Prudential R.E. Investors; and Frank Small, managing director, JER Partners – top institutional investors and lenders who invest both in seniors housing and other real estate asset classes – will highlight historical trends in their portfolios, as well as present their views on future performance trends.
The final three breakout sessions will take place on Sept. 25 at 9:30 a.m.:
- Owners, operators and prospective investors concerned about occupancy will want to attend “Sales and Marketing Best Practices in Today’s Economic Environment.” Ryan Frederick, principal, CoastWood Senior Housing Partners; Meg Ostrom, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Classic Residence by Hyatt; Loren Shook, president/CEO, Silverado Senior Living; and Stephen P. Wright, president, Wright Mature Market Services will be on hand to uncover what’s working and what’s not as the industry struggles with declining occupancies, increased discounting and incentives, plus a whole new world in advertising and selling strategy.
- In “Debt Financing: The Real Deal, Part 2, REITs and Conventional Lenders,” Patrick M. Hurst, managing director, Houlihan Lokey; Brian Beckwith, senior managing director, GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services; Raymond Lewis, EVP & chief investment officer, Ventas Healthcare Properties; and Joseph T. Resor, CEO, Resor Financial Group will provide a realistic perspective on the current debt markets and explain how to navigate within a very challenging lending environment.
- Finally, an expert panel will review “Restructurings and Investing in the Current Market.” Peter E. Pickette, managing director, CS Capital Advisors, LLC; Brad Haber, managing director, GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services; Patrick F. Kennedy, CEO, Harvest Development LLC; Kurt C. Read, principal, Javelin Capital Partners, LLC; and Michael Silverman, principal, Silverman Consulting will examine operations and financing alternatives during periods of distress, as well as how to best communicate with lenders, lessors and other stakeholders.
The 19th Annual NIC Conference will also feature a host of networking receptions and opportunities to meet attendees and conduct deals. Attendance is limited to the first 1,600 registrants and space tends to fill up by late-summer. Registration fees range from $1,000 (for operators with 1-10 properties) to $1,750. After August 6, registration fees increase by $200.
CLICK HERE to register for the 19th Annual NIC Conference. For more information, call (410) 267-0504.
About NIC
Founded in 1991, the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry is a nonprofit education and research organization providing information about business strategy and capital formation for the senior living industry. NIC is the leading provider of historical and trend data on the industry through its NIC MAP® Data and Analysis Service that tracks properties in the 100 largest metropolitan areas and its Key Financial Indicators™ (KFIs) that report nationwide statistics. Proceeds from its annual conference and other events are used to fund data and research on issues of importance to lenders, investors, developers, operators, and others interested in meeting the housing and care needs of America’s seniors. For more information, visit www.NIC.org or call (410) 267-0504.