Press Room – 2008 NIC Press Releases
Norwalk/Erickson to Headline 2009 NIC Western Regional Symposium
March 11-12, 2009, Event to Focus on “Preparing for the Future:
Creating Your Opportunities in Today’s Evolving Market”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 2008
Contact: Renee Tilton, (410) 626-0805 or rtilton@crosbymarketing.com
Annapolis, Md. – For two days in March, seniors housing and care providers and financiers with local and regional portfolios will get expert advice on how to grow in unpredictable times. The 2009 NIC Western Regional Symposium, “Preparing for the Future: Creating Your Opportunities in Today’s Evolving Market,” will provide an in-depth look at current best practices. The event, now in its third year, will be held on March 11-12, 2009, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel in San Diego, Calif.
“The NIC Symposium offers several benefits beyond an excellent conference experience,” said this year’s event chair, Angela Mago, senior vice president and national manager, KeyBank Real Estate Capital. “Foremost, operators will have access to industry-experienced lenders that can help them identify ways to access capital in a capital constrained environment. In addition, attendees will get the latest information on best practices in operations and marketing, valuation trends and investor expectations. They’ll also hear expert analysis of the impact the new presidential Administration and Congress should have on our industry. Quite frankly, those who don’t attend this conference will be at a disadvantage.”
At the opening lunch on Wednesday, March 11, Leslie V. Norwalk, former acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will deliver the keynote address entitled, “A New President, a New Congress: What Will it Mean for Seniors Housing and Care?” Ms. Norwalk will provide her outlook on how the policies of the new Administration and Congress are likely to impact seniors housing and long term care. Those attending will benefit from her years of managing the day-to-day operations of CMS as she previews the likely future for regulation, reimbursement and reform of financing and delivery systems from her unique perspective.
The keynote speaker for the closing lunch on Thursday, March 12, will be John Erickson, chairman and chief executive officer, Erickson Retirement Communities – one of the country’s premier developers and managers of full-service, campus-style communities and well-respected for creating a niche campus model for middle-income seniors.
In his presentation, “Preparing for the Future: Your Role in Changing the Face of Seniors Housing and Care,” Mr. Erickson will focus on the perception of seniors housing. That is, whether people see it as a need-driven relocation signifying inevitable decline and loss of control over the quality of one’s life, or a lifestyle choice that signifies one is taking control of the aging experience and maximizing the possibility of successful aging. If the former represents the perception of seniors housing and care held by many over the last quarter century, the latter offers what others see as the future for the industry for the next 25 years.
“As one determined to change the perception of aging and seniors housing,” said Mago, “Mr. Erickson will provide fascinating insights on how changing customer demands and expectations, together with breakthroughs in understanding what contributes to successful aging, will dramatically affect our product and how we talk about it. It’s a don’t-miss opportunity to hear one of the most highly respected leaders in our industry describe how we can redefine the seniors housing value proposition.”
In addition to the two plenary speakers, a choice of daily breakout sessions will provide solutions on market challenges faced by those with local and regional portfolios. Led by prominent industry leaders who have faced these challenges, topics will include: strategies to overcome today’s higher equity hurdles; finding debt financing to pursue growth opportunities; managing and adapting communities to changing resident profiles; getting residents to move in and not out in a tough economy; controlling expenses in a period of inflationary pressures; maximizing revenue per unit through innovative unit mix and adding ancillary services; and repositioning distressed assets.
The symposium officially begins with the opening lunch and keynote address on Wednesday, March 11, at 12:00 p.m. However, those arriving early may take advantage of an “Early Bird Reception” on March 10 at 5:30 p.m. The main networking reception starts at 5:30 p.m. on March 11 and will provide operators with the opportunity to meet with lenders who specialize in the seniors housing and care market and can tailor financing to meet their specific needs. The symposium ends at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, following the closing lunch with keynote speaker.
Attendance at the 2009 NIC Western Regional Symposium will be limited to the first 650 registrants to allow for optimal networking and dealmaking. The registration fee, which includes meals and the networking receptions, is $600 for operators and $750 for others. Prices increase to $700/$900 after January 27, 2009.
The Symposium is being held by the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC). Founded in 1991, this nonprofit organization provides information about business strategy and capital formation for the senior living industry. It also holds the industry’s longest-running financing and networking conference, which is held annually each fall.
For more information about the 2009 NIC Western Regional Symposium, visit www.NIC.org. For sponsorship information, please contact Elisa Infante Freeman at (410) 267-0504.