NBC and P&G recognize that Boomers are still vibrant, but dealing with aging issues, so the content is mostly service-oriented, and written by and for boomers. It is refreshing to see two of the biggest companies recognize the boomer market as the powerful demographic it still is.

Read more here.

• New York Times, “The fountain of reinvention“

• St. Petersburg Times, “Clearwater conference explores what baby boomers will need as they begin to retire“

• St. Petersburg Times‘ Help Wanted Blog, “Boomers in the new world“
• Tampa Bay Business Journal, “Tampa Bay firms present research on Florida baby boomers“
• AARP Bulletin today, “New book tackles boomers’ dilemma“
• BoomerCafe, “Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference“

See what the speakers are saying!

• Shannon Martin, Aging Wisely, “Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference: Inspiring!“

• Laurie Orlov, Aging in Place Technology Watch, “Boomers, barriers and myths“

• Brent Green, Boomers, “Aging, existentialism and baby boomer men“

The Conference was a great success. Statewide research was revealed, trends were uncovered and valuable connections were made. Check back in, more Conference coverage will be posted soon!

View the complate Conference agenda here!

To get the discounts, simply enter in the COUPON box on the registration form FBLCSAVE for the Conference and PCWSAVE for the Workshop. Discounts will be reflected on the checkout page. Hurry! Click HERE to register and save now!

We know that Boomers have no problem adopting new technology if they see it as improving their daily lives or making their lives easier. I think the two reasons mentioned above would suffice as making life easier. And let’s not forget that the majority of people buying smartphone devices for themselves and their families are Boomers.

We’ll be exploring integrating social media and mobile apps into your boomer marketing strategy at the 2nd Annual Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference. Jody Haneke, president of Haneke Design, and Bernie Borges, author of Marketing 2.0, will help you get the right mix of social and mobile media to effectively engage boomers in the breakout session Going Social, Going Mobile. As more Boomers adopt these devices, the more imperative it is to have a mobile marketing strategy to reach boomer consumers through mobile ads and apps.

Q&A with Jack

Please tell us about the 4Generations Institute.

4Generations Institute is dedicated to connecting our generations for mutual benefit. We believe that the needs of children/youth, parents, grandparents and super elders are best addressed through good communications and creative approaches to policy and program initiatives. In families and communities, separation and segregation of the age groups is not a good thing for anyone. By understanding the challenges facing each stage of life, we can better find positive and powerful solutions….both emotionally and economically. The boomer and elder years can be times for enjoyment and energetic involvement in both family and community life as long as proper planning and engagement are accomplished.  The enthusiasm of community connections is what 4Generations is all about.

How will the partnerships the Institute intends to form in order to bridge Florida’s generation gaps affect the way marketers will communicate with boomers?

Given the surge in both the boomer and elder age groups, it’s imperative to recognize the trends in family life, which require smart strategic planning. For example, every family needs to have all of their financial and healthcare paperwork completed in order to more honestly and openly recognize that the people we love and care about should have all of their wishes expressed. Knowing such wishes, both emotionally and economically, helps family members prepare for the ways we want to dedicate our time and resources for the future. Smart boomers understand that the needs of their parents and sometimes grandparents cannot be met only through the efforts of family members. Assistance is needed for health, transportation, housing and other key dimensions of elder life. By engaging boomers, marketers have the potential of reaching not just one, but multiple generations for services, products and program offerings. There is no doubt that positive public policies, including laws, vital public services and special incentives for establishing multi-generational programs, can provide a tremendous boost to our community’s quality of life.

Please explain how multigenerational living has created business opportunities; how are marketers addressing the challenges faced by multigenerational families?

Economic reality and the need for emotional connection are driving a major trend toward multi-generational housing arrangements.  We are seeing that elder needs, as well as returning young adults (re-nesters!), are giving Boomers the challenge of opening their homes to temporary or even longer-term living arrangements….just like the old days! As a result, renovations and other physical accommodations, as well as negotiations of time scheduling for health services, transportation, new technologies, nutrition/meal preparation and other basics of life are presenting new and exciting dynamics for many families. Family life is more complicated, and therefore an array of products and services are needed to solve problems and make living more comfortable for all age groups. Multi-generational families and communities are a reality and smart commercial enterprises are planning to address these realities and how to best position themselves for success in the marketplace.

Here are Carolyn’s “Five Ways to Reinvent Your Professional Self:”

1. Consider what you value – “Rank the things that are most important for you in a career such as: flexibility, security, autonomy, salary, work/life balance, etc.” This helps you determine what is important for your work environment.
2. Rediscover your interests – “Knowing your interests can help you unlock your passion when choosing a career.” This may lead to an entrepreneurial opportunity you never thought of before.
3. Embrace your personality – “Your personality preferences play a big role in the types of work you may like or dislike.” These preferences can include, where you draw your energy from, how you perceive information, how you make decisions, your level of need for order in life, etc.
4. Scrutinize your skill set -  “A skill is an ability, based on training or experience, to do something well. The goal is to discover what they are and market them with humble confidence to make you attractive to employers who value these skills in the workplace.” Skills fall into three main categories: transferable skills, specialized knowledge and adaptive skills.
5. Develop your brand – “You must showcase your strengths and define your “special sauce” in this competitive job arena. Market your unique combination of passions and talents and develop your story about why this is a valuable commodity. If you need a jump-start, query people in your circle of trust and ask them what makes you special. Ultimately you are in control of your personal brand but gathering input from others can be a great point of departure.”

Read more details on Carolyn’s five strategies for professional reinvention here.

The AARP Bulletin stands by the theory that most boomers will stay put, preferring to age in place. However, those that do choose to relocate for retirement will “transform the places they live by requiring services (such as medical) that some communities might not be prepared right now to provide.” Brookings Institution demographer, William Frey said, “You used to think of places that attracted seniors as specialized retirement communities (such as Sun City, AZ, one of the first seniors only communities in the country). Now, in effect, most of America will be a ‘retirement’ community.”

Read more on what the AARP Bulletin expects from the baby boomer generation and the 2010 Census in the Baby Boomer Examiner here.

To get the discounts, simply enter in the COUPON box on the registration form FBLCSAVE for the Conference and PCWSAVE for the Workshop. Discounts will be reflected on the checkout page. Hurry! Click HERE to register and save now!

1. Senior Job Bank
2. WorkForce50
3. Seniors 4 Hire
4. Wise Worker
5. AZ Central
6. Senior Net
7. Experience Works
8. SR Staff
9. Now CC
10. The Retired Worker

However, if you don’t want to leave your future up to another company, you may want to try entrepreneurship or consulting. Check out the pre-conference workshop, “How to Live, Survive, and Thrive in the New Gig Economy,” which will show you how to tap into your skills, experience and professional networks to launch a new career as a “company of one.”

Speakers include:

•         Michelle Bauer, Chief Strategist, Common Language
•         A.D. Frazier, Co-Founder and COO, BOTH
•         Peter Kageyama, Founder, Creative Cities Productions
•         Mark Miller, author, The Hard Times Guide to Retirement
•         Roger Chiocchi, author, Baby Boomer Bust?
•         Joe Aschenbrenner, Independent Consultant, enabled by BOTH

Registration for the workshop is limited to 50 participants on a first come, first served basis. 

The fee for the workshop is $95 and includes lunch.  A discount of 30% is in effect for those registering by April 1.  Simply enter PCWSAVE in the coupon field of the registration page.

To learn more and register, visit www.floridaboomerlifestyle.com and click on the PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP sub menu on the AGENDA tab.