It is time to GET ON BOARD for the best conference the AARC has ever built.  You don’t want to miss a minute of the information packed program.  What, you say, is so great about this conference?

First, Chattanooga, RetireTennessee and the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development are really rolling out the carpet for this year’s conference.   The conference headquarters will be the Marriott at the Convention Center.  Then on the evening of November 5 conference speakers, attendees, spouses and other guests are invited to spend the evening over a traditional southern dinner aboard the Delta Queen.  This famous river boat is now a dockside hotel.  There will be a tour of the boat followed by great southern hospitality and a show that highlights the history of the riverboat era.

In addition to the great accommodations and amenities of a revitalized downtown Chattanooga, there is the powerful and timely program.  In this issue of the newsletter AARC is highlighting four of our key session speakers.

The kick-off session will be packed with the latest demographic information profiling the 55+ population.  Dr. David Crowe, the National Association of Home Builder's chief economist will present the finding of the MetLife study, "Housing for the 55+ Market:  Trends and insight on Boomers and Beyond."  This study, just completed in September of 2009 looks at the likeness and difference between boomers and the older retiree generations.

In the latest issue of the TW+A newsletter Dr. Gene Warren writes "Green is Growing."  Boomers it seems are very into environmental amenities, so what our next speaker has to say is very important.  "Sustainable Strategies:  What Can Be Learned From Greensburg, KS," Ms. Rachel Stroer of Berkebile, Nelson, Immenschuh and McDowell (BNIM) will be presenting the story and lessons learned from the re-building of Greensburg, KS as an entirely green community.  Greensburg, completely wiped out on May 4, 2007 by a tornado decided to re-build the community as an all green community.  BNIM has advised and lead the town as it strives to meet the LEED platinum standard.  The extraordinary story of Greensburg, KS is being featured on the Discovery Channel.  Go to www.planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/greensburg for more of the unfolding story.  If you are a developer knowing the benefits and challenges of building green is a look at the future of building.

On the action packed first day Ms. Stoer will be followed by Mr. Dave Robertson of RPI Media, Inc, www.rpisales.com. RPI is an industry leader in helping your get face to face with buyers.  Whether it is actual face-to-face at a LiveSouthShow, or using cutting edge web technologies to lead buyers to the community that is ideal for their needs, or reaching buyers through the print media, RPI knows what it takes to succeed.

Of course, there is more, including Mr. Berkely Young, President of Young Strategies, www.youngstrategies.com.  What is a community or developer to do in the age of Twitter and online social networking?  Mr. Young has some insights about the impacts of these new information technologies and how they are/will play a role in marketing to retirees.

GET ON BOARD!!!!!!!!  Go to www.the-aarc.org to register for the conference while there are still early bird discounts. Call the Chattanooga Marriott at the Convention Center 1-800-841-6174 or go online at www.marriott.com/chadt to reserve your room, code ARCARCA.