By Stacy Danner, Director of Client Service, Triad Advertising
This year, the senior living industry’s biggest conference fell on School Vacation Week in MA. So we postponed our April Vacation trip one week, and this working supermom hopped on a plane to San Antonio and thought to herself, “This had better be worth it. And not too hot.”
I had 3 key takeaways in mind – that, and being sure to take a selfie at The Alamo so I could tell my girls I made it.
I hoped to learn:
- How the state of the economy is projected to affect the industry
- New operations challenges and how providers are tackling them
- How providers across the country are succeeding in a marketplace that’s more competitive than ever.
So notebook in hand, I attended sessions from 7am-7pm (long day!) and here’s what I picked up:
There’s a recession coming, and it’ll be the smartest providers who get out in front of it by being different.
Operationally, we’re all doing more with less, and consumers are in the driver’s seat now more than ever.
So what does this mean for our clients?
- It means we need to be smart with, and track every dollar.
- It means brand is more important than ever. Who are you? Are you the new guy in town with all the bells and whistles – or the tried and true Mom ‘n Pop? Are you high-end, mid-range, or affordable? (P.S., no one answer is better than another.)
- Whatever position you’re in, it’s important to own it with every piece of communication.
Overall, the conference was great and I thank my friends at Argentum for keeping us all in the know – and helping us “remember the Alamo.”