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2026 Agenda

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  • March 4, 2026

    Wednesday

  • March 5, 2026

    Thursday

  • March 6, 2026

    Friday

  • A centralized service point for attendee check-in, badge collection, event materials, and general inquiries.
    Where
    Event Hub

  • Designated timeframe for sponsors to set up on-site materials, and displays in advance of attendee arrival.
    Where
    Griffin Foyer

  • Connect with senior living sales & marketing leaders to kick off the SHN Sales & Marketing Conference. Share insights, spark new relationships, and set the tone for a great event ahead.
    Where
    Unreserved Beer Garden

  • Timeframe for sponsors to set up on-site materials, and displays.

  • Where
    Griffin E

  • A centralized service point for attendee check-in, badge collection, event materials, and general inquiries.

  • Gather for a warm welcome from the Senior Housing News team, as they set the stage for the high-impact sessions, networking opportunities and industry insights set to unfold.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • A candid look at how senior living leaders use AI to drive revenue without losing the human touch. Learn how to address team fears, overcome objections, capture missed opportunities, and deliver the 24/7 responsiveness prospects expect—while keeping people at the center.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • In 2026, the first baby boomers turn 80. Demand is high and rising, especially as growth via new construction is tough to achieve. But as operators well know, demand alone does not spell success. Hear from 3 industry leaders on what comes next and what they are prioritizing as they hit the demand straightaways.

    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Take a pause to mingle with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and build connections between sessions.
    Where
    Griffin Foyer

  • Our served market is larger than ever. Occupancy is up across the industry. New supply is slow to come online. John Lariccia discusses data-driven insights on our market and future residents and shares what top performers are doing to win in 2026
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • The senior living move-in process is often treated as an administrative “to-do” list, but for families, it’s the climax of a high-stakes emotional drama. In this session, we explore how to preserve the resident’s story by redesigning the move-in experience for the modern family. Join us as we share success stories and practical strategies for creating a “premier” experience — one that uses transparency to prevent employee burnout and puts human connection first. We’re going to get real about the move-in process by looking through the eyes of residents and their caregivers. Together, we'll identify the common “box office flops” we’ve all seen and discuss how to move beyond a processed feel to build immediate trust with residents and families. Plus, we’ll have popcorn and snacks 🍿
    Where
    Griffin A

  • Wasted spend and inefficient processes quietly drain senior living marketing budgets every day. This session breaks down the biggest mistakes sales and marketing teams make and how to realign efforts to get more value from every dollar.

    Session Description:

    Smart Girl Digital brings together industry experts to unpack the most common - and costly - mistakes uncovered through real-world audits, mystery shops, and campaign execution across senior living organizations. From inefficient paid media setups to misaligned sales follow-up, these missteps quietly drain budgets and stall results. In this session, attendees will gain practical insight into where marketing and sales efforts often break down and how to spot red flags before they become expensive problems.

    Attendees will learn how to:

    Identify common marketing and paid advertising mistakes that lead to wasted spend
    Recognize gaps between marketing campaigns and the sales process that hurt conversions
    Spot inefficiencies revealed through audits and mystery shopping
    Apply proven best practices to improve performance, efficiency, and ROI
    Where
    Griffin B

  • Senior living isn't the only industry selling a lifestyle to the boomers. From cruise ships to health and wellness companies, multiple players are vying for the chance to define what it means to grow old. But the senior living industry is still telling a retirement tale rooted in the past. Learn how senior living operators are changing the senior living "story" to meet the perceptions of a new generation of older adults and why the boomers' perception of senior living may not always reflect reality.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Operators in 2025 are “thinking locally” by developing sales and marketing strategies and new brands for people living in specific areas or markets. Learn how and why these companies make their marketing local and tailor brands to appeal to regional preferences.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin A

  • Affordability is a hot topic in 2025, and with good reason as income gaps widen in the U.S. In the years to come, senior living operators across the spectrum must attract prospects in a way that takes into account the economic anxiety prospects and their families feel, while also catering to affluent older adults. Hear from providers about the current landscape, how they are messaging on rates, and whether the gaps between high-end, market rate and more affordable options are widening.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin B

  • A candid discussion about the realities of managing occupancy across a portfolio: how different buildings are often at different stages at the same time, and how sales and marketing teams respond to those cycles. The goal would be to talk honestly about reactive tactics versus more consistent, sustainable approaches that support steadier performance and planning.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Boomers don’t behave like “seniors”—and AI is accelerating the gap between how they expect to buy and how most senior living marketing is built.

    Today’s buyer values independence, transparency, personalization, and control—and AI is reshaping how they search, evaluate, and decide long before they ever contact a community.

    In this fast-paced, interactive session, Senior Living SMART’s CEO—joined by Sam Prinster, Senior Vice President of Marketing Allegro Living—will unpack what happens when Boomer expectations collide with AI-driven discovery, and why outdated, one-size-fits-all marketing models are now driving poor lead quality and wasted spend.

    Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how smart operators are redesigning marketing around the prospect’s journey, not internal funnels—and what must change now to stay competitive in 2026 and beyond.
    Where
    Griffin A

  • In a crowded senior living marketplace, the most successful communities understand that sustainable growth requires both brand equity and consistent lead generation. This session bridges the gap between the art of connection and the science of conversion, offering a strategic blueprint for uniting powerful storytelling with rigorous performance marketing. We will explore how authentic narratives build trust while targeted search and advertising strategies ensure the right prospects see the story. Hear from senior living leaders who have dismantled the brand awareness and demand generation silos and reaped the conversion rewards.
    Key Takeaways
    -How to Build Your Authentic Story
    -Leverage Time-Tested Lead Gen Strategies
    -Follow Through with the Right Follow up
    Where
    Griffin B

  • Refuel and recharge with the leaders of senior housing sales and marketing by enjoying lunch, where meaningful introductions and collaborative conversations are always on the menu.
    Where
    Griffin E

  • Where
    Spruce

  • “Answer engines” like Google’s Gemini have created new challenges and opportunities for senior living marketers. Learn how senior living operators are pivoting to “AIO” rather than relying on SEO and how the landscape for online research is rapidly shifting with new AI platforms.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Among the most effective tools for senior living marketing is showing current residents flourishing. Learn how operators loop programming and services into their advertising and how they show prospects the life they could live inside their four walls.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin A

  • Where
    Griffin B

  • The first live interaction between your prospects and community can make or break the entire journey. See what leading operators are measuring and how optimizing this crucial process can unlock big gains.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Diving into the new norm of Generative Engines and Large Language Models: How does social proof support organizations in their rankings, and what can a community do to support their own growth with AI.
    Where
    Griffin A

  • Sales leadership is evolving faster than ever—driven by shifting buyer behavior, and the rapid rise of AI in search, lead generation, and the selling process itself. This panel brings together experienced sales leaders to unpack what actually drives performance today.

    Panelists will explore how to attract and motivate top sales talent through effective compensation structures, hiring strategies, and ongoing training—while sustaining long-term motivation in a high-pressure environment. The discussion will also examine how sales teams can better align with marketing and operations to maximize results, and what leaders often misunderstand about what their salespeople truly need to succeed.

    Finally, the panel will address how AI is reshaping search engines, lead generation, and parts of the sales cycle—what can be automated, what shouldn’t be, and how leaders can leverage AI without losing the human connection that closes deals. Attendees will walk away with practical insights they can apply immediately to build stronger, more resilient, and more effective sales organizations.
    Where
    Griffin B

  • Take a pause to mingle with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and build connections between sessions.
    Where
    Griffin Foyer

  • Most communities don’t have a lead problem — they have a lead quality problem. In a market obsessed with volume, this session challenges the “more is better” mindset and reframes growth around precision. Learn how to refine targeting, qualification and channel mix to attract prospects who are actually ready — emotionally, financially and behaviorally — to move. We’ll show how communities that shift to high-intent strategies see inquiry-to-tour and tour-to-move-in ratios accelerate dramatically. Attendees will leave with practical frameworks to sharpen their funnel, reduce sales fatigue and convert demand already hiding in plain sight.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • In the senior living industry, the pressure to fill the top of the funnel is constant. But what happens when new inquiry volume drops? Join LCS and ndm for a deep dive into year-over-year data revealing a surprising truth: your best "new" leads might already be in your database.
    Where
    Griffin A

  • Hear from three different nationwide operators managing communities across Independent Living, Assisted Living, and CCRC on the untapped potential of digging through your database to uncover overlooked move-ins, the real outcomes they've achieved, and how AI digital workers were able to make a meaningful difference in their sales counselors' day-to-day work by partnering with them rather than overwhelming them.
    Where
    Griffin B

  • The baby boomers are the ones moving into senior living in the years to come, but often driving those decisions are their Gen-X and millennial-aged adult children. Learn how operators are speaking directly to this audience during the inquiry and tour and how their preferences are shifting marketing priorities and strategies.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Bonuses, benefits, prizes -- senior living operators use all these tactics and more to motivate their sales teams. Learn the tools senior living leaders are using to push their sales teams to greater heights this year and beyond.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin A

  • A website is typically the first thing that prospects and their families encounter on their senior living journey. What they see in their first few minutes on the page can make or break their decision to move in. Learn how operators make their websites stand out to prospects and what they are doing to turn curious web-seekers into customers.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin B



  • Presented by: August Health

    Unwind after an impactful day of learning by reconnecting with peers and continuing conversations with industry professionals driving sales and marketing success.
    Where
    Event Hub

  • Where
    Griffin E

  • It’s baaaack! And this time it’s live on the conference floor! The Know Your Industry Challenge is a fast-paced, interactive trivia showdown built for senior living sales and marketing pros who want to test their instincts against real benchmark data.

    Hosted by Evan Friedkin and Craig Simons from Aline, this game-show-style experience blends competition, insight, and a healthy dose of fun. Joining them is Jake Raptosh, VP of Sales at Discovery Senior Living, bringing an operator’s perspective to the trends, surprises, and “so what” behind each answer.

    Together, they’ll guide you through the most interesting data shaping senior living in 2026, unpacking what’s changing, why it matters, and how it should influence your sales and marketing strategy.

    Expect questions and insights on:

    How AI is reshaping the prospect journey and what it means for marketing strategy and community websites
    Which care type outperformed the rest with double-digit inquiry growth in 2025
    What the correlation between length of stay and length of sales cycle reveals about your sales approach
    Where perception gaps between older adults and adult children show up most, and how to message accordingly
    Who is researching senior living today and when they actually do it.

    Come ready to play, learn, and see how your instincts stack up against the room. Bragging rights (and prizes) are on the line.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Sales and marketing leaders discuss data points that reveal top areas of opportunity and concern for providers, and that paint a picture of the market in 2026.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Where
    Griffin A

  • Senior living teams are working harder than ever, but many still struggle to answer the same questions: Are our results actually good, what is “normal,” and what should we focus on next? In this SHN session, Sean Leonard (CEO, ActiveDEMAND) and Joe Van Kampen(VP of Sales and Client Success, CITIZEN) walk through a 2025 benchmark roundup designed to help operators and agencies compare performance with confidence and turn insights into a clear action plan for 2026.

    Talking points you can expect: Where you stand in 2025: key benchmarks across the lead-to-tour-to-move-in journey, and what “healthy” looks like

    Attribution you can trust: how to connect outcomes to what actually influenced them, not just the last touch

    Where You Stand and What to Do Next: practical priorities to set realistic targets, align teams, and measure real progress without adding busywork
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • For the fourth consecutive year, Unlock Health has partnered with Senior Housing News to deliver the Senior Living Marketing Survey Report, providing a data-driven look at the tools, trends, and priorities shaping the year ahead. In this session, we’ll walk through key findings from the 2026 report and examine the trends and expectations influencing senior living growth in the coming year. Attendees will gain insight into how community-based sales and marketing teams and agency partners are responding to an evolving landscape, explore benchmarks impacting demand generation, lead engagement, and conversion, and uncover where strategies align and where they differ. What You’ll Walk Away With: Key insights from the 2026 Senior Living Marketing Survey Report, including trends and expectations shaping the year ahead A year-over-year view of how senior living marketing and sales priorities have evolved based on insights from previous survey reports Actionable takeaways to improve marketing and sales alignment and drive more effective, sustainable census growth
    Where
    Griffin A

  • Take a pause to mingle with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and build connections between sessions.
    Where
    Griffin Foyer

  • Families don't click ten blue links anymore. They ask ChatGPT, get an answer, then validate it with reviews, listings accuracy, and response speed. If your community isn't in that proof layer, you're losing the move-in before the first call. This session maps the new senior living funnel—from AI discovery to move-in—and the five places most operators leak conversions without knowing it. You'll see how leading multi-location brands are consolidating their location data, thinking locally with community-level insights, and using AI agents to act at scale—without adding headcount.

    Leave with a "leak test" for each funnel stage, a framework to diagnose performance by community, and a practical playbook to turn AI disruption into your competitive advantage.
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • Roleplaying, analyzing leads, taking notes – senior living operators are finding concrete uses for AI and automation with all of these tasks, and more. Learn the real ways that tech is changing how operators market their services to prospective residents.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin CD

  • The senior living sales journey does not end when a resident tours a community. In fact, following up with prospects and their families is among the most important aspects of senior living sales and marketing. Learn the ways that operators are keeping the fire burning among prospects and how those methods are changing in 2026.

    Presented by: SHN
    Where
    Griffin A