Philadelphia conference will showcase untapped potential in the aging marketplace

Healthy Aging Means Business is a new consultative conference that will examine market opportunities across aging trends, health and longevity, and money and finances. It is scheduled for July 18 in Philadelphia and the co-hosts are The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), an interdisciplinary membership organization dedicated to advancing innovation on aging, and NMI, an international strategic marketing consultancy. The Biotechnology Industry Organization is sponsoring this event.

Attendees will be presented with evidence-based resources and examples to understand trends, overcome challenges, and recognize opportunities in the aging marketplace. The one-day program agenda also will feature an interactive environment showcasing research, case studies, and disruptive innovation techniques that can help make a business case for the healthy aging market.

"Healthy Aging Means Business will allow us to share the accumulated knowledge of our field with a group of business leaders who need reliable, evidence-based information about the aging market," said GSA Executive Director and CEO James Appleby, RPh, MPH. "Although many of our participants will be individuals who never would have considered themselves interested in gerontology, we will highlight the opportunities awaiting organizations that recognize the potential of an aging population."

The expected audience will represent multiple business industries and many job functions, including executives responsible for strategic planning, brand management, product development and innovation, as well as professionals working in market research, client services, and application research.

"The concept of 'healthy aging'—once exclusive to the over-65 population—is now embraced across the entire demographic spectrum," said GSA Senior Director of Strategic Alliances and Business Development Annette Schmidt. "Aging demographics are creating large global opportunities in areas such as finance, technology, nutrition, healthcare, architecture, travel, and leisure. It seems that agelessness has become a cultural preoccupation, from 25 to 105."

She added that many health issues that were once the domain of older people, such as obesity and diabetes, have reached epidemic proportions across the aging spectrum.

"This suggests that while agelessness may be the cultural ideal, the reality is that healthy aging is the true goal," Schmidt said.

Provided by The Gerontological Society of America