Well, actually I’m back in Dallas, but wanted to wrap up our experience in Charlotte, exhibiting at ALFA’s Annual Conference.

 - Attendance continues to trend down, or at least tradeshow attendance.  As I have said before, online purchasing and the demands on attendees make the tradeshow a lower priority

- The ALFA staff does a great job creating a good atmosphere and environment.  They are very creative in trying to create traffic, but they have a tough fight.

- There were five print guide companies represented, a high for the last few years.  Good to see them all and hopefully this a positive for that segment of our business.

- Charlotte is a great city for a conference.  Clean, attractive downtown with many good restaurants and other gathering spots all within walking distance. 

- Overall, a good experience, but that of course depends on how some of our leads pan out.  It was quality over quantity, and the traffic decline will leave many of the vendors I talked to evaluating the ROI from future shows.

Congrats to our client web team who have successfully launched 20 web sites this month!

New Lifestyles will be hitting the road for an appearance at ALFA’s 2013 Annual Conference and Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Our booth is 917, which will be the epicenter of the show.

Stacee Howse and I will be spreading the word about all things New LifeStyles while hoping to hear what’s new in the world of our clients and how we can better meet your marketing needs.  We’ll have special prizes for those that can guess which of us is Stacee.

Come by and get caught up on the NEW New Lifestyles web site and other innovations, brainstorm on new distribution ideas, try to knock Stacee into our dunking booth or just trade Airplane, Caddyshack or Animal House quotes with me.

It will be exciting, information and safe for the whole family.  See ya there, Doug

“Industries are constantly changing. Continuing education is required for workers to stay current with the latest developments, skills, and new technologies required for their fields”, writes Darice Britt, a writer for South Source. She continues, “Overall, continuing education is considered a way for professionals to keep abreast of their fields so they don’t lag behind.”

There are numerous opportunities to continue learning about the senior living industry, marketing, sales and advertising. The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) annual conference & expo is coming up in a few weeks, offering >40 educational sessions (stop by & see us at the Expo if you are attending).  Most states have similar industry specific shows like CALA, Leading Age of Texas, HCAF, etc…Most regional professional associations also offer annual conferences with professional presentations. There are local networking groups who usually bring in speakers, and if you can’t take time away from the office or if travel is not in the budget, there are always webinars.

Join us tomorrow, Thursday, April 18, 2013 for our quarterly client webinar, “Marketing Money Traps to Avoid at All Costs”.  Just click to register & then log-on tomorrow and get an hour’s worth of new ideas, helpful reminders and feedback from Kevin Williams, President of SeniorMarketing.com.

“Whether it is required or not, continuing education can be important for career satisfaction. Continuing education can boost confidence and lead to opportunities for career advancement.”

We recently surpassed 6000 downloads from the App store, averaging around 250/mo. We are so excited that our app continues to do so well!

I hear numerous compliments on the App, especially from marketers! It is easy to use, quick, with great functionality!   

I’m surprised that so few social workers & discharge planners know about the App., as they are part of the audience we designed it for.  I attended a case management conference inAustinlast week, and only about half of the attendees knew about this useful tool, despite our many attempts to promote it. I think we will see even more downloads now that they are back & settling in.

It was our goal to make finding senior living on the go even easier with a quick, simple, free App.

Have you downloaded the New LifeStyles Senior Community Finder App on your iPhone (mobile site available for Androids & Blackberries)? If not, download it today to find your listing. If you have our App., send us your comments & suggestions. We will continue to tweak it per your feedback.

Does your company have an App? Tell us about it!

Unfortunately, dues to circumstances out of our control, the great, new New LifeStyles web site will not make its debut this month.  We will be sharing glimpses of the look and features at some conferences over the next few weeks and highly anticipate its full launch.  If you have any questions about what to expect, please ask!

Marketing is a critical element in the success of a senior living community, but wading through the possibilities to find a strategy that works can be difficult and confusing. In today’s competitive senior living environment, marketing is a must, not a maybe. In this webinar, Kevin Williams will address common myths and misconceptions about senior living marketing and indentify new technology that may assist communities to more accurately gauge their return on investment for various types of marketing.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

* Myths and Misconceptions about Senior Living Marketing

* Four Marketing Metrics to Watch Daily

* Technology that Identifies Marketing ROI

* The Problem with Traditional Tracking Methods

The webinar will take place on Thursday, April 18, at 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT / 11 am MT / 10 am PT.  Click to register

  This webinar will be presented by Kevin M. Williams, President of SeniorMarketing.com.  Over the past seven years, Kevin has generated thousands of senior living leads in his career and helped increase profits for senior living communities and nearly every type of senior care option across the country. With SeniorMarketing.com he has directed his talents and unique growth strategies exclusively to the senior living industry.

SeniorMarketing.com now helps communities from coast to coast to increase their occupancy and profits through the company’s unique Outsourced Marketing Director program and other tools. He is also a contributor to industry magazines such as McKnight’s Long Term Care News and Assisted Living, and Advance For Long Term Care Management.

Click to register

Scent is a powerful sense! The smell of homemade cookies can help you make that final decision on buying a house. The smell of fresh cut grass can make you think of Spring. So starting this month, with the release of our Seattle guide, all New LifeStyles guides will be scented to match the area covered. For example: Our Orange County, California guide will have the scent of the ocean, our San Antonio guide will smell like delectable Mexican food, Denver will smell like a fresh mountain breeze and Chicago will smell like a deep dish pizza.

Send us your suggestions for upcoming guides to help us complete the list. And let us know what you think about the new smells

New LifeStyles recently published the 35th edition of the Denver/Front Range Guide to Senior Living and Care.  Thanks to all clients who have made this possible over the years!  To view the guide, go to:

www.newlifestyles.com/denver

A special acknowledgement and thanks to our new advertisers: