ARCO What Next? Annual Conference - July 2024

The ARCO Annual conference will be back in July!

We are thrilled to announce that the ARCO What Next? 2024 Annual conference will be returning in July for its 8th Edition.

Widely recognised as the main agenda-setting event for the Integrated Retirement Community sector, the ARCO Annual conference is the must-attend event that brings together the most influential and experienced operators and organizations in the sector.

Known for its excellent and fresh content, where new innovative ideas are shared first, and for the unmatched networking opportunities, including the attendance of Ministers and senior policy makers, this event is one not to missed! 

The conference will be held in London and run over two days. And as it's now tradition, the main conference day will end with ARCO's Annual Drinks Reception, which is an opportunity for all delegates to enjoy the largest sector social gathering as well as networking opportunities with sector peers.

Keynote Speaker

ARCO is delighted to announce our Keynote Speaker for the What Next? 2024 ARCO Annual Conference, Freelance Journalist, Peter Ward.

Peter is a British journalist and author who writes about technology, science, and occasionally true crime. He reported on the energy sector in the Middle East before earning a degree in business journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. His first book The Consequential Frontier explored the privatisation of space and his most recent, The Price of Immortality, investigated the pursuit of eternal life, the science of ageing, and the consequences of an extended lifespan. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic, GQ, The Economist, Wired, BBC Science Focus, and Inverse.

Peter Ward will be speaking on the main conference day on 3 July and will be reflecting on what he has learned about ageing through his research into the quest for immortality. 

Agenda

ARCO’s 8^th conference lands at a pivotal moment for both the sector and the UK.

A year on from the launch of the Task Force on Older People’s Housing, and with the country heading for a general election in the Autumn, there are opportunities abound for sector growth so that Housing-with-Care and Integrated Retirement Communities play a key role in transforming the future of the UK’s social care and housing crisis.

This year’s programme under the title of Building Tomorrow: Creating Housing and Care Options for All will focus on the key factors underpinning both sector growth and operational excellence. Topics will include:

• Bridging the gap – what are the key factors in enabling the sector to grow at scale, establishing a vibrant market across the spectrum, but with a particular focus on the mid market? What are the key unit numbers, density and service charge rates to make IRCs available to all?
• A Year in focus – The Older People’s Taskforce has over the past year researched both existing offers but also the future landscape of older people’s housing in the UK. What will the key recommendations be, and how will government respond?
• The changing face of filial piety – Around 7% of the UK population currently provide informal, unpaid care – often to family members. However, an increasingly common reasons to move to a retirement community is customers not wanting to burden their families with caring responsibilities, or not having family members to rely on. This session will explore whether this a sign of our increasingly fragmented society, or simply a logical consequence of families living further apart, high employment rates, and an increasing number of people growing old without having had children..
• Is intergenerational living the key to wellbeing for all? – Since the first series of Channel 4’s Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds hit our TV screens back in 2017, the benefits of intergenerational connections have been evident. We are now seeing more and more operators of IRCs building this into their village offer from the beginning. Whether that is integrating with a local nursery group, dedicated IRC units within a larger general residential offer or living alongside medical students as they train. This session will explore the key benefits of intergenerational activities and hear first-hand from residents, operators, and parents/students on why this is key in building happy and vibrant communities, while also looking at the challenges that need to be overcome to make this happen.
• Mature market mastery: lessons from NZ – The New Zealand Retirement Village sector is 20 years ahead of the UK’s and benefits from a thriving mid-market and a better customer awareness of what IRCs offer. Following the return of an ARCO Member delegation to visit and learn more about the market and operators in New Zealand, the group will share key observations, lessons and insight on what we might want to consider for the UK.

Tickets 

• ARCO Members, Accelerators, Strategic Partners, Partners and our Affiliate Network can purchase discounted Network tickets.
• Organisations that are not part of the ARCO network can purchase Public tickets.

Due to an overwhelming ticket demand for the July 2023 conference, many individuals were unable to secure their spot. To ensure you stay informed about any conference updates and be among the first to know when tickets go on sale, we invite you to join our mailing list.

Sponsorship opportunities

There are only a few sponsorship opportunities still available. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the What Next? 2024 conference, please contact our events team.

For more information visit arcoconference.co.uk

Thank you to our Conference Sponsors