What Next? 2022 ARCO Annual Conference

Integrated Retirement Communities are finally arriving in the mainstream, with record interest from customers, investors and – crucially - policy makers: ARCO’s campaign for a task force for our sector has finally been successful, and ARCO’s What Next? conference will continue its tradition of introducing attendees to new ideas, concepts and trends that are likely to shape the future trajectory and debate for years to come.

Simply put, it’s from the sector, for the sector, and the largest networking event for anyone working or interested in Integrated Retirement Communities - we look forward to seeing everyone again in July.

The conference will run over two days and will be held once again at the stunning IET London: Savoy Place on the London Embankment, with The Knowledge Exchange workshop day taking place at the city offices of Trowers & Hamlins LLP.

Booking is now open to all.

We are hoping to operate without Covid restrictions this year and will be able to increase our capacity in the venue to be able to accommodate all those colleagues who were on our waiting list in 2021 but unable to attend.

Main Conference Day Programme, 6 July 2022:

The policy accelerator 

The announcement of the Task Force for older people’s housing is likely to promote the growth of housing with care for older people. Hear directly from Ministers and key experts on what the next 12 months have in store for planning, tenure models and the customer proposition as well as the profound impact it will likely have on the IRC sector.

• Presentation: The challenges and opportunities ahead – Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive, Anchor and Vice-Chair, ARCO & Nick Sanderson, Chief Executive, Audley Group and Chair, ARCO
• Presentation: Key findings from the Mayhew Review - Gareth Lyon, Director of Policy & Communications, ARCO
• Ministerial Address: Gillian Keegan MP, Minister of State for Care and Mental Health

Do customers want what they need, and need what they want? 

As the Integrated Retirement Community (IRC) sector evolves and matures, so must its customer proposition. Do customers know what they want, and do they want what they need? And how do operators manage the delicate balance between creating a ‘pull’ and catering for the forces that ‘push’? What’s the smart approach to balancing marketable lifestyle factors, with more difficult conversations about age related factors that ultimately make people consider IRCs?

• Presentation: Ageing through the ages: tracing the lineage of IRCs in the UK –  Michael Voges, Executive Director, ARCO
• Presentation: Can integrated retirement communities be all things to all people? – Dr Simon Carr, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Death and Society, Department of Education, University of Bath
• Panel discussion: Do customers want what they need, and need what they want? –  Michael Voges, Chief Executive, ARCO, Avnish Goyal CBE, CEO, Hallmark Care Homes, Philippa Fieldhouse, Managing Director, Richmond Villages & Dr Simon Carr, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Death and Society, Department of Education, University of Bath

Demographics determine our destination 

Britain has always been an ethnically diverse country, but the most pronounced changes occurred post 1945 when increased immigration from Europe and the Commonwealth became formal Government Policy post WW2. Today ethnic minority individuals make up 14% of the overall population in the United Kingdom, and 20% of those aged 24 and below. How can the IRC sector better cater for other ethnic minority groups and itself better reflect today's reality?

• Presentation: The shift towards an increasingly ethnically diverse ageing population - Tade Muyiwa-George, Partnerships Manager, ARCO
• Panel discussion: Embracing ethnic diversity and elevating value in Integrated Retirement Communities -  Tade Muyiwa-George, Partnerships Manager, ARCO, Elaine Francis, Regional Sales Manager, Teal Furniture, Inti Popat, Head of Retirement Living, MHA, Louise Read, Legal Counsel, Inspired Villages, Millie Gobbinsingh, resident, ExtraCare Charitable Trust

Expanding the contract 

The leasehold system is currently undergoing fundamental reform. Hear from experts and operators on how alternative tenure models – sitting between rental and leasehold - will redefine the relationship between operators and customers and shape the future trajectory of our sector.

• Presentation: What is the customer looking for…? - Sam Dalton, Policy & External Affairs Manager, ARCO
• Presentation: … and what is the leasehold system offering them? - Sally Ireland, Director of Legal & Compliance, ARCO
• Presentation: Righthold - modifying the leasehold system to meet customer demands for mainstream IRCs – Will Bax, Chief Executive, Retirement Villages Group & Jamie Bunce, Chief Executive, Inspired Villages Group
• Presentation: Creating an alternative between rental and leasehold for assisted living apartments? – Jeremy Walford, Executive Chair Middleton Hall Retirement Village & Chair of Standards Committee, ARCO, Paul Harries, Executive Chairman, LifeCare Residences

The mid-market target 

The Task Force for our sector was announced in the Levelling Up White Paper with the clear objective of addressing the uneven distribution of IRCs across the UK. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the middle market. What Next? 2022 will examine how we can cater for the large numbers of older people unable to access either affordable IRCs or high end provision.

• Presentation: Case study – spotlight on Mayfield Watford: early data on the customer profile in a mid-market location – Nick Edwards, COO, Audley Group, Sian Hammer, Group Sales Director, Audley Group
• Presentation: Funding retirement villages in a mature market – Richard Hinchliffe, Director Sector Strategies, ANZ Business

The ARCO Annual Drinks Reception

As it is now tradition and to celebrate the end of our day one programme, you will have the opportunity to join ARCO and sector peers for drinks in the beautiful IET Riverside Room overlooking the London Embankment (subject to availability and RSVP)

For more information about the ARCO Conference, please visit What Next? 2022