With the 2021 LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO in the rearview mirror, all of us at LCS are more inspired than ever to continue the forward-moving progress in the bright future of the senior living sector.

As the first year back in person since the onset of the pandemic, we were excited to wrap up the month of October, gathering together with industry partners, colleagues and friends. The 2021 Annual Meeting + EXPO took place in vibrant downtown Atlanta and included a variety of safely coordinated social events, speakers, education sessions and exhibitions. 

Here are three impactful takeaways from the event:

Strength in Moving Forward

This simple conference theme statement resonated with many attendees, including our own SVP/Managing Director for LCS Development, Jason Jorgenson. 

“I’m optimistic that seniors housing is going to come back stronger than ever, especially when we strategize together based on what we’ve learned going through the pandemic,” says Jason. “As we assess the situation, we can reimagine and act on steps required to move forward appropriately.”

At LCS, we have been implementing programs like EverSafe 360 to apply the principles aimed at building trust and safety within our communities. We’re also offering a strategic planning process called LCS Envision™ to any senior living community looking to align their team on a path forward. 

Resiliency in the New Normal

LeadingAge Board Chair Carol Silver Elliot opened the speaker series with an inspirational message applauding the resiliency shown by the fact that we could gather together and support one another in our common goal of elevating senior living. 

“This is our moment to re-define our field,” Carol states. “We have certainly had the bright light of COVID on us for the last 20 months … it hasn’t broken us, but it has shown us where the opportunities are to make changes.”

Joy in Unification

Above all, reconnecting, or even connecting for the first time in-person with friends and colleagues at the various LeadingAge events this year, sparked an apparent sense of joy and happiness throughout attendees. Even with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, the smiles underneath the masks were unmistakable. 

EVP/Senior Managing Director for LCS Development Chuck Murphy expressed the reinforced importance of in-person interactions with clients.

“I believe our success in procuring new business will be highly dependent on these personal interactions,” he says. “We need our efforts directed at identifying and nurturing relationships with clients.”

Though we still function heavily in virtual-based day-to-day operations, the sense of togetherness provided by the 2021 LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO was a faithful reminder that we are on our way up and forward. Whatever that looks like, we are confident that it only means growth that allows us to serve our seniors better than ever. 

Thank you to all that joined us at LeadingAge and stopped by the LCS booth to say hi. We will see you next year in Denver!