Conference Coverage

LOS ANGELES — The seniors housing industry needs to focus more on the health and happiness of residents and less on the real estate aspect of the business if profits are going to be sustained for the long term, said Maragret Wylde, president and CEO of research and advisory firm ProMatura Group and keynote speaker at last Thursday’s InterFace Seniors Housing West conference. Approximately 250 industry professionals attended the event held Feb. 26 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles. “We really don’t need to be selling the real estate,” said Wylde, whose Oxford, Miss.-based research firm specializes in understanding what consumers want and are willing to pay for, specifically persons age 50 and above. “We don’t need to put any more into our communities. We don’t need any more amenities.” From Wylde’s point of view, the importance of a quality operator can’t be overstated. Bidding Frenzy Continues Many of the day’s panelists agreed that real estate aspect of senior care has gotten a bit out of control recently, creating prime conditions for a seller’s market ripe with hungry institutional investors. Some also wondered if this flurry of activity might soon lead to overbuilding in many of the nation’s hottest …

LOS ANGELES — The spotlight is shining brightly on those who can successfully execute entertainment retail — essentially a full-circle experience that provides shoppers with more than just a physical item. That’s the consensus of panelists at InterFace’s “Entertainment Experience Evolution” conference, held Feb. 18-20, at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. While certain material items will always be highly prized commodities among the crowd with discretionary spending, today’s consumers have come to expect more than just a cash register when they hit the popular shopping destinations. “In a few years, you’ll be able to buy almost anything online,” said Howard Samuels, president of Samuels & Co. and a speaker on the “Retailers Who Are Thinking Ahead” panel. “But you can’t get an entertainment experience. It’s something unique you have to invest in at your property. One thing people talk about with entertainment is emotions. Sometimes you have to think outside the dollars and cents and pro formas. Entertainment retail is like a motion picture — you have to grab emotion.” Many of today’s hottest concepts do this by capitalizing on nostalgia, fun and what’s become known as the “lifestyle.” “Many consumers, like Millennials, have become hard to please,” said …