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Conference Circuit: Reinventing Meals on Wheels

A prominent organization serving the nation's seniors looks to use its conference to spark new ideas. Also: At a time when the National Guard is on front pages everywhere, an association for Guard members heads to Chicago.

With changing demographics at play, expect attendees at the Meals on Wheels Annual Conference and Expo—August 26-28 in Scottsdale, Arizona—to place a high priority on innovation.

“The landscape for Meals on Wheels is evolving. The need to diversify revenue streams, accommodate shifting demographics, foster new partnerships, and leverage cutting-edge technologies will become increasingly critical to our success,” the event’s promotional materials declare. “Collaboration, innovation, and adaptation will strengthen us for the path ahead.”

The Administration on Aging predicts that there will be 72.1 million Americans age 65 or older—19 percent of the total population—by 2030. That’s a sizable increase from 2000, when just 12.4 percent of Americans were seniors. Already, 9.3 million Americans older than 60 face the threat of hunger, a situation made worse by the recent economic recession. With more seniors comes more strain on Meals on Wheels, which already serves 2.5 million seniors.

Alongside idea generation about how to meet increased demand for Meals on Wheels’ services is a schedule filled with celebrity speakers, instructional courses, and expositions.

The Week Ahead

August 22-26: The Student & Youth Travel Association will hold its annual conference in Toronto. Plenty of events will keep attendees busy, and SYTA will take advantage of all that Toronto and the neighboring area have to offer attendees when they’re not in sessions or workshops—from tours of the city to explorations of nearby Niagara Falls.

August 22-25: The National Guard is back in the spotlight since its Missouri contingent was called up to help calm ongoing tensions in the Ferguson community in the wake of the police shooting of an unarmed African-American teen nearly two weeks ago. Those events are likely to be top of mind for many at the 136th General Conference & Exhibition of the National Guard Association of the United States. On the agenda for attendees in Chicago is a vote on the organization’s legislative priorities for the next year.

August 21-24: Journalists and media pros are also heading to the Windy City for the Association of LGBT Journalists’ National Convention and LGBT Media Summit. The event will help advance the group’s mission to “foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues” and will provide a full slate of professional development opportunities for attendees.

Down the Line

October 14-16: Have you spent the summer enjoying your nearby parks? Say thanks to the National Recreation and Park Association, which will hold its annual congress in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tentative details on the event are available via NRPA’s initial program.

(monkeybusinessimages/ThinkStock)

Morgan Little

By Morgan Little

Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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