Each year, the LeadingAge Education team—in partnership with an Annual Meeting Planning Committee of provider members—selects more than 150 education sessions from more than 400 peer-submitted proposals to create the LeadingAge Annual Meeting education program. Additionally, there are a handful of curated programs that can include recommended education sessions, special events, dedicated networking opportunities or receptions, and more. Continue reading to learn more about the dedicated programs at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Nashville, October 27–30.

What are the Dedicated Programs? 

At the 2024 LeadingAge Annual Meeting, we have organized five dedicated programs:

• Leaders of Color Network Program
• Chief Executives of Multi-site Organizations (CEMOs) Leadership Forum
• New CEO Forum
• Board Member Networking Lunch
• Hospice Program
• Special Event for LeadingAge Tennessee

Leaders of Color Network Program

The LeadingAge Leaders of Color Network is one of LeadingAge’s fastest growing networks. Started in 2021, the Leaders of Color Network was designed to support and facilitate career advancement, provide a platform for exchanging resources and ideas, and offer a forum for learning and networking for people of color in the field of aging services.

The 2024 Annual Meeting in Nashville will be the fourth anniversary of the network and is expected to be the largest gathering to date! The dedicated Leaders of Color Network Program includes five special events for the network, including a meet and greet with keynote speaker Cynt Marshall, a reception at the National Museum of African American Music, and a pilot Mentorship Workshop led by Nzinga Shaw.

Leaders of color from LeadingAge provider members are encouraged and able to join the Leaders of Color Network at any time! And there is plenty of time to join the network in Nashville for what will be a rockin’ good time! Registration scholarships are available for those who have not attended an Annual Meeting in the last three (3) years.

CEMO Leadership Forum

LeadingAge regularly engages Chief Executives of Multi-Site Organizations (CEMOs) as they play a critical role in our field. As leaders of large nonprofit and mission-driven organizations that typically spread across many cities and even states, CEMOs bring their unique experience and perspective to our events and openly share their successes and challenges. With more than 450 CEMOs across our membership, the CEMO Leadership Forum at the Annual Meeting offers a special opportunity for these leaders to learn, network, and discuss the future of our field.

This year’s CEMO Leadership Forum will be held at the National Museum of African American Music on Monday, October 28 from 12:30-5:30 p.m. The agenda will feature keynote speaker Pat Lencioni—best-selling business author and internationally recognized thought leader for team building and leadership. The group will have exclusive time with Pat to dig deep into how his content relates to their role as leaders of our largest member organizations.

New CEO Forum

The New CEO Forum has become a mainstay at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting. One of LeadingAge’s core values is community, because we understand the importance of relationships and the strength that comes in numbers. The New CEO Forum is designed to foster a community for recently hired and appointed CEOs who are adapting to their new role and learning how to lead an organization. Leaders share insights about issues that matter most to them and spark opportunities for growth and shared learning.

The New CEO Forum at the 2024 Annual Meeting will feature leadership advisor and author Ty Wiggins. Ty is the author of The New CEO, a book that sets out how to start well and perform quickly as a new CEO and is based on original research and candid conversations with CEOs from Verizon, PepsiCo, Campbell’s, UPS, Whirlpool, and more. If you’re a new CEO or executive director, make plans to join the Forum on Tuesday, October 29 from 2:15–4:15 p.m.

Board Member Networking Lunch

Board members for aging services organizations play an increasingly important role as our field becomes more dynamic and complex. A diverse group of board members with a broad range of knowledge and experience is critical, but a foundational understanding of aging services is also imperative. We often hear from CEOs that board members who attend Annual Meeting say it helps these volunteer leaders understand the context of board discussions by better understanding the field at large. LeadingAge has also created a suite of free Governance Resources as well as dedicated opportunities at LeadingAge events for boards to learn independently and collectively with board members from other organizations.

The Board Member Networking Lunch at Annual Meeting offers great networking opportunities and meaningful connections for board members. The lunch will be held on Tuesday, October 29 from 12–1:30 p.m. and will feature guest speaker Jane Mack. In addition to the lunch, board members will have access to a list of recommended sessions so they can learn about governance best practices and other board-focused topics. Our Governance and Leadership Development education track includes 13 sessions across the four-day event.

Hospice Program

Providers of hospice services play a unique and important role in the continuum of care. At the 2024 Annual Meeting, our policy experts who focus on hospice, Katy Barnett and Mollie Gurian, put together a special two-day program of hospice-specific sessions and events. On October 29 & 30, Katy and Mollie will lead several education sessions focused on the new Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool and other hospice-related activity in Congress and at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Plus, with a dedicated hospice-focused happy hour and networking breakfast, providers and business solution representatives can continue the conversations and discuss timely challenges for their organizations.

Special Event for LeadingAge Tennessee

With the national LeadingAge Annual Meeting taking place in Nashville this year, LeadingAge Tennessee (TN) is partnering with national to co-host their Annual Meeting. LeadingAge TN members are invited to join more than 5,000 LeadingAge members and other aging services professionals in their state capital of Nashville. On Monday, October 28 at the Omni in downtown Nashville, providers and professionals from Tennessee are invited to a special LeadingAge TN Plenary Session and Reception. This will be Tennessee’s opportunity to gather with fellow members to reflect on our achievements and toast to the next chapter of LeadingAge TN.

LeadingAge dedicated programs offer a special opportunity for conference attendees with similar backgrounds and circumstances to come together to learn, network, and grow. These programs have fostered countless relationships and immeasurable organizational growth and support. If you’re attending the 2024 Annual Meeting and are looking to become more involved, our dedicated programs may be for you! Those considering attending the 2024 Annual Meeting should explore the education program, schedule, experience highlights, and E2 expo. Nashville is set up to be a rockin’ good time; so don’t miss out on all the fun, friendship, and future-focused learning. Register here.