NIC Conference To Offer Seniors Housing Sessions
For Operators & Investors On September 28-30, 2005
‘Bankers Track' Identified for Commercial Banks
Annapolis, MD – Senior living professionals will hear sessions on the current regulatory, financing and operating environment at the 15th Annual Conference of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries (NIC). The three-day event will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, on Sept. 28-30, 2005.
New this year, a "Banker's Track" will highlight those sessions of particular interest to this segment of the financial community. It will commence with an invitation-only session addressing "Opportunities for Commercial Banks in Seniors Housing and Care" on Wednesday, Sept. 28. At this pre-conference session, five seasoned commercial lenders – from Bank of the West, Guaranty Bank, KeyBank Real Estate Capital, LaSalle Bank and M&T Bank – will discuss the opportunities, as well as the unique obstacles, which commercial banks must navigate to become successful in this arena.
On Thursday, Sept. 29, in two separate plenary addresses, Tommy G. Thompson, former secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Tim Russert, host of "Meet the Press," will formally open the conference by giving their views on policy developments impacting senior living and the latest from Capitol Hill.
Also on Thursday, a session on "Separating Operations from Real Estate" will feature senior living operators and financiers who will discuss how the marketplace differentiates the value of real estate from its operations. Attendees will gain insights on how the search for the most efficient cost of capital often leads investors and lenders to price the real estate portion, how analysts view this distinction and value each aspect, and how these trends affect operators and owners today. Speakers will include Phillip M. Anderson, COO of CNL Retirement Properties; Jerry Doctrow, managing director of Legg Mason Wood Walker; Steven L. Vick, CEO of Signature Senior Living; and Debra Cafaro, chairman, president and CEO of Ventas.
A "Portfolio Performance Review: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD" will also take place on Thursday. Here, representatives from the industry's major lenders will share key performance measurements from their portfolios, and explain how these key indicators have impacted future underwriting and loan documentation requirements.
On Thursday afternoon, "The Role and Expectations of Institutional Capital" will highlight the breadth of available institutional capital. Panelists from both the equity and debt sides of the business will provide an historical perspective of this type of capital, as well as their individual forecasts for returns and capital flow in the foreseeable future. Panelists include Kathryn A. Sweeney, principal of AEW Capital Management; Geoffrey Dohrmann, chairman and CEO of Institutional Real Estate; Kevin McMeen, director and segment head at Merrill Lynch Capital; and Noah Levy, principal at Prudential R.E. Investors.
Another session promising an interesting discussion is "The Build versus Buy Debate" on Friday morning. Here, guest speakers representing financing, operating and development will debate whether the time is right to consider new construction. Discussions will focus on the benefits of acquisitions versus expansion or new development, construction costs, market demand, the costs of outside equity and the impact of lower capitalization rates. Guest panelists will include Mike Deines, development director at Canyon Creek Development; Mark Burnham, SVP and director of finance at Holiday Retirement Corp.; Anthony J. Mullen, research director at NIC; and Phil Golden, president at SHELTER Senior Living.
On Thursday afternoon, the year's most significant deals will be discussed at the "Deal Forum" by the key principals involved in those transactions. Other educational sessions will cover the state of the industry, how to access private equity and venture capital, skilled nursing funding and reimbursement, operational benchmarks and margin enhancements, what success looks like in the seniors housing and care business, and financing options for the smaller operator.
The NIC Conference is recognized as the senior living industry's premier forum for senior-level owners, operators and investors to meet and discuss deals. More than 1,000 attendees are expected. This year, a dedicated lounge area and two evening receptions are available to facilitate networking. Sponsors include more than 50 corporations, all major industry trade associations and many industry publications.
This year's conference – with the theme "The Coming of Age of Seniors Housing & Care: Learning from the Past to Capitalize on the Future" – will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. It begins with an opening reception on Wednesday evening, Sept. 28 and concludes at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30.
The general conference rate is $1,370 if paid by Aug. 26 and $1,620 thereafter. Facility operators are eligible for a special discount rate of $1,020 by Aug. 26 and $1,320 thereafter. To register or for more information, visit www.NIC.org or call NIC at (410) 267-0504.
SOURCE: National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries