Where to Connect: Senior Living Conferences in 2026

Dec 3, 2025 | Business

A new year means a new conference calendar and fresh opportunities to learn, grow, and connect in senior living. From leadership summits and dining conferences to marketing-focused events like SMASH and SHN’s Sales & Marketing Conference, 2026 is packed with spaces where you can sharpen strategy, build partnerships, and bring back ideas that move occupancy, margin, and resident experience forward. In this blog, you’ll find:

Senior Living Conferences for Growth & Inspiration

Conferences are more than name badges and exhibit halls. For senior living operators, the senior living conference circuit can:

    • Reveal what is working for your peers when in comes to increasing lead quality, improving tour-to-move-in conversion rates, and more
    • Spotlight new approaches, tools, and partners to elevate your entire organization – sales, marketing, operations, resident engagement, and integrated care
    • Keep you on the cutting edge of innovation in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of senior living and elder care.
    • Create moments to engage with your existing teams off-site and surrounded by best-in-class people, places, and partners.

Use this guide to start building your 2026 calendar and decide where your team can get the most return on travel, registration, and time away from your community. P.S. – You’ll find a pair of glasses next to the conferences SGD will be at!

January Conferences

A members-only gathering for senior housing executives focused on investment, development, policy, and big-picture strategy in seniors housing.

February Conferences
  • North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association (NCHCFA) Annual Convention & Expo: February 22-25, 2026 @ the Sheraton Greensboro, NC

A regional event for skilled nursing and senior living providers featuring clinical, regulatory, and operational education.

March Conferences

A high-intent sales and marketing conference dedicated to occupancy growth, digital strategy, and evolving consumer expectations in senior living.

A leadership retreat for C-suite executives that dives into growth strategy, partnerships, and the future of senior living.

HEALTHTAC features two days of thought-provoking panel discussions, high-level relationship building, and private meetings between C-Level executives and vendor partners focused on all aspects of senior living.

A must-attend for owners, operators, and capital partners exploring trends in senior housing affordability, integrated care, and capital markets.

A gathering of Jewish aging services organizations focused on mission-driven leadership, innovation, and community-based care.

April Conferences
  • SDA Synergy 2026: April 14-16, 2026 in Charlotte, NC – Senior Dining and Hospitality Conference

A specialized event for senior living dining and hospitality leaders focused on menus, resident experience, and operational efficiency in dining programs.

A leadership-focused conference for aging services executives exploring policy, innovation, and the future of not-for-profit senior living. 

May Conferences

A data-driven summit centered on technology, AI, and performance optimization for sales, marketing, and operations leaders in senior living.

One of the largest gatherings of senior living professionals, with tracks for operations, marketing and sales, design, dining, and workforce.

A state association conference serving not-for-profit senior living and care providers with education on policy, finance, and care delivery.

June Conferences

An intimate, design-forward event where senior living executives and solution partners discuss innovation, branding, and future-ready community models.

July Conferences

A large state conference with tracks for skilled nursing, assisted living, and hospitality teams, plus a robust expo hall.

August Conferences

A curated West Coast event pairing senior living and healthcare executives with vendors for one-to-one meetings and boardroom discussions.

September Conferences
  • RISE West: September 2-4, 2026 in San Diego, CA

A value-based care and Medicare Advantage-focused event that increasingly intersects with senior living, particularly for providers exploring payer partnerships.

A forum centered on leadership development, career growth, and peer connection for women in senior living leadership roles.

October Conferences

A specialty conference built for senior living marketing and sales leaders. Expect deep dives into demand generation, digital strategy, CX, and occupancy growth.

A conference geared toward assisted living entrepreneurs and operators focused on business models, profitability, and resident care excellence.

November Conferences

A fall edition of SLIF with a focus on experience design, hospitality, and the next wave of senior living community concepts.

A high-level summit for senior living executives centered on strategy, workforce innovation, and the big forces shaping the sector.

The SGD team at SMASH 2025 sponsoring Twinkle Tuesday

Where will you be going in 2026 to connect & learn from others?

Whether you’re looking for macro-level investment insight, team-level sales training, or very niche expertise (like dining or design), the conferences above can help you:

  • Sharpen strategy to support occupancy growth
  • Build better referral networks
  • Align sales, marketing, and operations around a shared view of the future

Now let’s make sure all of that inspiration actually turns into measurable results when you get back home.

Download the Senior Living Conference Content Activation Kit

Attending a conference is more than showing up, taking notes, and collecting business cards. It’s an opportunity to gather insights, build momentum, and come home with ideas that actually move the needle on occupancy, conversions, and referral relationships.

But the real challenge? Turning those days of inspiration into 90 days of measurable impact.

That’s exactly why we created the Senior Living Conference Activation Kit — a simple, strategic framework you can use before, during, and after any conference on your 2026 calendar.

What’s Inside the Kit

✔️ Pre-Conference Planning Checklist
Get aligned on goals, messaging, and sessions that support your growth priorities.

✔️ On-Site Content & Conversation Capture Templates
Make it easy to gather photos, videos, and strategic notes your team can use later.

✔️ Lead, Partner & Vendor Tracking Pages
Capture the right information on the right people — and route it quickly for follow-up.

✔️ 30/60/90-Day Momentum Plan
A built-in roadmap to ensure conference learnings turn into improvements in your sales process, digital presence, resident experience, and team performance.

✔️ Simplified Metrics + ROI Summary Page
Track what truly matters: leads, partnership value, and conference ROI.

Make Your 2026 Conferences Work Harder for You

Whether you’re attending SMASH, Argentum, NIC, SLIF, or a state-level event, this kit ensures you never lose the ideas, insights, or relationships that can transform your results this year.

Download free Senior Living Conference Activation Kit