KINGSPORT – The City of Kingsport is pleased to be hosting the American Association of Retirement Communities 2012 Annual Conference “Livability is Ageless – Investing in Communities & Amenities for All Ages” beginning Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at Marriott MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center.

“In Kingsport, we are fortunate to have long ago recognized the value that retirees can bring to a community, which in part was the genesis for the Move to Kingsport program,” Kingsport Assistant City Manager Jeff Fleming said Tuesday. “Each newcomer generates $25,000 per year in consumer expenditures, and based on the number of newcomers to Kingsport since 2006, that impact is estimated at more than $30 million annually.

Wednesday’s conference kick-off begins at 1 p.m. with a welcome from Mayor Dennis Phillips, followed by Mr. Allen Borden, Assistant Commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development, and state Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol. At the opening event, Kingsport, Bristol and Sullivan County will be recognized by AARC with its prestigious “Seal of Approval.”

Among the many presentations during the three day conference, presentations will also be made by Dave Robertson, Editor of Ideal Living magazine, who will address the topic of retirees leading the recovery of the housing market nationally; Jim Taylor, Vice Chairman of the Harrison Group, one of the country’s most respected and fast-growing marketing firms that has worked for businesses including American Express, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Audi, Acura, and the Walt Disney Company; and  Mr. Michael Notartomaso, President, The Hilton Head Group.

The American Association of Retirement Communities is a not-for-profit professional association, established in 1994 to promote the economic enhancement of communities through the promotion of retiree attraction as an economic development strategy.

Registration for the conference is $75 and is available at Marriott MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center

For more information, please visit www.the-aarc.org or www.KingsportTN.gov.

To view the full schedule of events, please click here.

To learn more about the Livable Kingsport Collaborative, please click here.