AARP brings National Expo to Boston Sept, 6-8

By Debbie Gardner PRIME Editor What are you doing this September? If you're age 50 or older, AARP wants to invite you to their biggest party of the year. And this time, it's only 90 miles to the east. AARP's Life @50+ National Event & Expo rolls into the Boston Convention & Exposition Center Sept. 6-8, offering members, their friends and families an opportunity to get a taste of the experiences and opportunities awaiting them in the second half of life. "For us [at AARP] it's trying to create a lifestyle experience for our members, and help them understand that AARP offers that experience every day, not just at a three-day event," said Bruce Sanders, Director of National Events for AARP. Sanders spoke to PRIME by telephone about the event in mid-July, just as the final speakers and events for this year's Expo were being firmed up. "We always have some last-minute additions," he said, adding that AARP had invited all of the presidential candidates to make a stop at the Expo. "It's too early for them to accept yet," he said of the candidates. But we're anticipating a handful will be there." But, he said, people should think of AARP's National Expo as much more than a political forum or a stumping ground for elder advocacy. He said the goal of these new Expos, which have been hosted by such cities as Anaheim, Calif., and Las Vegas in recent years, is to shake up boomer's perception of what AARP is all about. "The majority of people used to think of AARP in two ways," Sanders said. "One was as discounts and the other was that we advocate for issues that are important to older Americans." Since 2001, he said AARP has been using these national events to show people over 50 that "we have a lot more relevancy to their lives." And showcasing this relevancy to the lifestyle of boomers as well as that of older AARP members is exactly what this Boston Expo is hoping to achieve. "It's really geared toward making their lifestyle better," he said. See it all under one roof "There are sessions with celebrities, university sessions that inform about different topics, and also [sessions] about what AARP has to offer," Louise Myers, volunteer coordinator for this year's Expo told PRIME from the AARP Massachusetts office. A native of greater Boston and a two-time National Event volunteer, Myers is thrilled to have this years' event taking place in her own, historic city. "It's exciting. It's fun. There are many programs that are presented, and we also have exciting activities," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Tony Bennett," she added, referring to the crooner's recently-added concert slated for the evening of Sept. 6. But Bennett isn't the only celebrity sure to draw crowds to this year's Expo. Attendees will also have the chance to hear from renowned actors Kirk and Michael Douglas; Golden Globe winner Hector Elizondo; funnyman Bob Newhart; the red carpet duo of Joan and Melissa Rivers; basketball MVP Bill Russell; best-selling author Gail Sheehy; fitness expert Richard Simmons; makeup mogul Bobbi Brown; poet Maya Angelou, comedian Whoopi Goldberg and chef Ming Tsai. In addition, event-goers can explore nearly 350 exhibits featuring new and future technologies, model homes and appliances, travel and leisure destinations and more in the Expo's vendor showcase; attend AARP University lifestyle, education and feature sessions with politicians, medical and financial experts; and take in an array of lectures and health and fitness classes. For a complete listing of events by day, go online to www.aarp.org/events and click on the word "schedule" in the left -hand menu titled "Life @50+". "We layer into [the Expo] all kinds of events," Sanders said. "Like Michael Douglas and Kirk Douglas sitting down and having a conversation about their lives and their relationship and taking questions from a half-dozen or dozen [AARP] members." (this event, moderated by NBC news anchor Brian Williams, is scheduled for 9:30- 11:30 a.m. on Thurs. Sept. 6) "You can go from there and listen to Richard Dreyfuss talk about movies for grownups and launch our Movies for Grownups film festival, which lasts three days," he added. "And on Saturday morning, we have Maya Angelou and Whoopi Goldberg together. Those are some of the fun and different things you just can't see anywhere else," he said. Other surprises include a wake-up fitness class with rapper L.L. Cool J on Sept. 7., a members-only Ultra Lounge running every night until 2 a.m., and the chance to take a test drive on Toyota's "Highway to the Future Mobile Hybrid Experience tour" or do a little gaming on a Nintendo Wii. Headin' East to give a hand Even if you haven't already made plans to attend the National Expo, others in Western Massachusetts are more than ready to make the trek. Take Jeanne Mele of Springfield, for example. She's one of the over 19,000 Massachusetts AARP members who have volunteered their time to help make this year's Expo a success. "We were very happy to see that our members were interested in volunteering for the Life at 50+ event," volunteer coordinator Myers explained. "We put out a call . and they responded quite well." Mele said that as a former teacher she spent 35 years teaching Spanish at East Longmeadow High School the opportunity to help others seemed right up her alley. "And it certainly sounds like a lot of fun," she said. Like Myers, Mele said the location of the Expo, Boston, made the opportunity to volunteer at the event doubly attractive. "I was born there, and spent my growing up years there," Mele said. "That makes me want to go back." And though she's been an AARP member since she turned 50, Mele said this will be her first National Expo. It's also the first time she's volunteered for anything beyond church and school events. "I think it's going to be an exciting time," Mele said. "I'm also curious as to what they tell retirees about being retired." As far as her assignment goes, she didn't know where her talents will be employed come September. "I did mention on the application that I can converse in Spanish, but that I'm not bi-lingual," she said. "[My assignment] could be from greeting people to setting up things to paperwork. I really have no idea." She expected to hear soon, and said she would be heading into Boston in August for an orientation session. And if her volunteering gets her a chance to see any of the big-name talent, she's hoping it's the Friday night concert, even though she knows it's sold out. "If I had to pick my favorite, it would be Earth, Wind & Fire and Lily Tomlin," she said.