Zoomers: Boomers with Zip!
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Toronto Zoomer show. What is a zoomer you may ask? The word was coined by Moses Znaimer...
Zoomers encompass both the Baby Boomers (in Canada, ages 44-62) and those who are older. It's a vast group of more than 14.5 million people and accounts for 44 percent of the population.
Facts:
• Zoomers control 77% of all Canadian wealth
• Zoomer = Boomers with Zip
• Znaimer + Boomer = Zoomer
Toronto Zoomer Show
The Toronto Zoomer Show featured approximately 250 exhibitors and loads of entertainment. My business partner and I were serenaded from the lobby of the Direct Energy Centre by none other than musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra! Other entertainment included a demonstration by the Lions Foundation Canada about their amazing dog guides, pickle ball games, and an opera singer.
GotSpecs?
The first booth I visited was GotSpecs, an innovative company spearheaded by Nella Cannito and Elizabeth Shergold. Their vision is to offer the service industry an opportunity to meet the needs of the vibrant boomer generation by providing them with complimentary readers (reading glasses). Those establishments benefit by gaining and retaining their valued guests, and because GotSpecs are customizable with their branding, customers leave as loyal brand ambassadors. I think the idea is brilliant and it is needed. The day after the show I went to a restaurant with a friend who had forgotten his reading glasses and I asked him if he would have appreciated free specs. He was totally in agreement. Now we just need more restaurants to get on board.
The Red Hat Society
The next booth I went to was very intriguing. It was filled with joyous women wearing red hats - frilly hats, hats with feathers, hats with panache! This group is called the Red Hat Society and it is the largest women’s social group in the world!
This wonderful group started 10 years ago and their mission is to have fun. Junior members (under 50 years old) wear pink or purple hats until their 50th birthday which is celebrated via a REDuation ceremony, where they receive their first red hat. The office of the Red Hat Society (Hatquarters) is in Southern California and it keeps all members connected via weekly e-communications, quarterly newsletters and events. I have always loved the colour red and I am sure to join this bunch soon. No, I will not reveal my age!!
Chi Machine Canada
Next was a relaxing pit stop at Chi Machine Canada where I met with Debra Phinney Armstrong. She set me up on their Sun Ancon Chi Machine (class 2 medical device) which gently rocks you back and forth in a “fish like” movement, based on 38 years of research. The benefits of this are manifold including pain management, stress relief, & reduction of inflammation. The chi machine accomplishes this via a specific elevation of the legs which provides a full lymphatic drainage. I was on the machine for 5 minutes which is the recommended timing for first time users. I felt very relaxed yet was revitalized. The Sun Ancon Chi Machine is available through representatives. This worldwide medical device has been used for 20 years by clinics, therapists, physicians, and people looking for relief from fatigue and a feeling of revitalization. This passive aerobic exerciser will assist people on their path to a healthy transformation! For more information, visit their website at: www.chimachinecanada.com/debra.
Revera Retirement Communities
Finally, I visited the Revera booth. They offer retirement living, long term care, home health, nursing & rehab services. Revera has a long history of assisting seniors. Their first retirement residence opened in Winnipeg in 1961. Today they are in more than 250 locations across Canada and the United States! Because of this, they serve approximately 30,000 seniors on a daily basis. It is a Canadian owned company with a head office in Mississauga, Ontario.
Revera operates 93 retirement homes and some of these are a mix of a nursing home and retirement home. This is quite advantageous to seniors as they can accommodate couples with differing care needs. Imagine a couple where the wife is able to function independently in a retirement setting yet the husband has more complex care needs. In a mixed setting, the couple can see each other throughout the day during meal time for example, yet the husband can have access to appropriate nursing care in his suite. I was very impressed with this organization and they will be further profiled in a future article which will outline their ageism campaign.
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What products, services or organizations for Zoomers would you like to see? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Related:
What Baby Boomer Tribe Do You Belong To?
Toronto Zoomer Show Grows Every Year
Retirement Community Costs
