SMASH — the Senior Care Marketing & Sales Summit — is the leading sales and marketing conference for senior living, bringing senior-level operators and decision-makers together every October to trade strategic insight and work through the growth challenges facing the industry right now. This year it runs October 5–7 at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa.
SMASH has already put together a solid first-timer's guide and full agenda — start there for the essentials. This guide picks up where those leave off. Further has sponsored this event for six years running, and our team's been through it more times than almost anyone else in the room. This is what we've actually picked up along the way — the habits, the honest opinions, the details nobody puts in an official agenda.
“If you've been before, it feels like a high school reunion — everybody hugs, everybody wants to catch up." - Sonia Vachon, VP of Client Engagement at Further.
🧳 Before You Arrive
Set two or three specific goals. “Learn about AI” isn't specific enough to act on. “Find one tool our team can pilot this quarter” is.
Read the agenda before you land. With five or six sessions running at once, you want a prioritized list walking in — not a decision you're making on the fly between sessions.
Traveling with a team? Don't all sit in the same room. Split up across the sessions you're each most excited about, then compare notes — you'll walk away with two or three times the insight and connections for the same three days.
Download the HMP Conferences app. Grab the HMP Conferences app from your app store, search SMASH 2026, and log in with your registered email - your password is the Badge ID from your registration confirmation email. Inside: the live agenda, session slides, and a way to connect directly with other attendees.
Reach out to the people you want to meet now, not once you're on-site. Once SMASH starts, everyone's calendar is jammed. Pleasant persistence before the event beats trying to track someone down in a hallway.
📍 Get Your Bearings
Free coffee at every networking break: Starbucks on property is also open 6 AM–6 PM Sunday through Thursday, and 6 AM–7 PM Friday and Saturday.
That same Starbucks doubles as an unofficial meeting spot. Attendees often camp out there to take meetings, so it's a good bet for an informal catch-up between sessions.
Water can be scarce in the session hallways. Flag it to a SMASH team member if you can't find a station — carrying a tumbler isn't a bad idea either.
Restaurants on property book out fast during SMASH week. Reserve ahead for dinner, and expect a short wait for breakfast if you're eating on-site.
A couple of lesser-known spots worth knowing: Hawthorn Grill and Wineaux, both in the Spa Tower, are the two go-to spots for a drink and a real conversation. Spa Aquae and the garden walkways near the waterfall pool are quiet, easy-to-miss places to catch a breather between sessions.
🗓️ Build a Schedule That Works
Pick sessions that align with your own goals first, then deliberately leave room for one or two you wouldn't normally choose. That's usually where the unexpected value is.
Don't check out early on the final day. The event closes with The SMASH Debrief: a panel of providers who split up across sessions all week reporting back on what stood out, so you get a taste of everything even if you could only be in one room at a time.
Nothing at SMASH is available for replay — If something resonates, capture it in the room: note-taking, a photo of the slide, a voice memo, whatever works for you. Some slides will be available in-app following the conference, but you miss the context of the presentation.
It's a long three days — enjoy them, but take breaks when you need them. You'll get more out of the event if you're not running on empty. Drink water, remember to eat, and take a quick nap if you need it.
If you came with a team, put ten minutes on everyone's calendar for a group photo. It's easy to forget once the days get moving, and you'll want it for the social media recap later.
A few sessions worth building your schedule around this year:
Birds of a Feather is the most-recommended session format on our team. It's a true provider roundtable — no assigned seating, no pitch, just a shared challenge and a table full of peers. “You'll have someone from a single community sitting next to someone running 150 locations, all talking through one shared challenge,” is how one of our team members described it. “It's one of the most organic ways to network at the whole event.”
Say yes to the vendor dinner invite. It's rarely just the vendor — expect a table full of other operators doing exactly what you do.
The people staffing solution partner booths are almost always senior-level, and they talk with dozens of organizations facing your exact challenges. That's a different, useful vantage point than any single session can give you.
Wear something with a story. One year, Further handed out pins for attendees to wear — a small, easy way to spark a “what's that from?” conversation without needing a big personality to break the ice.
If a session resonates, catch the speaker the moment it ends. A real introduction and a handshake make any follow-up land completely differently than a cold email would.
🎒 Bring This With You
Comfortable shoes — you'll be on your feet more than you'd think
A sweater or light layer — meeting rooms swing from warm to cold throughout the day
A notebook — or your preferred note-taking device
A tumbler — handy for water refills between sessions
Something a little bold or sparkly for Twinkle Tuesday — SMASH's day-two tradition where the whole room leans into glitter and light-up flair
A follow-up plan already in your head — decide now how you'll reconnect with the people you meet, your relationship continues off the show floor
☕ See You at SMASH — Stop by Lounge #16
However you spend your three days, we hope this year's SMASH is worth every minute of it.
And if improving speed-to-lead, follow-up consistency, or tour conversion is on your radar for 2026, come say hi to us at Lounge #16 in the Grand Ballroom Foyer. We're hosting an interactive AI Lab where you can live demo the technology enabling 7,000+ senior living communities across the US.
Here's what we'll be showcasing:
New! AI Competitive Market Intelligence (CMI) — see exactly how you stack up against local competitors, with alerts and talk tracks built from real data.
New! AI Tour Agent — every in-person tour recorded, coached, and synced to your CRM automatically.
New! AI Hiring Agent — screens and contacts every job applicant within minutes, on whatever channel they prefer.
AI Training & Coaching Agent — let your team practice tough sales conversations in a virtual role-play before they happen for real.
AI Inbound Phone Agent — answers every call, any hour, capturing 25% more phone leads and 15% more tour conversions.
AI SMS & Web Chat — automated, always-on conversations that turn web and text inquiries into tours. Drives 33% more move-ins.
We'll also have fun activations and giveaways going on all three days: don't miss your chance to go head-to-head with our AI Training Agent in a live sales role-play and win a Nespresso Coffee Maker!
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