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closeBaby boomers mean business for Kevin Beauchamp and his wife, Carolayne Holley.
This year, the couple (already directors of Central Coast Bride shows) started producing Baby Boomer Shows and launched a Web site targeting this affluent demographic. Their first show, held in June at the Alex Madonna Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, featured more than 100 exhibitors and attracted a crowd of 2,500.
At the shows, boomers can get information about everything from home entertainment and spa treatments to travel and wealth management – products and services of interest to people in this age group. “It is a new show and a new concept, and it will take some time to build support,’’ he said.
Beauchamp added: “As our shows grow, they will become more of a music and wine festival with an Expo as part of the experience.”
The pair is looking forward to hosting a larger crowd at their next San Luis Obispo event Nov. 7-8 at the Alex Madonna Expo Center, and they are planning shows in San Jose and Ventura as early as next year. Plus, Beauchamp and Holley are in the process of obtaining a franchise license in California, which will allow them to do Baby Boomer Shows in 35 other states.
The Tribune recently interviewed Beauchamp about the show and what makes the boomer generation tick.
Q: Why launch this show now?
A: Baby boomers are just now reaching retirement age, with the oldest boomers now 62. Not that our shows are to be considered retirement shows, but many boomers now have the time and money to really start enjoying their active lifestyles.
Q: What are the biggest challenges in putting on a show of this magnitude?
A: The success of any Expo is bringing exhibitors and attendees together. With any new show, getting enough of both is critical. The other big part of a show like this is organization, which we luckily have a lot of experience with from running our bridal shows for six years.
Q: How long does it take to pull something like this together?
A: It took us a year to research the boomer demographic and really understand what they are looking for. It was important to understand our target market to help us select what businesses should be in the show and choose the key categories for the Web site.
Q: What are the three things that boomers desire most?
A: Service, convenience and value. Most boomers are time stressed. Even though they have the cash flow and are heading toward retirement, they still have kids, grandkids, pets, vacation homes. They want to cut through the noise of services available and get right to what is true value. And they want conveniences. They want to be able to do things quickly. We work with businesses that we know will offer those services and value, and cater to the sometimes unique needs of the boomers.
Q: And the three things that concern them most?
A: Health, wealth management and staying young. Longevity is huge. They’ve worked hard to get to the point in life where they have the time and money to do what they want to do, but they have to be healthy in order to do that. Boomers aren’t sitting around. It’s not your grandparent’s retirement. They’re out there doing, learning and growing.
Q: What surprises you most about this generation and its attitude toward life, career and retirement?
A: How young minded and active they are at their age compared to previous generations. At an average age of 50, they are excited about enjoying the second half of their lives, and staying active and engaged.
Q: How would you rate San Luis Obispo County’s communities and their preparedness for the aging population?
A: SLO has been rated one of the top 10 places to live in different publications for all of the reasons we live here. It would be great if we had a better public transportation system and healthcare network. But we are lucky that we have great local communities and are relatively close to L.A. and San Francisco, which have some of the best health-care facilities in the country.
Q: Where do you think there’s room for improvement (in terms of healthcare, elder-care services, recreational activities?)
A: I hear from boomers moving to the area that they are concerned about their health-care group or insurance not being accepted. As more boomers retire here and the population ages in general, this will become more of an issue. Hopefully, this will be resolved as part of a universal healthcare program. As far as recreation, arts and local activities…we are very fortunate. We are a tourist destination for good reason. We have a wealth of natural resources – from wineries to beaches and the Los Padres National Forest, to name a few.
Name: Kevin Beauchamp
Age: 48
Company: Baby Boomer Shows and Imagine That Associates, parent group
Title: Director
Company address: 130 E. Dana St, Nipomo CA 93444
Family: Wife, Carolayne Holley (producer); daughters, Rebecca and Charlotte
Year founded: 2006
Employees: 3
Annual revenues: $200,000
Annual profits: Not disclosed
Web address: www.babyboomershows.com
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