AARP Life@50+ Event Set to Take Over Sizzling Miami

AARP will host its Life@50+ National Event & Expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center, May 14-16 with celebrity guest appearances—including Robin Roberts—the Movies For Grownups Film Festival, live entertainment and more. On top of the fun and festivities, AARP volunteers will give back to the local community through the three-day AARP Foundation Community Celebration of Service presented by AARP Credit Cards from Chase.

“Life@50+ is an event where individuals can learn and grow while celebrating what it means to be 50-plus,” said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP CEO. “It’s also a terrific opportunity for AARP and its volunteers to serve the local community together.”

This event presents attendees with the opportunity to learn, engage and interact with others who share their same interests and passions. There are five event tracks: Health and Wellness, Money and Work, Technology and Innovation, Travel and Lifestyle, and Arts and Culture. These tracks will not only offer incredible insights from leading experts, but will also offer attendees the chance to discover their real possibilities at age 50-plus.

Event Highlights

Thursday, May 14

Life@50+ kicks off with the AARP Foundation Community Celebration of Service early Thursday morning. Projects include: Housing Rebuild—in collaboration with Rebuilding Together, volunteers will help rebuild the homes of three low-income homeowners—all veterans—in the Miami Gardens neighborhood; AARP Foundation Meal Pack—volunteers will pack 50,000 nutritious meals to benefit the Feeding South Florida Food Bank; Cards to Re-Connect—volunteers will create greeting cards with personal messages, to be delivered to nursing and veterans facilities; Produce and Potato “Drop”—in collaboration with the Society of St. Andrew, volunteers will help gather fresh produce donated by local farmers and package it for delivery to at-risk seniors in the Miami area; FEMA Emergency Preparedness Kits—volunteers will help create 450 emergency kits for seniors who do not have the resources or ability to gather the items needed during weather emergencies. All projects will continue on Friday and Saturday except for the Housing Rebuild project.

AARP will host the Health Innovation50+ LivePitch competition Thursday afternoon. This is an opportunity for cutting-edge health and wellness start-up companies to take the stage and pitch innovative products and services for the 50-plus community. Participating attendees will be provided with a handheld wireless device for use in rating each company after its pitch. At the end of the day, a Judges’ Winner and an AARP Consumer Winner will be announced. 

Thursday evening also marks the beginning of the AARP Movies for Grownups® Film Festival with the pre-release screening of I’ll See You in My Dreams. Starring Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott, the film follows a widow who is settled into her life and her age, until a series of events propel her into a renewed engagement with the people and the world around her. There will be a post-screening Q&A with co-star Sam Elliott and writer/director Brett Haley.

Friday, May 15

Friday’s event sessions will begin with a keynote address by Robin Roberts followed by several breakout sessions focused on the various event tracks. These sessions include Ben Stein and Jean Chatzky on Money and Work; Reed V. Tuckson, M.D., FACP and James “JB” Brown on Health and Wellness; Samantha Brown on Travel and Lifestyle; Michio Kaku, Ph.D. on Technology and Innovation; and, a special session with Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew, on what Life Reimagined means to her.

The AARP Movies for Grownups® Film Festival will feature pre-release screenings of Mr. Holmes and Love & Mercy Friday afternoon. Mr. Holmes, starring Ian McKellen, follows the story of an aging Sherlock Holmes in 1947 who—grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind—revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement. Love & Mercy—starring John Cusack and Elizabeth Banks—presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys. This film will be followed by a post-screening Q&A with director Bill Pohlad.

The much anticipated finale of the AARP Superstar Contest hosted by Arsenio Hall will be held Friday evening with the remaining five contestants competing live on stage. Audience members will vote for the top two contestants, who will then do one last performance before a panel of judges that will include Tena Clark, Emilio Estefan, Chaka Khan and Kenny Loggins. Both Chaka Khan and Kenny Loggins will also be performing. 

Saturday, May 16

Sessions begin Saturday morning with Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D. on Health and Wellness; Jeffrey Cole, Ph.D., Donnie Simpson and Blair Underwood on Technology and Innovation; Rita Moreno, Jon Secada and Emilio Estefan on Arts and Culture; Ingrid Hoffmann on Health and Wellness; Alonzo and Tracy Mourning, and Robert Carter on Travel and Lifestyle.

The AARP Movies for Grownups® Film Festival will feature screenings of Caring for Mom & Dad, and 5 Flights Up. Caring for Mom & Dad, an hour-long primetime PBS special, offers an intimate look at the issues facing working family caregivers struggling to balance work, home life and caring for elderly parents. A discussion will immediately follow the film with director, Larkin McPhee and Dr. Roslyn Schneider, Senior Director, Global Patient Affairs, Pfizer Inc. In 5 Flights Up, Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton play an aging couple who puts their once run-down, two-bedroom home of 40 years on the now hip and booming Brooklyn market. As the couple struggles with the decision to change their lives drastically, they rediscover the bond of love that has kept them together. There will be a post-screening Q&A with writer Jill Ciment.

AARP will round out Saturday evening with a night of music and entertainment at the Life@50+ Miami concert. 

Registration

Admission to Life@50+ for AARP members is $35, and $45 for non-members. The entry fee includes access to the exhibit hall, the opening show, and the seminars/sessions for all three days. Non-member registration includes a one-year membership to AARP. 

Additional information on Life@50+ Miami, as well as the complete schedule, can be found online.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.