Aging Workforce Forum West: Pensions, Performance, and the New Retirement

Monday April 29 - Tuesday April 30 2013 • Hyatt Regency Calgary • Calgary, Alberta

Conference Overview

The Conference Board’s Annual Pensions Summit has a New Name for 2013!

Underfunding and slow growth have led to defined Benefits (DB)pensions plans sliding deeper and deeper into deficit, but that isn't the only concern for pensions professionals these days. Your workforce is aging, and this transformation is leading to widespread and persistent changes across the pension environment. In order to remain competitive, pensions must address plan risk, make changes for future sustainability, and find ways to stand by the promises made to plan members. They must also adjust to the needs of an aging workforce, changing how work is organized to maintain performance and attract and engage older employees.

It is for these reasons that our tenth annual Pensions Summit will be known as the Aging Workforce Forum West: Pensions, Performance, and the New Retirement. Join us for what is sure to be an eye-opening event, as we feature the latest thinking on Canada's aging workforce and how Pensions innovators are transforming themselves to drive performance and competitiveness in a changing landscape.

Organizations that understand and adapt to these trends will enjoy superior performance.

While pension underfunding gets your CFO’s attention, it’s the aging of the workforce that will cause lasting, persistent, and widespread change. Experts agree that the pension outlook has not improved in recent years, and this further emphasizes the trend toward an older workforce:

a recent Mercer’s survey shows Canadian defined benefit plan solvency at an all-time low
Sun Life’s 2012 Canadian Unretirement Index Report found that 48% of Canadian workers expect to have a phased retirement. 20% said they don’t expect to gradually scale back work, and 32% said they aren’t sure what to expect
Fidelity Investments’ The shift to retirement income—Beyond the headlines, indicates 66% of pre-retirees expect to work in retirement, with 51% saying they would work as an employee and 28% saying they may start a new business
The Conference Board forecasts a significant economic impact from the aging of the population. After 2015, sustainable growth in Quebec and much of Atlantic Canada will slow to around 1.5 per cent with the impact of inflation removed. Ontario’s growth rate will fall below two per cent, and the Western provinces will see their collective growth potential fall to around 2.5 per cent as the effects of aging demographics kick in

Three perils, three partners.

The experts will examine this crisis and practical solutions within the context of an aging workforce. Tackling underfunding, slow growth, and an aging workforce won’t be easy, and all stakeholders need to step up and take action:

governments need to change policies, regulations, and legislation to ease the burden on employers, while protecting employees. There is Special government pricing available for this event! View our Fees and Special Offers page for more information
pensions must address plan risk, make changes for future sustainability, and find ways to stand by the promises made to plan members. Employers must also adjust to the needs of an aging workforce, changing how work is organized to maintain performance and attract and engage older employees
individual employees and unions must adjust their expectations and, in many cases, take greater responsibility for retirement income

Perhaps the greatest challenge is trying to deal with pension fund shortfalls and other workforce issues in a volatile and low growth world economy.

Benefit from the experiences of the experts and your public and private sector counterparts.

Leading public and private sector advisors, Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers, Chief Actuaries, government ministers and deputy ministers, and international experts and practitioners will share their thinking, and discuss common challenges and potential solutions.

The status quo is not an option.

“If we choose to do nothing differently, Canada would still be relatively wealthy - but with little dynamic energy, or revenue growth, for businesses and governments. That’s not much of a future.”

—Glen Hodgson, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist
The Conference Board of Canada

Pension plans have lurched from crisis to crisis since the dot com crash of 2000. Now they face the additional burden of an aging population and its impact on productivity and workforce management.

This event will bring together a cross section of business, pension, and HR leaders to talk frankly about what must be done to begin to fix these problems. Your organization’s future prosperity and competitiveness may well depend on how these issues are addressed.

Message from the Program Developer

John Brewer

We began developing this event as a Western-focused pension summit, but it became clear the entire workplace environment was changing. This prompted us to assess the ongoing pension issues in the context of the aging workforce …

Building on success.

The Conference Board is Canada’s most respected independent research and conference development organization, attracting top private and public sector thought leaders and providing an insightful and enlightening learning experience for conference participants.

Connect with your top prospects!

Sponsor this event, and collaborate with senior executives, practitioners, and thought leaders. Connect your brand with the solutions, and position your organization as a leader in its field.

To learn more about exhibiting, reception and luncheon sponsorship, and exclusive sponsor benefits, please contact Rhonda Bradbury at (416) 481-1904 or bradbury@conferenceboard.ca.

Past Attendees

Pension leaders agree—this forum offers unparalleled learning and value:

“Great Pension Summit with top-quality speakers and lots of industry insights. It’s a great learning and networking opportunity.”

“Broad range of topics and high quality of speakers and presentations.”

“Good range of speakers—each offered something different. The program ran the entire gamut from global to individual—all aspects very well represented.”

“Absolutely excellent conference—found every presenter to be engaging, interesting and applicable to my interests.”