Lori K. Bitter provides strategic consulting, research and development for companies seeking to engage with mature consumers at The Business of Aging. Her new book, The Grandparent Economy was released in September 2015. She serves as publisher of GRAND – the digital magazine for grandparents, and as Co-Producer of The What’s Next Boomer Business Summit and The Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit.
Lori is the former president of Continuum Crew and Crew Media, owner of Eons.com. She was president of J. Walter Thompson’s Boomer division, JWT BOOM, the nation’s leading mature market advertising and marketing company and led that firm’s annual Boomer marketing event for five years. Prior to that she led client service for Age Wave Impact. Lori has more than 30 years of advertising, public relations and strategic planning experience.
She is the contributor to five books on aging consumers, and is a leader in research on topics relevant to the senior and boomer population. Lori was recently featured on American Marketing Association’s blog, AARP Magazine, in the Los Angeles Times, on CNBC, Forbes magazine and named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 to Watch List. She holds a MS in Advertising, and is a former Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations. She serves on the Leadership Council of the College of Media for the University of Illinois.
A sought‐after speaker, Lori has presented research, trends and analysis about mature consumers and the longevity marketplace to more than 200 conferences and events in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. This includes: Booz Allen (UK), Consumer Electronics Show – Silvers Summit, The Macquarie Speaker Series (OATS NY), Educational Travel Conference (ETC), American Advertising Federation (AAF), Healthcare Unbound, National Retail Federation, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), Marketing to Women Conference (M2W), White House Council on Aging Meetings, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Gerontological Society of America (GSA), American Society on Aging (ASA), What’s Next Boomer Summit, Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, Beyond the Numbers Summit, LiveWire – The Conference, Oticon, Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), AARP, International Mature Market Network (IMMN), AgeTek, California Assisted Living Association (CALA), Leading Age, Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC), North State Builders Industry Association (BIA), United Methodist Church Foundation and more.
She has served as a judge and panelist for numerous award and business competitions, including the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and the North American Effie awards.