[Senior Trend] European Senior Expo Featuring Lectures, Art, and Performances

Senior Trends in Europe①

With the 2024 Olympics being held in France, attention naturally turns to Europe. The second half of this year is also hot with silver events in Europe. First, in September, the 50PlusBeurs, a senior expo, will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, it has been renamed Be!eef. It is organized with unique events under the motto "Later is Now." While expos in Japan and Korea mainly focus on product displays, Be!eef centers on practical lectures, entertaining events, and stages for cultural and artistic performances. It includes live performances and art exhibitions by legendary retired artists, as well as performances by gymnasts. During the "Silver Theater" time, a urologist shares tips on what good sex after 50 means, and a former minister appears to discuss serious topics such as how to rebuild a career after 50 and how to respond to it. During this expo, participants are encouraged to move, laugh, and experience. Every day at 11 a.m., attendees gather at a corner of the exhibition hall to start the event with group exercise, reflecting this spirit.

In February this year, the Freizeit Messe Nurnberg in Nuremberg, Germany, was also noteworthy. This famous event, held over five days, showcases the latest trends in travel, hobbies, food, gardening, and outdoor activities like hockey and surfing, and featured a special exhibition for seniors. The senior internet magazine Magazine 66.de, celebrating its 22nd anniversary, participated with a booth. It covered interesting topics such as "Muscles can do more than you think" and "How to read fairy tales to grandchildren," as well as in-depth discussions on social, political, and cultural issues, attracting much interest. The special exhibition was named Inviva, which means pursuing prevention and health for the "new adults" before and after retirement. It provides attitudes toward life necessary for confident and energetic aging, information on volunteer activities, social gatherings available locally, hobbies, and travel?ways to live joyfully and excitingly in daily life. During the event, the Inviva booth changed themes daily, offering appraisal sessions for valuables like a "Genuine Treasure Show," as well as providing diverse information on retraining for seniors, new job opportunities, safety, and technology, drawing high attention. The most impressive part for the author was the final day’s event. Under the theme "Miteinander" (Together), it introduced ways for middle-aged and elderly people to unite and harmonize, as well as how to balance work, life, family, and social activities.

According to the "European Senior Trends" presented at the Global Senior Trend Forum hosted by Third Age earlier this year, Switzerland ranked first among the top 20 countries where seniors live well, followed by Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. In Asia, Taiwan and Japan ranked 5th and 6th respectively. This data, from a UK research institute, analyzed four factors: life expectancy, world happiness index, safety index, and health care conditions. Korea ranked 13th. Looking only at healthcare, the Netherlands was first, followed by France, Denmark, and Spain. This ranking considered expertise in health care, facilities and equipment, doctors and support staff, and costs. In the senior housing and real estate sector called "care homes," Germany ranked first, followed by the UK and Sweden. According to the data company Statista, the care home sector in Western Europe is expected to exceed USD 600 billion in 2024.

Although there are differences among individual European countries, it is noteworthy that the senior care sector is rapidly growing and that, unlike the US, it is led by the state rather than the private sector. For example, Italy mainly follows a family care system, while Germany prefers community-style apartments where multiple generations live together, known as a cohabiting care system.

Meanwhile, in September, the World Gerontechnology Conference, which shares research and cases on "Future Aging," will be held in Frankfurt, Germany. In 2022, a conference titled "Technology and Life: 100-Year Life in the AI Era" was held in Daegu, Korea.

Due to global aging, our sustainable life faces a crisis. Immediate issues include pension depletion and national health insurance financial pressure caused by the mass retirement of the baby boomer generation, as well as generational conflicts due to retirement age extension and debates on the scope of welfare. Although Europe is distant, it has experienced aging over a long period. Through European countries, we hope to gain insights into practical cases and what preparations are possible.

Eboram, CEO of Third Age