Furlong Receives Award At Business Health & Lifestyle Conference

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) November 8, 2007 -- Though the recent Emmy Awards was just the latest chapter in the seemingly never-ending Hollywood awards season, Mary Furlong picked up a significant award of her own while in Chicago recently.

Furlong, founder and CEO of Mary Furlong Associates and the leading authority on how to market to the baby boomer generation as it moves toward and beyond age 50, was in town to participate in the Boomers Business Health and Lifestyles Conference as a featured speaker. She also took part in the pre-conference workshop.

Furlong was presented with the Baby Boomer Health and Lifestyle Achievement Award for her 20 years of dedication and experience as a leading authority on the baby boomer generation, guiding the online and offline strategies for major U.S. corporations in their age 45-plus markets.

Furlong was presented with the award by Consumer Health World chairwoman Wendy Borow-Johnson, who said, "Mary has been a leader in identifying the needs and opportunities of the boomer population. From her founding of Senior Net to ThirdAge.com, Mary has been ahead of the curve in understanding the needs and wants of baby boomers. Mary's latest book, Turning Silver into Gold, gives a great overview and expert advice into marketing and business opportunities serving this population."

The conference, held at the Chicago Hilton Sept. 17-19, looked at health and health care concerns as they relate to boomer purchasing decisions and how health care is part of a larger universe of purchasing choices that include financial services, retirement, nutrition, housing and travel and leisure. It was one of three business-to-business conferences held simultaneously at the Hilton by Consumer Health World.

The awards, presented at a celebration and reception Sept. 18, recognized excellence and advancement in service, products and programs aimed at helping consumers manage their health care expenditures and improve their quality of care. Companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies and academic units were eligible. Judging was done by an independent panel of industry leaders.

The conference Furlong participated in included the following topics: Boomer Women as the Healthcare Decision Maker; Boomer Technologies; Marketing to the Multi-Cultural Boomer; Boomer Advertising; Wellness & Fitness; Blogging & Social Networking; Connecting to the Boomer Online; Boomers & Money; Boomer Research; Lifestyle Targeting.

Keynote speakers included Jack Barrette, CEO of MovingHealth.com, author Linda Kaplan Thaler ("The Power of Nice") and John Kvedar, M.D., of the Center for Connected Health.

About Mary Furlong & Associates

Founded in 2003, Mary Furlong & Associates (MFA) is a proven team of business innovators, comprised of talent from marketing, editorial, business, online content and community. Mary Furlong, Ed.D., the firm's founder and CEO, has guided the offline and online 40+ market strategies of leading corporations and nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years. Furlong is Dean's Executive Professor of Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business, and previously founded SeniorNet and ThirdAge Media. Her latest book, "Turning Silver into Gold: How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace," was published in February 2007. More information is available at www.maryfurlong.com.

# # #