AARP set to take over Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Convention Center will host the organization’s first of two National Events & Expos in 2013. Taking place from May 30 to June 1, Life@50+ focuses on the 50 and older audience with entertainment, celebrities, experts and exhibits .

The event will kick off on May 30 with a day of service. Led by AARP ambassadors Dan Marino, James Brown and Dr. Pepper Schwartz, hundreds of AARP volunteers will be assembled in groups to support the cultivation of the Las Vegas community through activities that include building, home and school refurbishing, landscaping, mentoring, green projects, construction of community gardens and senior community center revitalization.

“We are excited to finally bring Life@50+ to Las Vegas this May,” said A. Barry Rand, CEO of AARP. “We have held our event in this vibrant city in the past and now we are excited to return, bringing thousands of people with us to take part in all that Las Vegas has to offer. We also have hundreds of attendees ready to volunteer and leave a lasting impact on the city and areas in need.”

In addition to the day of service projects, attendees will experience lifestyle and education sessions led by celebrities and subject experts, fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, hands-on technology classes, cultural events, health screenings and music classes. Event highlights include:

n Opening show: Don Rickles in conversation with Bob Newhart: These life-long friends are getting together for the first time on stage where they’ll share lessons learned throughout their lives and distinguished careers.

n Confirmed appearances: an interview with entertainer Marie Osmond; Emilio Estefan; authors Terry McMillan, Candace Bushnell and Amy Tan on stage together; and AARP ambassadors Marino, Brown, Jean Chatzky, Chris Gardner and Schwartz.

n Entertainment: Life@50+ will feature top-notch entertainment, with performances by Motown legends The Temptations and The Four Tops on May 31. Life@50+ also brings Natalie Cole’s incredible story and sophisticated sounds to the stage June 1, with a special Life Reimagined interview and a ticketed exclusive performance for Life@50+ attendees.

AARP will also offer exclusive opportunities to attend two Las Vegas shows with a 35 percent discount to Cirque du Soleil’s “Love” on May 30 and a discount fee for “Shania: Still the One” on June 1.

For film lovers, AARP will host its Movies for Grownups Film Festival, featuring some of this season’s great films along with a few films that attendees will get to see before they open in theaters. Actor Billy Bob Thornton will be on hand to take questions from attendees following the screening of his latest film, “Jayne Mansfield’s Car.” Information on tickets for all entertainment can be found on the aarp.org website.

n Technology and innovation: A special showcase, Health Innovation @50+ Live Pitch, will connect health technology startups with investors in an effort to stimulate innovations that serve the health needs of Americans age 50 and older.

Life@50+ will feature an exhibit hall that will have all of the events and activities in the same single-level space, with more than 150 exhibitors, offering valuable information and various products and services, including new and future technologies, appliances, travel and leisure destinations — all targeting the 50 and older demographic.

Admission to Life@50+ is $25 for AARP members and $35 for nonmembers. The entry fee includes access to the exhibit floor, exhibit floor performance stage, the opening show, educational sessions and the volunteer activities. Nonmember registration includes a one-year membership to AARP. AARP is once again offering a Digital Experience registration for $299, which gives attendees access to the event for both days, as well as an iPad mini with the latest AARP digital apps installed.

Online registration is open now at www.aarp.org/events or by phone at 800-883-2784.