Hosting of Senior Network events is limited to NARC Members. To join NARC, CLICK HERE. A request to host by a non-member will be deemed an application for membership.

There is no fee for hosting a network lunch. There is, however, a fee for canceling a confirmed hosting date.

To obtain a date to host a lunch, simply ask, either in person or by submitting the request through our web site. Your date will be confirmed in writing. Said confirmation constitutes a legally binding agreement to host your scheduled event on the terms set forth herein.

We will handle the publicity, but by all means feel free to invite anyone you like. It's your event!

Your obligations are to furnish a place to meet, and the refreshments.

We will have a facilitator there to run the event itself. Our facilitators have been trained. Please do not attempt to hijack the event from them. They know what they are doing.

Please try to attend the lunch in your region for the month prior to yours. It helps you prepare to host and boosts attendance for your event.

Please have your set-up plans include a literature table. Your guests are there to market - give them a place to show their stuff. We will handle the table contents.

Do NOT put out anything to collect business cards. We do that as part of the program. Two different business card collections confuses people and results in neither collection being an accurate attendance record. We are happy to furnish you with a copy of the cards collected upon request.

Lunches are always scheduled for 12:00 noon (although we are always open to new ideas). People usually start to arrive right around noon and will network first. Usually, people start to eat at around 12:30 pm. At about 1:00 pm we go around the room and ask everyone to introduce themselves. This schedule works well, so please stick to it. Altering this schedule, or adding a speaker or presentation, is not permitted. Remember that this is a networking event, so putting out food right at 12:00 and encouraging people to eat right away takes away the point of attending and makes it difficult for us to manage the rest of the program. You may serve anything you like, but keep in mind that the attendees are coming expecting lunch. This is chance to show off your facility, so make a good impression. If you are proud of your food service, consider having your kitchen prepare the lunch.

Most hosts serve a buffet lunch, but feel free to offer table service if you want to make an extra nice impression; just keep in mind the need for dietary choice, and that about a half hour is the amount of time we allocate for eating lunch.

Be mindful of dietary needs and preferences. For example, some of our members are kosher or do not eat meat, so a vegetarian (or fish) option is a good idea. Be aware that when you offer a choice, more than those on restricted diets will select that item. We recommend having enough of a non-meat item for half of the attendees. Please do not serve chicken salad unless it is clearly labeled. It is too difficult for the non-meat eaters to visually distinguish it from tuna.

Offer tours! Take advantage of having a room full of senior serving professionals at your place. Please wait until after the around-the-room activity to give tours. Do not take people out of the room during networking time to show them around - it destroys your event.

Make sure your front desk knows about the event. You will get multiple calls for directions.

Lunches in offices don't draw as well as those in facilities. If you would like to host, but don't have a facility to show off, let us know. There are lots of great locations that can partner with you (such as the headquarters of senior serving associations). We are happy to help you set something up.

Unless specific arrangements have been made at the time of scheduling, we are not able to get an exact head count of who will attend. It is generally best to plan for 30 people and to be prepared for some flexibility. For a better estimate, just give us a call. Our staff is happy to answer any questions you have, including our best guess at attendance.

Because lunch schedules are published more than 6 months in advance, it is not possible to change the scheduled date once it has been confirmed. Please remember that we schedule facilities as our hosts, not individuals. Unfortunately, personnel changes or vacation schedules are not issues we are able to accommodate. Cancellations or location changes may not be made unilaterally by the host facility. All requests to cancel, change location or for waiver of fees associated with any such schedule changes are effective only approval of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Retirement Counselors, Inc. Due to the large amount of work involved in attempting to notify network members of schedule changes, there is a fee of $500.00 if you fail to host as scheduled. Fee reductions, when approved, are contingent upon payment in full within 30 days of invoicing, after which they are permanently waived.

As it is not possible to notify everyone who may have planned to attend your scheduled lunch, you should also be prepared for people appearing at your facility at the scheduled time and day.

When you agree to host a lunch, you are making a binding promise to all of our members to provide a venue for their regular monthly meeting on your scheduled hosting date. As the keeping of promises is the core obligation of any senior service provider, failure to host as promised (except when prevented from doing so by circumstances beyond your control, as determined by the sole discretion of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Retirement Counselors) constitutes an ethical breach which reflects on your eligibility for NARC membership or to participate in NARC activities. Accordingly, all defaulting hosts are submitted to our Board of Directors for expulsion or other disciplinary action.

The contents of this page constitutes a binding contract to host on the terms set forth herein. These are the entire terms of the agreement and there is no other written contract that is required or will be generated. No signature is required to create a binding obligation. By requesting a hosting date, you agree to be bound by these terms. Failure to join the National Association of Retirement Counselors or to maintain your membership in current status shall not in any way abrogate any of the obligations of the host as set forth herein. In the event that any cancellation or other fee is not paid promptly, all unpaid balance shall bear interest at the rate of 18% per annum. In the event that legal action is required to collect any amount owed, the defaulting host organization shall bear all collections costs, including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and/or hourly fees of $160.00 for all time expended by NARC staff in preparing and prosecuting a collection action. Venue for all such actions, and any other disputes hereunder, shall be in Alexandria, Virginia.