Founded in 2002, the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers® (NASMM) is a not-for-profit, professional association dedicated to helping older adults, families, other individuals and businesses with organizing, downsizing and relocating. NASMM members deliver professional Move Management services with compassion and integrity. All NASMM Members adhere to the NASMM Code of Ethics and are committed to maximizing the dignity and autonomy of their clients. NASMM is the only professional association in North America devoted to specialized populations with organization, rightsizing and relocation issues. NASMM members are committed to maximizing the dignity and autonomy of their clients.
NASMM 2026 Call for Education Proposals
Theme: The Business of Better
The Business of Better sets the tone for NASMM 2026, our annual conference focused on strengthening professional excellence, operational effectiveness, and sustainable business growth for Senior and Specialty Move Managers.
NASMM 2026 will offer inclusive, high-quality learning experiences designed to support professional development, individual productivity, and organizational success across every stage of a move management business.
Do you have experience or expertise in one or more of the areas below? Are you willing to present a one-hour education session at NASMM 2026, taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, Indiana? We would love to hear from you.
What We’re Looking For in 2026
We love fresh ideas! We’re especially excited by proposals that bring new topics, new perspectives, or a new take on familiar challenges. To keep the conference experience fresh for our members, we ask that proposed sessions not closely mirror content presented at recent NASMM conferences unless it has been thoughtfully updated, expanded, or reimagined.
We welcome and encourage all education proposals, the topics below reflect our current areas of high interest and need. Proposals aligned with these subjects will receive special consideration.
Team Leads & Staff
Bonus points for sessions designed specifically for team leads and staff. Expanding staff-focused education is a priority for NASMM 2026.
- Safety training
- Quality improvement
- Technical skills development
- Soft skills development
- Team development and communication
- Sales
- Strategic planning
- Leadership development for small business owners
- Strategies for reaching Baby Boomers
- Trends in the senior living industry
- Additional sources of revenue for move managers
- Managing expectations of a new generation of consumers
Core Business Training
- What do I need to do and how do I do it?
- Human resources
- Resolving conflict among clients, families, and employees
- How to build a great team: hiring slow, firing fast, and other HR wisdom
- Mental health
- Team development and employee engagement
- Work-life harmony for owners and employees
Operations & Profitability
- Analyzing profitability
- Determining the actual numbers that define profitability
- Estimating and emerging technology for estimating
- Aging in place and universal design
- Packing hacks
- Space planning
- High-end specialty moves
- Concierge services
Marketing
- SEO optimization for websites
- How consumers find us
- Advanced social media strategies and success stories
- Content development strategies
- Your best marketing tools: show and tell
- Shifting our marketing mindset to Baby Boomers (& Older Millennials!)
- Overcoming client price shock and clearly communicating value
- Negotiating contracts with senior living communities
Client Services
- Dementia training
- Aging issues expertise
- Customizing the client experience
- Client and family dynamics and communication
- Understanding power of attorney, probate, fiduciaries, and related topics
Technology
- Software tools that support move management businesses
- Artificial intelligence and practical applications for move managers
About the Review Process
All proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Ability to inspire action
- Originality and/or fresh perspective
- Overall quality
- Relevance to move management
Key Points to Remember
- This is a proposal submission only. Your full session content is not required at this stage. A strong snapshot is perfect.
- Proposal deadline: Friday, February 14, 2026
- All selected faculty will receive a special code for a $400 discount on conference registration.
- All selected faculty will earn 2.0 CE credits toward NASMM SMM-C certification and renewal. Attendees receive 1.0 CE credit.
- To support focused, in-depth sessions, one presenter is preferred. A maximum of two presenters is allowed. If additional presenters are essential, please contact Mary Kay Buysse at marykay@nasmm.org prior to submission.
Thank you for sharing your ideas, expertise, and leadership with the NASMM community. If you have questions or want to talk through an idea, please reach out anytime. We truly appreciate your willingness to contribute to NASMM 2026 and to The Business of Better.
Mary Kay Buysse
marykay@nasmm.org
NASMM Co-Executive Director
NASMM 2026 Call for Education Proposals
Theme: The Business of Better
The Business of Better sets the tone for NASMM 2026, our annual conference focused on strengthening professional excellence, operational effectiveness, and sustainable business growth for Senior and Specialty Move Managers.
NASMM 2026 will offer inclusive, high-quality learning experiences designed to support professional development, individual productivity, and organizational success across every stage of a move management business.
Do you have experience or expertise in one or more of the areas below? Are you willing to present a one-hour education session at NASMM 2026, taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, Indiana? We would love to hear from you.
What We’re Looking For in 2026
We love fresh ideas! We’re especially excited by proposals that bring new topics, new perspectives, or a new take on familiar challenges. To keep the conference experience fresh for our members, we ask that proposed sessions not closely mirror content presented at recent NASMM conferences unless it has been thoughtfully updated, expanded, or reimagined.
We welcome and encourage all education proposals, the topics below reflect our current areas of high interest and need. Proposals aligned with these subjects will receive special consideration.
Team Leads & Staff
Bonus points for sessions designed specifically for team leads and staff. Expanding staff-focused education is a priority for NASMM 2026.
- Safety training
- Quality improvement
- Technical skills development
- Soft skills development
- Team development and communication
- Sales
- Strategic planning
- Leadership development for small business owners
- Strategies for reaching Baby Boomers
- Trends in the senior living industry
- Additional sources of revenue for move managers
- Managing expectations of a new generation of consumers
Core Business Training
- What do I need to do and how do I do it?
- Human resources
- Resolving conflict among clients, families, and employees
- How to build a great team: hiring slow, firing fast, and other HR wisdom
- Mental health
- Team development and employee engagement
- Work-life harmony for owners and employees
Operations & Profitability
- Analyzing profitability
- Determining the actual numbers that define profitability
- Estimating and emerging technology for estimating
- Aging in place and universal design
- Packing hacks
- Space planning
- High-end specialty moves
- Concierge services
Marketing
- SEO optimization for websites
- How consumers find us
- Advanced social media strategies and success stories
- Content development strategies
- Your best marketing tools: show and tell
- Shifting our marketing mindset to Baby Boomers (& Older Millennials!)
- Overcoming client price shock and clearly communicating value
- Negotiating contracts with senior living communities
Client Services
- Dementia training
- Aging issues expertise
- Customizing the client experience
- Client and family dynamics and communication
- Understanding power of attorney, probate, fiduciaries, and related topics
Technology
- Software tools that support move management businesses
- Artificial intelligence and practical applications for move managers
About the Review Process
All proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Ability to inspire action
- Originality and/or fresh perspective
- Overall quality
- Relevance to move management
Key Points to Remember
- This is a proposal submission only. Your full session content is not required at this stage. A strong snapshot is perfect.
- Proposal deadline: Friday, February 14, 2026
- All selected faculty will receive a special code for a $400 discount on conference registration.
- All selected faculty will earn 2.0 CE credits toward NASMM SMM-C certification and renewal. Attendees receive 1.0 CE credit.
- To support focused, in-depth sessions, one presenter is preferred. A maximum of two presenters is allowed. If additional presenters are essential, please contact Mary Kay Buysse at marykay@nasmm.org prior to submission.
Thank you for sharing your ideas, expertise, and leadership with the NASMM community. If you have questions or want to talk through an idea, please reach out anytime. We truly appreciate your willingness to contribute to NASMM 2026 and to The Business of Better.
Mary Kay Buysse
marykay@nasmm.org
NASMM Co-Executive Director
iMentor: Share. Learn. Grow.
The National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) offers a specialized program specifically designed for experienced NASMM members to offer paid, professional mentoring to less experienced NASMM members. It’s called iMentor.
Why iMentor? New or growing small business owners are in business by themselves, often acting as their own navigation system. Without a large organization’s resources, they long for a sounding board for their frustrations and fears or a discreet, impartial advisor with whom to discuss the tactical and strategic challenges of running their Senior Move Management business.
They’re frequently adjusting to changing circumstances, new business conditions, and unforeseeable challenges. Consulting with a Senior Move Manager mentor - someone who knows what they’re going through – can be invaluable. A mentor is someone who’s “been there, done that.” Mentors can provide tailored guidance, general best practices, and an example of a successful Senior Move Management business. Sure, they can ask family, friends, or consult the Internet, but what they really want is to connect with someone who has already experienced the same issues. Only another Senior Move Manager will do.
Enter iMentor. We’re making it easy for less experienced members to find one-on-one support while also providing successful Senior Move Managers with the opportunity to share their experience and expertise, all while being paid to do so.
Seasoned Senior Move Managers can tick off a list of predictable mistakes that new business owners are likely to make. But if you are new to running a business, it's not always easy to identify a successful business owner who is willing to mentor you, let alone one with whom you have natural rapport. We want to give NASMM members access to their most experienced colleagues, but in a different geography — so competition does not impair the iMentor relationship.
Why become a mentor through NASMM’s iMentor program?
- Gain visibility as a leader in the Senior Move Management community
- Demonstrate expertise and share knowledge for additional income
- Discover more responsibilities, participation, and impact as an SMM
- Develop transferable mentoring skills for any team/relationship
- Renew your own enthusiasm for Senior Move Management via the role of expert
- Enhance skills in coaching, counseling, and listening
- Contribute to the future of Senior Move Management
We hope you share our excitement for the NASMM iMentor program and the potential professional and personal relationships we can help effect.
The following are the desired characteristics and skills needed for success as an iMentor mentor.
iMentors must be:
- Hold A+ Accreditation or NASMM SMM~C Certification
- Confidential and trustworthy
- Dependable, reliable and flexible
- Positive, objective and non-judgmental
- Consistent with follow-up support and guidance
- A good listener and communicator
- An advocate for the colleague-client’s success
If you would like to become an iMentor, please consider the following:
- Does your schedule permit a mentoring relationship?
- Are you willing to share your knowledge, expertise, skills, and time?
- Can you use your personal experience to help your colleague-client avoid mistakes and learn from good decisions?
- Can you guide your colleague-client to determine his/her right course of action?
- Do you project a positive, upbeat image? Are you a positive role model?
- Can you offer your thoughts and constructive feedback honestly and openly?
- Can you help your colleague-client see a situation with fresh eyes?
- Can you offer advice – only if asked? Your colleague client may want a sounding board to help him/her work out issues and come to their own conclusion.
- Can you offer support and encouragement?
How iMentor works:
iMentor is not designed to serve as a fundamental training program for brand new Senior Move Managers. New Senior Move Managers should invest in comprehensive training, such as NASMM’s FrontDoor program, or other like-minded programs. The iMentor program is designed to provide enhanced support for those SMMs who know the basics, but now require your advanced wisdom and experience.
iMentor is an online platform to market/advertise your mentorship services within NASMM. To participate as an iMentor, you must purchase a directory listing within the iMentor section of “MyNASMM” section of www.nasmm.org. Each iMentor will have their own webpage within the iMentor section of "MyNASMM."
Participation: The initial participation fee fee for iMentors is $399.00 with an annual renewal fee of $179.00.
- Only NASMM A- or NASMM SMM~C members are eligible to participate.
- iMentor participation is limited to 20 iMentors.
- Upon receipt of your iMentor application and payment, your listing will be added to the iMentor Directory.
- NASMM colleague-clients will be directed to the iMentor Directory to research available mentors and will contact you directly to discuss your mentorship program and your associated fee structure.
- Colleague-clients are strongly encouraged to seek iMentors outside your identified service area. However, the decision of whom to mentor is strictly your decision.
- Together, you and your colleague-client will define all aspects of your iMentor/colleague-client relationship, including your fee structure.
- All conversations/interactions between mentor and colleague-clients are to be kept confidential unless both parties agree otherwise for a specific topic of discussion. NASMM requires you provide your iMentor colleague-client with a Confidentiality Agreement. (NASMM will offer a sample Confidentiality Agreement for your use and convenience.)
Important!
- NASMM does not accept responsibility for the success of individual iMentor relationships.
- NASMM is not responsible to help you collect iMentor fees.
- NASMM does not set individual iMentor fees.
- Colleague-clients will pay fees only to their iMentors, and not to NASMM.
Please complete this form and submit. Upon submission, you will be taken to the online payment form to complete your renewal.
Requirements for renewal:
- Complete the NASMM SMM-C Renewal Form & upload your CE coursework documents
- For Certification Renewals: Provide proof of 45 hours of continuing education credit over the past three (3) years. NASMM programs, education offered by NAPO, ICD, and other allied organizations, aging service providers, or staff inservice education is also acceptable. Please upload verification of attendance forms (certificates, etc.) or receipts from purchased courses or conferences to the renewal form.
- Submit the $299 three (3) year renewal fee
IMPORTANT NOTES:
*** Twenty-five (25) units of the forty-five (45) required CE units must be obtained directly from NASMM conferences or other NASMM courses, such as webinars.
*** The remaining twenty (20) CE units may be obtained from other agencies, organizations, etc. outside of NASMM. You will submit a verification attendance form from that agency or organization for NASMM approval.
*** You are welcome, of course, to submit all forty-five (45) required units over the 3-year period from NASMM as well. Between NASMM annual conference attendance, and/or the purchase of annual conference recordings, and many complimentary webinars throughout the year, most NASMM members will find it relatively easy to fulfill the 45 required CEs for the 3-year renewal period.
*** There is a 3-year window for ALL courses (NASMM courses & education programs outside of NASMM) to be considered eligible for certification documentation.
That is, your submitted documentation (proof) to support your certification renewal must fall within the last 3-year period, e.g. you may not submit coursework from the NASMM 2021 conference in 2025. In 2025, all documentation must be from 2022 & forward. Thank you!
NASMM introduced NASMM Neighborhood program last summer. The purpose of NASMM Neighborhoods is to foster fellowship, and collegiality among NASMM members. Through informal networking events, we hope to build a sense of community among NASMM members in specific geographic areas. After successfully launching Neighborhoods across the country, we are excited to be able to extend this opportunity to you today.
NASMM is currently seeking new coordinators to organize virtual NASMM Neighborhood events in their own area. These virtual events will give NASMM members an opportunity to share how COVID-19 has affected them and their businesses. We realize this is a difficult time for all of you, and feel the opportunity to apply common solutions to common challenges will be greatly beneficial. Once to COVID situation has passed, we hope coordinators will continue to plan networking events - either in person or virtually.
Coordinators should be passionate about building new relationships within NASMM, and strengthening the Senior Move Management profession within their community at large. Apply to be a NASMM Neighborhood Coordinator today!
(Virtual) NASMM Neighborhood Coordinator Responsibilities:
- NASMM Neighborhood Coordinators are responsible for organizing casual networking events for NASMM members in their area.
- Due to COVID-19, all NASMM Neighborhood events will now be held virtually over video conferencing platforms like Zoom
- Coordinators are responsible for organizing the virtual meetings - NASMM will provide assistance with invitation lists, best practices, etc.
- The frequency at which these events take place is entirely up to the NASMM Neighborhood Coordinator, as is the duration and agenda for the event.
- NASMM does not provide a budget/stipend for these events, however, NASMM will work with the Neighborhood Coordinator to assist with registration, and event best practices.