Lawrence and Douglas County’s long-term plan to attract and retain retirees now has a catchy name, glossy brochure and colorful website.

After mobilizing community partners and choosing amenities to highlight, ReINVENT Retirement: Live the Lawrence Life recently launched a marketing campaign.

Brenna Buchanan Young, director of marketing and development for Douglas County Senior Services, said the effort aims to be like a “concierge service” for retirees.

ReINVENT Retirement logo

ReINVENT Retirement logo

ReINVENT Retirement brochure, front.

ReINVENT Retirement brochure, inside.

Getting people engaged, letting them know about Lawrence’s amenities and connecting them to the community are all goals, she said.

“What does the good life look like to you?” the brochure reads. “Feeding your curiosity with new learning opportunities, rich history and intriguing arts and culture? Being part of a close-knit, active community that always meets you with a smile and a good cup of coffee? Enjoying the scenery and finding a good fishing hole to take the grandkids to?”

ReINVENT Retirement, online at livelawrencelife.com, reminds all of that exists in Lawrence and neighboring Douglas County communities.

Young said Lawrence offers everything from excellent healthcare at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, to enrichment opportunities such as those offered by Kansas University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, to quirky local happenings such as the annual Art Togeau parade.

Another feature of the campaign is tours for potential new residents.

For now, ReINVENT Retirement sponsors are funding those so they’re free for tourgoers, although at some point the effort will likely charge for them, Young said.

Lawrence resident and retiree Jerry Niebaum and his wife, Judy, are leading those tours.

Niebaum said the drive highlights — including stops at some spots — Lawrence’s history, downtown, KU, Rock Chalk Park, Dole Institute of Politics, the Watkins Museum of History and several senior living developments.

One of his and his wife’s personal favorites, Lawrence’s theatre scene, is also a highlight for potential retirees, Niebaum said.

“We point out the University Theatre and the Lied Center and Lawrence Arts Center and the new Theatre Lawrence,” he said. “All those have a lot of appeal to many retirees.”

ReINVENT Retirement is the result of an ongoing economic development initiative of the city, county and Douglas County Senior Services to make Lawrence and its neighboring small towns a retirement destination.

In 2012, the Retiree Attraction and Retention Task Force released a report outlining recommendations and action steps, one of which was to develop a marketing plan.

Young said the ReINVENT Retirement staff and board is working to expand its website and continue building partnerships in the community. Some of the next areas of focus will include housing, such as real estate agents and even architects that retrofit existing homes to help people age in place.

She added that KU also is a special area of focus. Not only does it produce many retirees the city would like to keep here, it also creates connections for potential others to move here — perhaps they have children attending KU or living in town — or come back.

Young said she got a phone call from a KU alumnae living in Illinois who’d heard about ReINVENT Retirement and was considering a move in retirement.

She’s an example of the type of person the effort is looking at.

“We’d love to show her Lawrence, and how much has changed since she went to school here,” Young said.