BROOKFIELD, WIS. – The Cremation Association of North America and the National Funeral Directors Association have teamed-up to host the annual Cremation Symposium, Feb. 17-19, at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, according to a news release. During this three-day, core-business conference, funeral and cremation professionals will learn to better serve families who choose cremation, before, during and after the first call.
Symposium attendees will benefit from 11 interactive educational sessions and roundtable discussions led by the most knowledgeable, innovative and resourceful minds in funeral service. These sessions will help funeral and cremation professionals learn to abolish the word “direct” from consumers’ cremation vocabulary, strategies for securing the first call, improving the bottom line by creating value for client families and how to continue the relationship with families served.
This year’s sessions include: What Your Cremation Customers REALLY Want!, presented by Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender; E-commerce and the Cremation Customer: Why You Must Sell Cremations from your Website, presented by Buddy Phaneuf; Community Outreach: Standing Out in the Crowd, presented by Michael Watkins, CFSP; How to Handle the Cremation Phone Shopper, presented by Daren Forbes; Marketing and Memorialization: Easy Solutions to Make Your Company More Successful, presented by Linda Darby-Sempsrott; Cremation Litigation Prevention and Preparation: How to Keep From Getting Sued and What to Do if You Do, presented by Chris Farmer; and Continuing the Relationship – You’re Not Done Yet, a panel discussion facilitated by Doug Gober.
Industry suppliers will also be on hand to help attendees understand marketing trends and demonstrate products and services that will help them boost their profits. They will also illustrate merchandising techniques that help create successful sales.
The registration fee for CANA and NFDA members is $495; nonmembers may register for $695 (note: if nonmembers join either NFDA or CANA when they register, $200 of the symposium registration fee will be applied toward membership dues). A spouse/companion registration is available for $189. One-day registration passes are also available. Attendees must register by Feb. 2, 2010.
CANA and NFDA have secured a limited number of hotel rooms at Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino at a discounted rate of $85 plus tax per night for a single or double room. Hotel reservations must be made by Jan. 18, 2010, in order to receive the discounted rate. To reserve a room by phone, call Harrah’s at 800-901-5188 and mention Group Code “SHCRE0”; attendees can also make reservations online by visiting www.nfda.org/cremationsymposium and clicking on the “Make Hotel Reservations” link.
For complete information about the 2010 CANA/NFDA Cremation Symposium or to register, visit www.nfda.org/cremationsymposium or call 800-228-6332.
Jan. 4