May 2023

Page A32 MAY 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Section A AMRA INSTRUMENTS Researched, Developed and Patented by Funeral Directors Research,Inc. visit www.amrainstruments.com for links to our Supply Chain Partners ™ ® 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Scan QR for our website Cots not included MODEL # TR3 Triple Cot Roll-In Mortuary Cooler AMC N W FAST SHIPPING AVAILABLE ON SELECT PRODUCTS Be sure to visit! Booth 611 calls, or holding a one-on-one — becomes an opportunity for coaching. Don’t make it hard to implement. Start by creating a formal coaching library that covers the five core components: Team Coaching, Self-Coaching, One-on-One’s, Onboarding, Peer to Peer, and Self Coaching. To Hire or Not to Fire… That is the Question! Andy Lopez, GoodTrust Managing the labyrinth of staffing shortages, turnover and the post pandemic great resignation we find ourselves holding on to disruptive and unproductive team members in fear of not finding replacements. I will offer a few solutions that are practical and have proven to succeed in sourcing, coaching and retaining talented staff and some ways to evaluate your current staffing levels and adapt a balancing approach to forecasting and cross training to prevent burnout of the team. Embalming the Edematous Case: Reduction, Removal, Restoration Shun Newbern, Metropolitan Mortuary This presentation will also discuss specific techniques that can be used to reduce edema from the entire body, including swollen eyes, for a more acceptable appearance. It will identify a number of ideas and suggestions that will help funeral directors and embalmers better promote open casket services. It will identify methods that can be employed to better improve staff capabilities when meeting with family members with good restorative art skills. The session will provide easy to use techniques for the novice embalmer and fine-tuning areas for the experienced practitioner. Competing on Analytics; Data Driven Decision Making Robert Page Whether in a cemetery, funeral home, crematory, combination location, or as a member of a consolidator, our definition of success should be based on quantitative and qualitative values. Each aspect of your operation (maintenance, administration, operations, sales, HR, IT, marketing) has precious information which may enable you to compete on a new level in your marketplace. Key stakeholders may have their definitions of success, but what is yours? Explore the varied values, relationships of data elements already at your fingertips and determine how you can Compete on Analytics. The New Family: Normalizing the Pet Memorial Service & Filling this Crucial Need for Pet Owners Maryglenn Warnock, Paws to Remember This session explores how and why the concept of family has evolved to include members of the two- and four-legged variety. In addition to providing an eye-opening look into changes in attitudes about pets, what’s fueling this shift, and the generational component driving these changes in how to define family, this presentation will probe how we, as aftercare providers, must endeavor to serve the whole modern family. From examining the who (who the market for pet services is—and it’s far more nuanced than just pet owners), the why (why pet services are so desperately needed) to the how (how to reach the market and deliver valuable, meaningful services) The New Family: Normalizing the Pet Memorial Service & Filling this Crucial Need for Pet Owners will deliver thought-provoking and insightful content about the future of pet aftercare. 11:00 – 11:50 AM What Does Cremation Mean Today, to a ‘Craft Beer, Environmentally Conscious Generation?’ Tom Crean, TC Management Our Heritage Gardens Surrey Cemetery was proposed to us, a farm to be rezoned (by a prominent Vancouver Church community), into the first new cemetery in our regional district in 62 years. We opened it in 2018. They had proposed a partnership on the basis that they would purchase 2,000 plots at $5,000 each, offsetting 70% of our set up costs. We were very concerned when mid-pandemic (with three commitment letters in hand), they decided to withdraw their offer. That’s when my partner and I’s two sons came to us and said: “Dads, we’re a ‘craft-beer minded, environmental generation’, and none of the corporates, the municipalities or the Churches are offering our generation’s clientele any meaningful products at all, no one is addressing our market. We’d like to try a few experimental offerings. “What do you have in mind?” we asked, and their proposals struck us (in our now 90% cremation market), to be pretty insightful. We authorized them to go forward, and everything they designed, sold out before they were even built. Each of these products are now proven, using our son’s new techniques, innovations, and programs. Greening ‘cremation’ while adding ‘life’ to memorialization has allowed us to more than replace our partner’s presence, by creating in the minds of the lion’s share of our market, meaningful products in the context of climate change as it pertains to cemetery operations; green burial, innovative memorialization, best-practices; and sessions featuring the latest advances in bereavement support and innovation within the profession. Identifying & Capitalizing on Your Golden Hour Time Management & Other Strategies for Owners & Managers Tim Bridgers, Live Oak Bank Management is hard – it’s also vital to efficient and effective work as well as reaching your goals. Mismanaged people can lead to underperformance, mismanaged time to an inability to meet goals and mismanaged finances to business failure. Ask yourself: Are you maximizing your time? Are your management strategies enabling a thriving business? There are a lot of theories and models out there for management. How do you identify the best one for you and your business? In this session we will take a deep dive into time, financial and people management, and how to determine the best business strategies to reach your goals and win in the marketplace. Identifying my golden hours helped me to get my MBA while working full time, managing people, running a side business, and making time for my wife and kids. I will help you identify your golden hours when you are most productive. Then show you how to capitalize on that time to identify and focus on what tasks are the highest priority for your business and how to protect that time. Understanding the Millennial Worker and How They Can Improve Your Business Antonio Green, James H. Cole Home for Funerals The typical funeral home in the United Sates is owned and/or operated by an individual of the Baby Boomer or early Generation X age range. The up-and-coming Millennial generation, which will soon become the successors in these businesses, act and operate very differently. Nevertheless, they are changing how businesses operate and carving new paths in almost every industry, including death care. Nowadays it’s rare to have a conversation with funeral home owners without them bringing up how difficult it is, “working with Millennials”. This program will help you understand why Millennials are so different than previous generations and provide some ideas on how to motivate these employees and show you how big of an asset they can be to the profession Embalming with Improved Knowledge and Skills Karl Wenzel, Genelyn Canada/North America/Asia Embalmers are filled with knowledge and skills that assist families to say goodbye every day. Let’s expand our knowledge to better aid families as well as protect ourselves better in the preparation room. We will look at knowledge of product risks and how to utilize products to provide us with the best results for the families we serve. From jaundice to massive trauma, to disinfectants, to index. Let us expand our knowledge with open discussion. 12:00 – 12:50 PM Communicating at Every Level: Death Care Collective Panel Discussion Erin Creger, Envision Strategic Partners Honnalora Hubbard, Coldspring You’ve heard it’s all about location, location, location. That may be true in real estate, but it is growing less and less important in the death care industry and business as a whole. Let’s dive into the topic that makes the biggest impact in business today, communication, communication, communication. Learn how to increase your impact with greater communication on three clear paths. Communication #1 – Erin Creger will guide you through how to make one on one communication more productive, and how to show up to each conversation as your best self. Communication #2 Honnalora and Erin will team up to give a can’t miss approach to crushing every presentation you give and communicating in group settings. Communication #3 – How to speak from the stage, taking your message to the masses, Honnalora will help you remove the fear and find your voice. When Digital, Innovation, and the Real-World meet, Magic Happens: Why Tribute Technology’s Digital Guru Focuses His Time on Physical Keepsakes Zach Garbow, Tribute Company The digitization of our world means consumers are bombarded with video, brand messages, and content all day (and night!) In this always online world, even caring for the bereaved has gone digital. Online funerals, digital keepsakes, like memorial videos and tribute walls, and even supportive Facebook content play an important role in honoring a loved one and healing from loss. However, these digital products have their drawbacks. They’re becoming ubiquitous, commoditized, and they lack the tangible permanence. People can’t touch and feel them. Digital keepsakes typically aren’t truly “yours” since they exist in the cloud, and it’s difficult to form an emotional connection to something constructed of bytes. That’s why taking digital products and moving them into the physical world is increasingly important to families and when differentiating your business. Join Zack Garbow — one of the funeral profession’s foremost technology innovators — to learn how to perfectly pair your online offerings with physical keepsakes for superior service, family satisfaction, and business growth. Sustainable Steps to Sell Eco-Friendly Death Darren Crouch, Green Burial Council; Elizabeth Fournier, Green Burial Council Environmental concerns are making an impact on every industry, led increasingly by green-minded consumers who are educated, engaged, and asking for services that align with their values. What will this trend look like at your funeral home or cemetery, and how can you prepare your business to meet this demand? Elizabeth Fournier and Darren Crouch present the case for environmentally friendly services and biodegradable merchandise, even if there isn’t a green cemetery yet in your area. Continued from Page A30 Breakout Sessions Explore Kansas City! There’s more to Kansas City than meets the eye. Unique attractions beckon visitors to find the city’s hidden gems. Explore the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Let curiosity guide you at Union Station. Walk in the steps of America’s 33rd President in Independence. In KC, creativity thrives. Internationally known museums, dynamic gallery districts and outstanding performances create a colorful palette. Live music at, dive bars, shopping—entertainment comes in many forms in the City of Fountains. Immerse yourself in KC’s culture with entertainment of all kinds. With a creative energy all its own, Kansas City is anything but business as usual. It’s a destination where friendly people, affordable prices and a central location are a given. A place with a spirited personality and a genuine heart that’s a breath of fresh air. Explore Kansas City and experience all it has to offer. Go to www.VisitKC.com to learn more. The DD2000-XLC incorporates the capability to secure a standard and oversized cot side-by-side. The system allows four cremation containers, four cots, two air trays, or two caskets to be transported safely by one person. The powered upper deck with safety latch raises and lowers within seconds and can be easily installed inside a full-size cargo van. Robust features like an aluminum deck and steel frame help create the most reliable and durable deck system in the industry. DOUBLE DECK TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT DD2000-XLC Be sure to visit! Booth 1439

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