December 2022

Page A29 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A 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 BY 12/31 ON SELECT PRODUCTS 2022 NFDA International Convention & Expo Baltimore, Maryland | October 9-12 2022 NFDA Convention Highlights NFDA Convent i on success: Attendees Had a Ball in Baltimore BROOKFIELD,WI— As the world continues to answer the question, “What’s next?” after the COVID-19 pandemic, funeral service professionals gathered October 9-12 in Baltimore, MD for the 2022 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) International Convention & Expo to find the answers. The world’s largest funeral service event gave funeral service professionals a chance to break through the noise and build the skills and knowledge needed to serve modern funeral consumers and build thriving businesses. The total attendance for the 2022 NFDA Convention was 5,076 (3,042 attendees and 2,034 exhibitor representatives). A total of 198 international attendees, representing 31 countries and territories, participated in the 2022 NFDA Convention. The Expo Hall featured 344 exhibiting companies which filled more than 84,000 square feet of exhibit space. The NFDA convention proved to be an impactful experience for all who were able to attend. To help attendees build upon their foundation of skills, NFDA offered more than 30 engaging education sessions and four preconvention seminars that addressed technical skills; business management; the value of ceremony; marketing and community outreach; grief and bereavement; and more. The sessions offered tangible takeaways to help funeral professionals better understand the evolving needs of families and build thriving businesses. In addition, NFDA featured three enlightening and inspiring keynote speakers. On Monday, Kindra Hall, whose talk was sponsored by Homesteaders Solutions, shared strategies for using storytelling to connect with consumers and build a funeral home’s brand in the community. Sergeant Dakota Meyer’s talk during the Tuesday general session was sponsored by Carriage Services. Meyer, a Marine Corps veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, shared stories from his military career to illustrate what it takes to survive, thrive, and tackle your biggest obstacles. John O’Leary, whose keynote address was sponsored by Funeral Directors Life, brought the convention to a motivating close. Burned on 100% of his body as a child and given less than a 1% chance of survival, no one would have blamed him for giving up. Thanks to a few influential people he met after his accident, O’Leary learned to cultivate a positive attitude and a sense of gratitude and love that has helped him live an incredible life despite the challenges he continues to face. Continued on page A31 NFDA Convention Highlights and Photos continue on Page A30 We wanted to let you know we officially released a new innovative version of our keepsake plaque that isn’t widely offered in this industry. The new product has a QR code lasered directly on the keepsake. Families will be able to scan the code on their phones where it will connect to an existing online tribute photo/video album that has already been made for them. Picture families getting together for the holidays, death anniversaries, or even cemeteries and being able to easily pull-up memories of their lost loved one. The value of these keepsakes are priceless. No more of families only getting to use the tribute video one time and then getting buried on your obituary pages. Scan the QR code to watch a video of how they work! We are doing our best to follow-up with everyone who asked us to but feel free to reach out any time. Thank you again and we’re already looking forward to Vegas next year! Bereave wants to thank all of the funeral professionals for stopping by our booth at the conference! We appreciate all of the support and enthusiasm of our keepsake memorial markers. Our short turnaround time and low cost seemed to really surprise everyone. That’s why we got into this business! The product that excited the most of you was our new QR Code Keepsake Marker. The Thacker family pictured with the historic open body style delivery truck from over 60 years ago that was the focal point of the Thacker booth. Adrienne Finley

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