Monday, October 28

“Think Pink” Day for Breast Cancer Awareness

Monday, October 28 is Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the 2019 NFDA International Convention & Expo. Get your pink badge ribbon and wear pink to show your support!

Please note: General session and workshop access is included with all Full Convention, Student and Exhibitor Badges. Simply show your badge to gain entry. Expo-only Badges are valid for the exhibit floor only. Visit registration to purchase general session/workshop badges. You must bring both your badge and event ticket for entry into ticketed events.

NFDA does not endorse and is not responsible for views expressed by the speakers.

7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

Compliance and Legal
FTC Funeral Rule: Reducing Your Risk
T. Scott Gilligan, Esq., Gilligan Law Offices, NFDA General Counsel
Patti Poss, FTC Funeral Rule Coordinator

What issues might an undercover FTC shopper notice at your funeral home that you don't? Join NFDA's general counsel and the FTC Funeral Rule coordinator for this examination of the overall level of compliance with the Funeral Rule and discover what specific violations undercover shoppers encounter. From the most common violations to issues that the FTC and NFDA will look at when the FTC reviews the Funeral Rule, the presenters will discuss common-sense steps your funeral home can take to reduce the risk of violations. (1 CE hour)

Technical Skills
Post-procurement Embalming Best Practices
Thomas Buist, Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Dodge Representative – Michigan

Depending on their location, U.S. procurement agencies use differing methods of dissection. This means that donation cases might likewise require differing methods of preparation. Buist will walk you through each process, demonstrating proven techniques for proper embalming that utilize best practices. Arterial, hypodermic and topical chemical options will be examined that display the time-frame effect on tissue. You will observe the effect of chemicals on isolated tissue samples, thus reinforcing the need for proper and thorough embalming-practice methods. (1 CE hour)

Business Operations, Customer Service
Mortuary Mission: Dover’s Silent History
Lt. Col. Brooks A. Wilkerson;
Oral A. Cronin

Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, has been home to the mortuary mission since 1955. It is Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations’ duty to provide America’s fallen heroes with the utmost dignity, honor and respect. This program will focus on the procedures for the care and disposition of deceased personnel, communication with the person authorized to direct disposition (or the next of kin), escort and transportation of remains, entitlements and eligibility criteria, search and recovery operations, traumatic stress response management, mortuary contracts and working with funeral homes, honor guard, survivor assistance and family assistance representative and summary court officer duties. (1 CE hour)

7:30 - 9 a.m.

Compliance and Legal
Lingering Liability: Inside the Cemetery
Mark Evely, CFSP, Program Director, Wayne State University;
Tanya Marsh, Professor of Law, Wake Forest Law School

Did you know a funeral director can be held liable once inside the cemetery? Evely and Marsh will explore cemetery-law issues, including interment rights, green burial, disinterment and funeral director liability at the cemetery. You'll take away best practices and practical strategies for the arrangement conference and interment, as well as tips to proactively address emerging issues and reduce your risk of liability. (1.5 CE hours)

7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Customer Service, Technology
What Consumers Expect From You Right Now
Georganne Bender, Partners, Kizer and Bender Speaking!
Richard Kizer, Partners, Kizer and Bender Speaking!

Your funeral home has an ambiance, a palpable personality, that translates into what a customer experiences from the first moment of contact. Whether they find you on social media, online, Yelp or just walk through your front door, that customer experience must be consistent – and consistently good. Consumer anthropologists Kizer and Bender will show you how to create meaningful experiences unique to your funeral home. Learn how "Moments of Truth" define the customer experience and how to eliminate the "Pain Points" that make it hard to do business with your firm. Discover what your website and marketing materials need to do right now, how to manage your online reputation, how to build word of mouth, and more. (2 CE hours)

Grief and Bereavement, Professional Skills
Permission to Grieve
Sara Murphy, Ph.D., Certified Thanatologist, College of Nursing, University of Rhode Island

Learn practical ideas for working with families experiencing disenfranchised grief, i.e., grief not openly acknowledged, socially validated or publicly observed. Based on extensive experience working with disenfranchised grieving populations, Murphy will review the causes and effects, and outline ways funeral directors can best serve clients struggling with disenfranchised grief. Explore techniques for using appropriate, inclusive language as you participate in small-group discussions to develop practical strategies to equitably serve those coping with disenfranchised losses, such as suicide, homicide, and substance use-related deaths. (2 CE hours)

9:45 - 11:45 a.m. General Session

General Session
Dancing on the Edge of a Revolution: Helping People and Building a Business in the Connected World

Seth Godin
Bestselling author, teacher and entrepreneur

Anyone with a smartphone knows how much the world has changed and how fast it continues to change. Attention is precious, yet the noise around us continues to increase. Best-selling author Seth Godin will take you on a fast-moving tour of how the new economy offers each of us a priceless opportunity to tell stories that resonate and to ultimately earn the trust of those we seek to serve.

12 - 5 p.m. Expo

Leading suppliers bring the latest products and services – along with exclusive offers – to the NFDA Expo Hall.

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. All-Star Recognition Ceremony

Celebrate the shining stars of funeral service as NFDA recognizes firms that earned the 2019 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award – including Best of the Best recipients and Hall of Excellence inductees – and NFDA’s Green Funeral Practice Certificate. We’ll also honor this year’s NFDA Certified Crematory Operators, NFDA Certified Cremation Services Providers, NFDA Certified Preplanning Consultants, the Funeral Service Foundation’s award/scholarship recipients, and APFSP’s Certified Funeral Service Practitioners.

Agenda