Thursday, October 22
NFDA Convention
  • Keynotes
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
    • Virtual Expo Hall
    • Fabulous Finds!
    • Great Big Giveaway
    • For Exhibitors
  • Sponsors
  • 2020 Highlights

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Thursday

Home Thursday

Thursday, October 22

All times shown are Central Daylight Time.

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

Workshop recordings are available for purchase in the NFDA store.

9:30 - 10 a.m. Morning Brew & Service of Remembrance

Want a free cup of coffee? Be one of 200 attendees to join us for the morning brew and you could win a free Starbucks gift card!

Sponsored by:

express-funeral-funding-logo  

9:30 - 10 a.m. Service of Remembrance

Please join Dr. Alan Wolfelt as he shares a message of hope to help us honor our family, friends and colleagues who have died during the past year. 

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu

 

Sponsored by:

       

10 - 10:30 a.m. Break

Break time! Visit the Expo Hall or join your colleagues in a break lounge:

  • Trivia
  • Astrology
  • Ask NFDA

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Concurrent CE Sessions

Professional Skills
Imagining the Unimaginable: Promoting Healing After the Death of a Child
Betsy Hawley, M.A., Executive Director, Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition
Kristin James, LCPC, Executive Director, Greater-Ilinois Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition

The death of a child is difficult to even contemplate but, for nearly 45,000 families each year, it proves an unwelcome reality. Moreover, these deaths profoundly affect countless other siblings, grandparents, extended family members, friends, neighbors, and professional caregivers. Regardless of the age of the child or the cause of death, the stigma and fear associated with childhood death isolates families and limits their access to support. Funeral professionals are powerfully and uniquely positioned to impact the healing potential for grieving families, and the broader community, following the death of a child. During this workshop, Hawley will examine lessons learned from an innovative partnership between the Funeral Service Foundation, NFDA and the Collaborative of Pediatric Palliative Care Coalitions to improve the end-of-life experience for families and the community following the death of a child.

(1 CE hour)


Business Operations
Buying or Selling? Securing Your Legacy. Securing Your Future.
Tim Bridgers, General Manager, Live Oak Bank

Is your firm ready to grow but needs financing to acquire a funeral home, a crematory or an event center? While many current/future business owners have not undertaken a major financing process in a long time (or ever), buying your dream business can become a reality if you plan properly, remain aware of your options, and understand how to navigate the financing path. During this workshop, Bridgers will cover everything from valuations, cash-flow analysis, and pro-forma adjustments to different financing products and what they mean for you. Gain a bird's-eye perspective of the lender and how to win.

(1 CE hour)


Professional Skills
The Relevance of Restorative Art
Dominick Astorino, Adjunct Faculty, Wayne State University and Worsham College of Mortuary Science

Why is restorative art still important today? Is it necessary to offer trauma restoration services in today’s age and culture? This philosophical discussion has been presented on four continents and challenged the way funeral service professionals across the world think on this topic. It will examine the history, development, cultural shifts and current state of restorative art in our profession and reaffirm the value that seeing the dead has on individuals, communities, societies and your business.

(1 CE hour)

10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Meet Live with Exhibitors in the Expo Hall!

While the NFDA Virtual Expo Hall is open 24/7, today exhibitors are available 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. central for live chat or a Zoom meeting!

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch & Learn

5 Tips for Buying and Selling in Today's Market
Tim Bridgers, SVP—Head of Funeral Home & Cemetery Lending, Live Oak Bank

Are you considering purchasing a funeral home, or perhaps you are thinking about selling your business? Tim Bridgers from Live Oak Bank will share 5 tips you should consider in this lunch and learn program. 

The first 100 individuals to pre-register for this session will receive a $25 gift card for lunch!

This session is free for attendees. Can't make this session? Join us on Wednesday, October 21, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.!

12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Keynote

Brett_Culp_web

Superhero Leadership: How Everyday People Can Have An Extraordinary Impact

Brett Culp
Documentary film maker

Brett Culp is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of The Rising Heroes Project, a not-for-profit that inspires people to overcome personal adversity. Known for Legends of the Knight and Look to the Sky – which explore the power of heroic stories and individuals – Netflix, iTunes, Hulu and other digital platforms feature his films. Passionate, energetic and engaging, Culp’s insights on connecting individuals to an organization’s mission and goals help audiences find “the superhero within” and their own path to “everyday leadership” while renewing their belief that their efforts can make an impact.

1:30 - 2 p.m. Break

Break time! Visit the Expo Hall or join your colleagues in a break lounge:

  • Trivia
  • Bring a Challenge, Brainstorm a Solution!
  • Ask NFDA

2 - 3 p.m. Concurrent CE Sessions

Business Operations
Hire Winners and Get Superstar Performance From Your Team!
Ron Rosenberg, President, Quality Talk, Inc.

You strive to find the best people to hire at your funeral home, take extra care throughout the interview process, and verify their credentials and references. But sometimes your staff – both new and experienced – simply don't perform up to your expectations, which can seriously impact the cohesiveness of your team and your relationships with client families. Plus, there's usually one employee who just doesn't fit in and, for one reason or another, makes work extremely difficult for everyone involved. Rosenberg will help you change all that. Explore several innovative strategies to hire loyal and professional employees every time and take your funeral business to new levels of success!

(1 CE hour)

Sponsored by:


Business Operations
Follow the Money: Thriving, Not Just Surviving
Douglas Gober, Partner, Foresight Companies, LLC

After nine years of assisting with funeral home transitions in America, we're seeing some patterns emerge. Successful small- and mid-sized firms are making investments and embracing strategies that were out of reach just a decade ago. The combination of vision and available investment sources have given some forward-thinking owners, and some prospective owners, a new level of optimism about the future. Examining these opportunities for growth can prove the difference between surviving and thriving.

(1 CE hour)

Sponsored by:


Professional Skills
All Stressed Out and Ready to Blow
Nancy Weil, Founder of Laugh Academy and OGR Member Resources Director

Do you know your personal stress triggers and the 10 tools to reduce stress the moment it occurs? Do you know how stress manifests itself in your body? What the difference is between eustress and distress? Delve into these questions and more with Nancy Weil. Explore how various personality types handle stress and identify your employees’ stress categories. Stress following the death of a loved one will also be discussed so that you can improve communications to meet the needs of every client family.

(1 CE hour)

Sponsored by:

OGR

3 - 3:30 p.m. Closing Session, Race #2 of the Pup-Doodle Derby & Great Big Giveaway!

Join us for this closing session to see who wins the second Pup-Doodle Derby and if you're Great Big Giveaway winner!

The NFDA Great Big Giveaway Day is back and it's virtual! Plus, instead of having one day to enter, you can enter to win throughout all three days of the Virtual Convention & Expo!

Visit a virtual booth and click on, "Email me for more information", to be automatically entered into the Great Big Giveaway! The more booths you visit the greater chance you have to win. 

The virtual expo hall is open 24/7 throughout the event allowing you more time to visit the companies you love at the convenience of your schedule!  What are you waiting for? Kick up those fuzzy bunny slippers and start 'walking' the expo floor!

Grand prize: A full ride to the 2021 NFDA International Convention & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee*!

Additional prizes include:

  • Echo Shows
  • Apple Watches
  • Gift cards ranging from $25 to $100

*The package includes registration, travel and lodging reimbursement up to $1,000 and a gift.

Don't forget to place your votes for the fastest doodle-pup in the Thumbies virtual booth before the closing session!  If your doodle-pup wins, you'll be entered to win a $250 gift card!  

Winners will be notified by email at the conclusion of the NFDA Virtual International Convention & Expo.

Sponsored by:

thumbies-logo

 

Thursday

  • Keynotes
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Expo
    • Virtual Expo Hall
    • Fabulous Finds!
    • Great Big Giveaway
    • For Exhibitors
  • Sponsors
  • 2020 Highlights

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