Cremation Trends And Statistics for Your Business
WHEELING, IL— It’s old news now that cremation is the preferred disposition for the majority of Americans. In fact, the 2021 Milestone Report from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) projects that every state will reach a 50% cremation rate by 2033—just 11 years from now. At CANA’s 104th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention in August, Executive Director Barbara Kemmis will share highlights from CANA’s 2022 Annual Statistics Report and the profession’s response to trends.
“CANA’s commitment to research—which then helps businesses and our profession advance—is one of my favorites among the CANA projects and benefits we provide” says CANA Executive Director, Barbara Kemmis. In her session, Cremation Trends Part 1: Statistics and Business Diversification, sponsored by The Wilbert Group, Barbara will facilitate a discussion about the profession’s response to cremation trends, the pandemic’s excess deaths, and how businesses are diversifying. As the second year of a global pandemic, 2021 had comparable death and cremation numbers to 2020. The cremation rate grew predictably by 1.5%, but the numbers are shocking. Over the course of the past two years, excess deaths surpassed one million.
Adding additional data to inform your business plans, the 2020-2021 APPA National Pet Owners Survey states that 70% of U.S. households own a pet, or roughly 84.6 million homes. In 2020, it is estimated that over $103.6 billion was spent in the U.S. on these pets for everything from food to vet care to grooming and boarding. Because most people see their pets as members of their family, they are often willing to pay more for pet death care as well. For many, diversification means adding pet services to death care operations and considering whether to include these furry family members in memorialization options.
Donna Shugart-Bethune is Public Relations & Marketing Director for her family’s business of Deceased Pet Care Funeral Homes and Crematories and Executive Director of the International Association of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories (IAOPCC). She joins the session to talk about the pet memorialization market and opportunities for your business.
Other expert presenters and sessions include:
- Brian Waters co-host of Undertaking: The Podcast, opens the convention with a plan to Question Everything.
- Michael Dixon and Kim Zavrotny, of Funeral Professional Peer Support, talk about stress and burnout in the workplace and how we’re Stronger Together: The Value of Peer Support.
- Jake Johnson, President & CEO of Johnson Consulting, helps attendees set their goals and priorities with Interactive Strategic Planning.
- Cremation Trends Part 2: Cremation Memorialization introduces the results of brand-new research on memorialization trends in the US and Canada.
- John Baker and Judy Olson, of National Guardian Life Insurance, share their data and experience with Cremation & Preneed.
- …plus, the always popular Roundtable Conversations offer collaborative discussion on solutions and new ideas for all attendees!
Advance your business’s cremation success with Barbara Kemmis and Donna Shugart-Bethune! Savor your bite of the Big Peach and join CANA for the 104th Cremation Innovation Convention August 17-19 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit goCANA.org/CANA22 to see what else we have planned for the event and register to join other cremation business owners and managers from across the country.
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About CANA
Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,500 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.
