Program Announced for CANA’s 108th Convention in August
Your Invitation to Minneapolis this August 12-14, 2026
WHEELING, IL— Take a bite of the Mini-Apple! Explore all Minneapolis has to offer this August when you join the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) for the 108th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention at the Marriott City Center hotel! This premier event brings innovative cremation professionals together to share ideas, learn from experts, and see the newest products and services from industry suppliers. Join cremation professionals from across the profession and experience it all this August 12-14, 2026.
Soak up innovative education, explore the expo floor, and connect with the forward-thinking owners and managers shaping the future of the profession. CANA presents experts that will help business leaders calibrate their current company practices to flourish in the future:
Anticipate and adapt to the future of death care guided by thought leader Tom Anderson, President of Funeral Director Daily, as he examines the history of funeral service and cremation in Fads, Trends, Traditions… and the future of Death Care. Drawing on industry insights and real-world observations, Anderson will give attendees perspective on which changes are fleeting and which are likely to leave a lasting impact.
Next, support your cultivation of the next generation of funeral service professionals. Drawing on two vastly different early-career experiences, Allison Craft, General Manager of Cremation Society Minnesota, and Allison Henz, Community Engagement Lead of Foundation Partners Group, explore how intentional mentorship directly impacts retention, confidence and long-term success in funeral service in From Mortuary School to Service: Why Mentorship Matters.
If you’re looking for ways you can start Bridging the Gap: Synergizing End-of-Life Doulas with Funeral Directors and Crematories, Ashley Johnson, End-of-Life Doula, Loyal Hands LLC takes the stage with strategies for success. She will share practical methods for integrating doulas into funeral and cremation services, including how to establish partnerships and align communication practices to better serve families.
Two industry experts share the stage with updates, because Information is Power. First, Howard Sankel, President of Options for Ashes, addresses The Growing “What Can Be Done With Cremated Remains” Aftercare Market by discussing methods to simultaneously improve both customer satisfaction and your revenue. Then, Sarah Tepe, President of Crowne Vault, assists in Creating a New Approach: A Unified Voice for Cemetery Placement After Cremation, providing practical strategies to connect with families in a different way and be there when they start thinking about long-term care and remembrance.
What Does Gathering Look Like For You? From their years of working with families as funeral directors and Celebrants, Brent Patterson, Funeral Director at Primrose Funeral Service, and Glenda Stansbury, the Director of Training for Insight Books, bring a new perspective to the power of words as we paint the picture of gathering for our families.
Honnalora Hubbard, Regional Sales for Coldspring USA, will show us how to change the conversation around Abandoned Urns: A Crisis in America. Together, we’ll gain practical conversation tools to shift from transactions to legacies, training your team to ask deeper questions that help families envision memorials as places of stories, connection, and lasting presence. Coldspring is also offering a tour of their local quarry.
Artificial intelligence is already shaping how funeral professionals write, organize, communicate, and serve families. With AI in Funeral Service: Ethics, Compassion, and Professional Judgment, Martha Thayer, Founder & President of Mortuary Training, explores the responsibilities that come with AI use in funeral service. Learn how to approach AI as a support tool without compromising compassion, trust, or professional judgment.
Look backward and forward with this year’s research session, Learning from History: History of CANA Statistics. CANA Historian Jason Engler honors cremation’s transformation from a radical fringe experiment into the gold standard of deathcare, highlighting the visionary pioneers and the evolution of CANA’s members that have redefined how we serve families.
Plus, if you’re curious to see Flame and Water Cremation in Two Settings: A Tour of Two Businesses, you can get your add-on ticket to examine a Bio-Response Solutions machine at Metro First Call and a Resomation machine in use at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation. See first-hand how you can add ceremony to your offerings with limited space and grow your understanding of AH in practice.
You can add on a special pre-convention offering, the Certified Hospice Relations Specialist (CHRS) training workshop. This new one‑day certification is designed to help funeral home owners, managers, licensed funeral directors, preneed specialists, and outreach or family care staff build structured, respectful partnerships with hospice organizations. Lacy Robinson will help you understand hospice language, values, and team structure and gain step–by–step approaches for outreach, communication, and collaboration in this interactive course.
Join CANA in Minneapolis this August for inspiring speakers, innovative solutions, and the kind of connections that fuel your future—set against stunning riverfront views and a vibrant summer city. Enjoy the City of Lakes and book yourself for August 12-14, 2026, at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center: cremationassociation.org/CANA26
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About CANA
Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.
