CANA’s 108th Cremation Innovation Convention A Success!
CANA Convention brings funeral professionals together for practical conversations on the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping death care.
WHEELING, IL—The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) celebrated the 108th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention with over 330 of its dearest friends – including more than 65 exhibitors – last week in Minneapolis! The event attracted the largest crowds in recent years with professionals from across funeral service and welcomed many new faces. Participants enjoyed connecting with colleagues, viewing innovative supplier solutions, and hearing inspirational presentations.
“CANA’s Convention continues to impress. This year delivered practical insights, smart ideas, and real takeaways for businesses of every size,” remarked Judy Olson, NGL Vice President of Sales and Business Development and elected CANA Supplier Liaison. “I always enjoy reconnecting with familiar faces, but the best part is how easy it is to meet new people. The environment makes conversations natural, meaningful, and energizing. I’m already excited for what CANA has planned for 2027.”
Emcee Matt McKern, Regional Vice President at National Guardian Life Company — whose appearance was sponsored by that organization—deftly guided the proceedings. The CANA stage hosted several experts who helped the attending business leaders calibrate their current company practices so as to flourish in the future.
Tom Anderson, President of Funeral Director Daily, examined 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 offered attendees perspective on which changes are fleeting and which are likely to leave a lasting impact.
Then, Allison Craft, Regional Leader in Minnesota at Foundation Partners Group, and Allison Henz, Community Engagement Lead of Foundation Partners Group, explored how intentional mentorship directly impacts retention, confidence and long-term success in funeral service in From Mortuary School to Service: Why Mentorship Matters.
Offering ways to start Bridging the Gap: Synergizing End-of-Life Doulas with Funeral Directors and Crematories, Ashley Johnson, End-of-Life Doula, Loyal Hands LLC provided attendees with strategies for success. She shared 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 shared the stage with updates, because Information is Power. First, Howard Sankel, President of Options for Ashes, addressed The Growing “What Can Be Done With Cremated Remains” Aftercare Market by discussing methods to simultaneously improve both customer satisfaction and revenue. Then, Sarah Tepe, President of Crowne Vault, assisted 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.
From her years of working with families as funeral directors and Celebrants, Glenda Stansbury, the Director of Training for Insight Books asked attendees What Does Gathering Look Like For You? By sharing new perspectives on the power of words, Glenda helped attendees paint the picture of what gathering can mean for families.
Honnalora Hubbard, Regional Sales for Coldspring USA, showed attendees how to change the conversation around Abandoned Urns: A Crisis in America. They gained practical conversation tools to shift the discussion from transactions to legacies by asking deeper questions that help families envision memorials as places of stories, connection, and lasting presence. Coldspring also offered 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, explored the responsibilities that come with AI use in funeral service. Attendees learned how to approach AI as a support tool without compromising compassion, trust, or professional judgment.
With a look backward and forward with this year’s research session, Learning from History: History of CANA Statistics. CANA Historian Jason Engler honored 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.
The week ended with a behind-the-scenes look at Flame and Water Cremation in Two Settings: A Tour of Two Businesses. An add-on ticket allowed attendees to examine a Bio-Response Solutions machine at Metro First Call and a Resomation machine in use at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation. They saw first-hand how to add ceremony to offerings and grew their understanding of AH in practice.
In a special pre-convention offering, CANA launched the all-new Certified Hospice Relations Specialist (CHRS) training program. This one‑day certification helped more than 20 funeral home owners, managers, licensed funeral directors, preneed specialists, and outreach or family care staff build structured, respectful partnerships with hospice organizations. Lacy Robinson guided registrants through understanding hospice language, values, and team structure and with step–by–step approaches for outreach, communication, and collaboration in this interactive course. The next program will be offered in May 2027, details to be announced in the coming months.
Glenda Stansbury served as celebrant for the annual In Memoriam service, recognizing family, friends, and notable people the profession lost this year. During the Annual Membership Meeting, Lindsey Ballard, Owner of Ballard Sunder Funeral Home in Jordan, Minnesota, passed the gavel to Denis Desrochers, Chairman of Grégoire Desrochers in Victoriaville, Québec, to lead CANA as Board President for the coming year. The Funeral Service Foundation and CANA also celebrated the attendees who won scholarships to attend the 108th Annual Convention in Minneapolis!
This event would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of 28 companies. From the open bar to the inspiring sessions to the coffee breaks that fuel us—we thank them for making this event a success!
To see the 2025-2026 In Memoriam video: https://youtu.be/65LdjmLqHS0
To see the CANA 2025-2026 Year in Review video: https://youtu.be/K7JWVH3gRAU
Association leadership now turns its attention to the 2027 Cremation Symposium, where CANA invites attendees to luxuriate in insightful discussion and the splendor of JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa. This Symposium packs business planning and marketing into just two days of focused sessions on February 24-26, 2027. Plus – keep on the lookout for details about CANA’s 109th Cremation Innovation Convention at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. Save the dates – August 18-20, 2027 – for Austin! Find more information when you visit cremationassociation.org/education
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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.
