New Wednesday afternoon and evening activities bring more education, networking and fun!
The old saying “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” couldn’t be more appropriate for the 2013 National Funeral Directors Association’s (NFDA) International Convention & Expo, which will take place October 20-23 in Austin, Texas. The NFDA Convention, which is the world’s largest gathering of funeral professionals, offers attendees the best opportunity of the year for learning, networking, and discovering new products and services to help them achieve more in their businesses and communities.
“NFDA has reinvented the schedule for Wednesday afternoon and evening, the final day of the convention,” said NFDA CEO Christine Pepper, CAE. “The day will feature expanded afternoon opportunities, tours and events and an all new Texas-sized Boot Scootin’ Bash which will get you in the mood for a night out on the town. Attendees won’t want to miss out on all we have planned.”
This year’s workshops will inspire and inform attendees. NFDA has invited leading experts to present on a comprehensive array of topics that will help attendees grow their business and better serve families. These workshops will offer practical ideas to help funeral directors manage the challenges they face every day. Workshops will include:
- A Mandate for the Future of Funeral Service: A Model for Integrating the Why of Funerals Into Arrangements presented by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
- Marketing Strategies to Increase Your 2014 Market Share presented by Lynn Elliott
- The Art of Cremation Phone Inquiries presented by Lacy Robinson
- Re-imagine, Re-create, Re-invent Your Funeral Home presented by Georganne Bender and Rich Kizer
- Saving Money in Difficult Economic Times presented by Marty Ludlum
- Turn Phone Shoppers Into Customers presented by David Nixon
The NFDA Convention also features the world’s largest funeral expo. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet with vendor partners whose products and services might help them save time and money, and help families honor their loved ones in personal and meaningful ways. Many exhibitors plan to unveil brand new products and services during the NFDA Convention.
The NFDA Convention attracts more funeral professionals than any other gathering in the world – a network of experts with whom attendees can exchange ideas and have fun. NFDA’s exclusive social and networking opportunities will include the Welcome Party, tours of Austin, the Funeral Directors Under 40 Party and more.
New this year is the Wednesday evening Boot Scootin’ Bash, featuring a “denim and diamonds” theme. Party goers will look like native Texans whether they wear jeans and a cowboy hat or are sparkling in western-inspired cocktail attire. The event will feature hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, entertainment and more. The event will benefit Comfort Zone Camp, a bereavement camp that transforms the lives of children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver.
The latest information about the 2013 NFDA Convention workshops, Expo Hall, and social and networking events can be found by visiting www.nfda.org/austin2013.
Registration for the 2013 NFDA International Convention & Expo is now open. There are four easy ways to register: online, phone, fax or mail. Attendees can save up to $100 when they register by September 13. Those who register online will save an additional $20.
| NFDA Member or Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC) |
Non Member | |
| Full convention | On or before September 16: $525 After September 16: $625 |
On or before September 16: $825 After September 16: $925 |
| Non-licensed family member (no CE) |
On or before September 16: $105 After September 16: $125 |
On or before September 16: $140 After September 16: $160 |
| Student/apprentice | On or before September 16: $55 After September 16: $65 |
On or before September 16: $75 After September 16: $85 |
| One-day | On or before September 16: $240 After September 16: $290 |
On or before September 16: $320 After September 16: $370 |
| Expo-only | On or before September 16: $105 After September 16: $125 |
On or before September 16: $140 After September 16: $160 |
Those who wish to take advantage of early-bird pricing should visit www.nfda.org/austin2013 or call 800-228-6332 to register.
There are nine downtown Austin hotels from which to choose; most of the hotels are just steps away from the Austin Convention Center. The 2013 NFDA Convention website,www.nfda.org/austin2013, has complete details about each of the hotels and information about how to make a reservation through the NFDA Housing Bureau. Those who are planning to attend the NFDA Convention are encouraged to book their rooms early because the hotel room blocks will sell out.
Austin, Texas, which is known for its entrepreneurial spirit, is the perfect host city for the NFDA Convention. The modern downtown convention center and world-class hotels are conveniently located in the heart of the city. Attendees will want to prepare their taste buds for the more than 120 award-winning restaurants in downtown Austin. There are plenty of things to see and do in downtown Austin, including shopping, museums, the Texas State Capitol and more. Whether you like to do a Texas two-step or groove to rock and roll, in the live music capital of the world, you’ll find music everywhere you go – on street corners, in restaurants and in the nearly 200 live music venues throughout the city. Learn more about Austin by visiting www.austintexas.org.
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 19,700 individual members who represent more than 10,000 funeral homes in the United States and 39 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
