STERLING, VA – After careful deliberation, the ICCFA Executive Committee and the staff leadership has made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person component of the Annual Convention & Exposition on May 12-15, 2021, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. The event will become all virtual and will now take place on May 17-21, 2021.
Originally scheduled for Las Vegas in March, the event was postponed to May in hopes that it would be safe to gather again. However, current COVID-19 mitigation measures in the state of Nevada continue to require that public gatherings remain limited and under strict social distancing requirements, making the logistics of holding a meeting as large as the ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition impossible.
The ICCFA is fully aware of the toll the pandemic has taken on the profession. Increased caseloads have left many feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and staffing challenges due to COVID-19, along with company issued travel restrictions, have greatly reduced the number of members who would be able to attend a national convention at this time.In turn, this reduction in attendance would directly impact the value of participation for our exhibitors.
“We recognize that the news of the in-person convention cancellation will come as a disappointment to many,” said ICCFA President Jay Dodds.“After the unexpected cancellation of the 2020 ICCFA Convention & Expo at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a shared hope that there would be an in-person gathering this year.While saddened that will not be possible this year, we are concentrating all efforts to ensure that the 2021 ICCFA Virtual Convention & Expo delivers the best content and experiences possible.”
Due to the uncertain nature of public gatherings, the ICCFA staff had originally been preparing the 2021 Annual Convention & Expo to be a hybrid event. Plans are already well underway to offer the education, exposition and networking opportunities as a virtual event. This online convention will build from the knowledge base that the ICCFA staff has developed from holding multiple virtual conferences and webinars throughout the course of the pandemic.
Full information on registration, sponsorships and becoming an exhibitor at the 2021 Virtual ICCFA Annual Convention & Exposition will be available in the coming weeks. Check iccfa.com for updates as they become available.
Founded in 1887, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association is the only international trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, cremation, funeral and memorialization profession. Its membership is composed of more than 9,100 rooftop locations and 18,000 professionals in the cemetery, funeral home and crematory industries, as well as supplier and related businesses worldwide.
