The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) 2012 Convention & Exposition, March 19-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada, set new attendance and exhibit records. The Convention, which marked the association’s 125th anniversary, drew 2,076 total attendance and 451 supplier booths, both all-time high figures.
The breakdown for the 2012 attendance numbers is as follows:
Total cemetery, funeral home, crematory and allied business representatives: 931
- 21 percent representing combination cemetery/funeral home operations
- 25 percent representing stand-alone cemeteries
- 31 percent representing stand-alone funeral homes
- 6 percent representing stand-alone pet loss providers
- 17 percent “other,” including insurance agents, mortuary school faculty, representatives of industry associations and others
Spouse/guest registrations: 242
Press passes and speakers from outside the industry: 11
Exhibitor and supplier registrations: 892
Attendees classified their positions as follows:
- Owners: 46 percent
- Managers: 44 percent
- Staff: 10 percent
- Final purchasing authority: 67 percent
- Make purchasing recommendations: 29 percent
- No purchasing authority: 4 percent
The Convention hosted 166 international attendees and exhibitors representing 17 countries outside of the United States.
Attendees rated the event highly, with 90 percent indicating their overall Convention experience was “excellent” or “very good” and 79 percent indicating they “definitely” or “probably” will attend the ICCFA 2013 Convention, April 10-13, in Tampa, Florida. Among the comments:
- “There were so many topics of relevance and interest that I had a hard time choosing between some that were held at the same time. I especially liked “lunch at the expo”. It really gave us time with the vendors. I thought that it would be a good show, BUT, the whole convention experience was better than expected! Great job ICCFA!” Rick Dewhirst, Dewhirst Family Funeral Care, Methuen, Massachusetts
- “Love the format with refreshments on the convention floor. Enjoyed the show and learned plenty.” J. P. Ducro, Ducro Funeral Services & Crematory, Ashtabula, Ohio
- “Very good convention. Plan to attend again.” Badger Moring, Moring Funeral Home Inc., Melrose, Florida
- “Always a first class experience—well organized, great exhibits and engaging presentations.” Mark Jorgensen, Global Recruiters of Batesville, Batesville, Indiana
- “My marketing strategy will target the market more efficiently with the notes I took from the speakers and breakout sessions.” Alan MacKinnon, CCE, The Gardens at Gethsemane, West Roxbury, Massachusetts
- “I truly appreciate everything I have learned over the last two conventions I have attended. I always come back with new ideas and plans for improving our funeral home.” Alison Allen, Allen Mortuary, Turlock, California
Exhibitors rated the overall Exposition an average of 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Asked about their plans for the 2013 Convention & Exposition, 85 percent indicated they planned to exhibit, 13 percent were undecided and only 2 percent indicated they did not plan to exhibit.
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. It’s membership is composed of more than 7,500 cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers, crematories and related businesses worldwide.
