Breathing New Life into Cemeteries at CANA’s 105th Convention
WHEELING, IL— How do we guide families to find permanent placement in cemeteries for the cremated remains they currently keep at home? It’s all about education, thoughtful cemetery design and staying abreast of the latest products and trends.
Nearly one in four U.S. households have human cremated remains in their homes according to the Cremation Association of North America’s 2022 Cremation Memorialization Research. That’s 21.9 million families with parents, grandparents and extended family members who have not been memorialized in any permanent way. How can we help them?
You’ll find useful solutions this August at CANA’s 105th Cremation Innovation Convention in Washington, DC. Foundation Partners Group Vice President of Sales Operations Cole Waybright and West Area Sales Manager Bryan Mueller will join Dan Cassin, account executive for Merendino Cemetery Care to provide strategies and tips to make your cemetery Built to Last: How to Breathe New Life into Cemeteries. These leaders will share ideas for programs that will help attendees open doors to new markets and revitalize their cemeteries.
“Funeral directors who assume that families choose cremation simply to save money are making a big mistake,” explains Waybright. “Sure, cost is one factor impacting cremation decisions, but today’s families also are motivated by flexibility, convenience, personalization and environmental concerns.”
As the U.S. cremation rate continues to rise, cemetery managers across the country need to reframe the discussion around permanent memorialization to turn challenges into new opportunities for growth and profitability. This session, sponsored by Columbarium by Design, will share how 30% of Foundation Partners Group’s interments involve permanent placement of cremated remains – a percentage that has doubled over the past five years.
Each session at a CANA Convention is designed to provide practical tips for attendees to make a difference in their business right away. The D.C. program is no different:
- Tackling burnout and staffing shortages head on, Brent Patterson and Glenda Stansbury share strategies to engage your staff and help them grow as creative and enthusiastic professionals in Blocked, Burned Out, Blasé.
- Eric Layer draws from national data collected over the last several years to respond to families’ preferences around disposition, memorialization and more by Targeting with Data.
- Regulate, Recruit, and React: A Quick Take on Current Issues brings together three presenters on three topics in bite-size format. Caressa Hughes presents a Regulatory Update; Jim Price discusses tools for Recruiting Veterans; and Scott Smith shares his tips on How Can I Pitch In? when disaster strikes your community.
- Lisa Baue presents seven essential components of mentoring, discussing Why Mentoring Matters to both owners and team members.
- In a special two-hour session,suicidologist Dr. Sara Murphy assists attendees in Responding to Suicide Death and Recognizing Suicide Risk—both for the families we serve and among members of the funeral profession.
… and there’s more! Everyone is invited to earn their certification by registering for an in-person, pre-convention CANA Crematory Operations Certification Program™ (COCP™) taught by Tom Krowl of Cremation Systems and Wendy Wiener of WRW Legal. CANA has planned an afterparty to celebrate being together in D.C.! The Annual Membership Meeting and In Memoriam will provide time to reflect on another year in funeral service. Plus, tickets are available to attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and tour Arlington National Cemetery on Friday afternoon and enjoy America’s pastime in America’s capital when the Oakland Athletics meet the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
Join your colleagues in the room where it happens! Get ready for a capital event and book yourself for August 9-11, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill: goCANA.org/CANA23
About CANA
Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,500 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.
