We’re jumping right into convention season this year and can’t wait to meet new funeral professionals and see familiar faces! Each state and national convention offers a chance to learn more about the funeral profession, meet new people and discover tools and processes to strengthen funeral home businesses. In this post, we’ll highlight the well-known, larger conventions where you can find us this year, but check out our events calendar for a full list of events where you can find Homesteaders team members in 2025.
Why Funeral Professionals Should Attend Events in 2025
Funeral professional events are more important than ever to attend in 2025 as technology moves forward at a rapid pace. Attending events focused on the funeral profession offers an inside view at trends and upcoming developments to watch and incorporate. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will likely continue to develop its capabilities and uses this year, so staying up to date on digital trends is crucial. 90% of adults in the U.S. use the internet, so connecting with your digital audience continues to be important as well.
In addition to educational opportunities and forecasting trends, funeral professional events provide much-needed connection and camaraderie with fellow funeral professionals. For many, events offer a refreshing place to learn, grow and connect with people they have only emailed, called or haven’t met at all. Relating to and learning from others on an individual level in person remains necessary, even as our world leans toward digital spaces.
Conventions Funeral Professionals Should Attend in 2025
ICCFA DEAD Talks Sales Conference 2025
What to Expect at DEAD Talks
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association's (ICCFA) DEAD Talks Sales Conference is coming up soon in Las Vegas, February 4-6, 2025! If you are a family service counselor or a deathcare sales professional, this is a can’t-miss event. Over the two and a half days, you’ll gain new strategies and knowledge to ensure success for yourself and your organization, all while providing better service to your families. In a similar format to the famed TED Talks, you’ll hear keynotes and discussions ranging from grief and aftercare to using data and technology in your business. Download a schedule of events and register today!
Highlights from Previous Years
Last year, Greg Norris, Homesteaders Regional Director – Western Region, spoke about the importance of maintaining discipline in appointment setting. He shared his personal methods of successfully structuring a work week to allow adequate time for appointment setting and meeting with families, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Homesteaders Vice President – Marketing Communications Danielle Burmeister, spoke on the five Ps of marketing in preneed. Danielle breezed through an impressive amount of information while driving her message home that by understanding these five metrics in your marketing efforts, you’ll see a vast difference in your sales growth potential.
Other interesting sessions from 2024 included AI and the benefits and potential dangers of this evolving technology as a tool for businesses, as well as a section on recruitment and retention of the best talent in the profession.
Read about all our 2024 highlights from DEAD Talks.
CANA’s 107th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention
What to Expect at CANA
This year, Cremation Association of North America (CANA) invites funeral professionals to save the date for their annual convention, this year in Phoenix, August 6-8, 2025! This event provides sessions with valuable insights about innovation and trends in deathcare as well as networking opportunities with other funeral professionals. Save the date and keep an eye on the CANA website for more details coming soon.
Highlights from Previous Years
Last year, in conversations attendees had with practitioners at the CANA convention, we heard having any kind of grief resources — whether local support groups, online communities or even brochures — can be a game-changer for families as they begin to process their loss.
Of the sessions Homesteaders representatives attended during the convention, one proved particularly impactful: Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk Within the Deathcare Professions, presented by Dr. Sara Murphy.
While compassion fatigue can be expected within deathcare professions and can be managed, burnout should never be an expectation. Instead, we should work to prevent it, creating an environment attuned to our wellness and that of or colleagues.
The nature of the convention also made it easy for attendees to have meaningful conversations with practitioners. Hearing from them about their day-to-day operations, the challenges they face and the needs they have provided valuable insights for vendors supporting them.
Read about all our 2024 highlights from the CANA Convention.
NFDA International Convention & Expo
What to Expect at NFDA
Join thousands of funeral service professionals from around the world at the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) International Convention & Expo this year in Chicago, October 26-29, 2025! This amazing event offers networking, education and the world’s largest funeral service expo. Funeral professionals can expect learning, continuing education opportunities, connecting with fellow funeral professionals, all with a fresh perspective on how to enhance funeral services and better serve families and communities.
Save the date and find more details on the NFDA website.
Highlights from Previous Years
Each year, the NFDA Convention is held in a different city and always offers local activities unique to the convention city. Last year, our team enjoyed visiting New Orleans for the convention and offered a special VIP event at the National WWII Museum in the heart of the city.
Last year, between the after-hours entertainment and ample opportunities to connect with funeral professional peers, we enjoyed the chance to build relationships that continued long after we headed home.
Randy Anderson, NFDA President, recalled highlights from the 2022 NFDA Convention, “The Expo is an exciting part of every NFDA Convention. Vendors display their time-tested products as well as new and innovative things that will aid funeral service professionals in serving their families.”
Discover what we looked forward to last year at NFDA and read all about 2022 NFDA Convention highlights with the NFDA President.
We’re proud to participate in many state and national funeral conventions and events, and we look forward to meeting funeral professionals from all over the world and learning how to grow in the profession alongside our peers this year. Visit our events calendar for details on where you can find our team in 2025 and let us know in the comments which events you’ll attend this year!
