8 Things Funeral Service Can Learn from NFDA 2012
October 15th, 2012
NFDA 2012 is officially over, but that doesn’t mean the energy, passion and excitement surrounding it isn’t!
NFDA is our favorite time of year because we get to meet our family of clients and talk with funeral professionals from everywhere around the world.This year was one of our best shows thanks to our team, clients, CNBC, and all of you who stopped by our booth!
8 things the funeralOne team learned at NFDA 2012
1. Now is an opportune time to be in the funeral profession! There was a positive energy at NFDA that was unlike any previous year… so many people, organizations and funeral homes are embracing change in a wonderful way.
2. Funeral professionals are beginning to see the value in social media. And, they’re using it to connect with their community and grow their business in new ways!
3. The cremation rate is still rising…. but we’re learning to make it profitable. At Bill McQueen’s workshop, we learned about dozens of ways to make it profitable – from package pricing to personalization, and even facility renovation.
4. It’s time to say goodbye to the traditional funeral home facility. Many funeral professionals are renovating their facilities to adapt to the less traditional taste of the Baby Boomers. A lot of funeral homes are investing in flat screen monitors, coffee lounges, outdoor areas and fully-personalized rooms for families.
5. Funeral personalization is more popular than ever. Hearing about all of the creative ways funeral directors are helping families create a unique celebration of life left us inspired!
6. Funeral service is continuing to innovate. Congratulations to our friends at ASD for winning the 2012 Innovation Award for their new mobile app!
7. 60% of funeral homes don’t have a website. We learned this right before NFDA, which is why our team started a movement to get funeral professionals online with free websites. The results were overwhelmingly positive! During the show, we were able to get hundreds of funeral homes online. What an accomplishment!
8. We have some of the smartest, most passionate people working in funeral service. I had the chance to talk to thought leaders like Al Creedy, Doug Gober, Ryan Thogmartin and Walker Posey during NFDA, and they blew me away! As someone who is passionate about innovation, I appreciate what these people are doing for funeral service, and looking forward to their future accomplishments.
Some of our favorite moments at NFDA
To check out all of our pictures from NFDA, visit our Facebook page.
CNBC stopped by our booth for a big story coming out soon! Stay tuned!
Our COO, Lajos Szabo interviewing funeral service expert, Doug Gober.
Congrats to Josh Roten from Badger Funeral Home for winning our drawing!
Our flower girls were cute as a button!
NFDA Highlights
If you weren’t able to attend NFDA this year or missed out on any workshops or major events, check out these resources:
7 Ways to Make Cremation Profitable
NFDA 2012 Service of Remembrance
ASD Wins NFDA 2012 Innovation Award
New Insights into the Way Consumers Really Think About Funerals
9 Ways to Create a Valuable Funeral Experience
I really liked NFDA this year. I think it was an amazing show and an excellent opportunity to meet the people we talk with everyday on the phone or through email! It was a pleasure to have met you all. See you next year in Austin!
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