SPEAKERS & SESSIONS

Guiding you into the future of funeral service.

Opening Keynote: Vernon White

by The Honourable Vernon White, Senator
Tuesday, June 19 @ 1:30-2:30pm

Leadership – Focusing on developing a culture of cooperation within large and small organizations and within one’s community.

Vernon White has worked with the RCMP, moving through the ranks from Constable to Assistant Commissioner and has served in three provinces, spending almost 19 years in the three northern territories. He has worked for the Durham Regional Police Service and the Ottawa Police Service in the role of Chief of Police between 2005 and 2012. Vernon has been an Adjunct, visiting or part-time professor at six universities, a visiting fellow at the Australian Institute of Police Management, and has an extensive background at the investigational/supervisory and Indigenous and Community Policing level over a 31 year policing career. 

Arranger Training Teaser

by Lacy Robinson, National Funeral Directors Association
Tuesday, June 19 @ 2:40-3:40pm

Join Lacy Robinson, NFDA’s Director of Member Development, as she shares what makes NFDA’s Arranger Training Program the most complete customer service training available to funeral service professionals. Learn how this program has been designed to meet the changing needs of families and business challenges faced by funeral homes across the country. Attendees will walk away with a greater sense of understanding the importance of customer centric training and how their communication skills within the arrangement conference impacts each family’s experience.  

The Funeral Director's Secret Weapon: The Celebrant

by Colin Haskett
Wednesday, June 20 @ 10:40am-12:20pm

Certified funeral celebrant and funeral director Colin Haskett will take you on the journey that led him to become a celebrant, and how this new role has been received while working in rural communities. He will also go into depth on how this has changed the day-to-day responsibilities in the funeral home, as well as some struggles and successes along the way. Participants will leave this session with a new excitement for their chosen field and some good advice on how to begin to change the course of funeral service in their communities.

Legal Issues in the Funeral Profession (Part 1): “What We Don’t Know Can’t Hurt Us?”

By Poul Lemasters, Lemasters Consulting
Wednesday, June 20 @ 1:15-2:45pm 

Death care is trending. Consumers show a greater interest in death including social media posts; books; and even T.V. show. But, it seems that as death care professionals we still don’t talk about the issues. Is it because if we don’t talk about it then it won’t happen? This seminar provides a look into some common legal issues that we may know about – but maybe don’t discuss. The focus is on the common problems that we think happen to everyone else, but not me!
 

Workshop: Embalming – Clinical Care Process, Health and Safety and Environmental Perspective

by Jeff Chancellor, H.S. Eckels & Company
Wednesday, June 20 @ 2:55-3:55pm
This presentation will explore the process of embalming management with special emphasis on strategies to empower embalmers to safely and effectively treat today’s most difficult cases, explore nuclear medicine and nanoparticles in health care and offer practical clinical care offerings that are in line with today’s consumer.


Workshop:
Capitalize On Your Pre-Need Potential

by Heather Kiteley
Wednesday, June 20 @ 2:55-3:55pm

Have you adapted your pre-need program to meet the challenges of a modern, informed, digital society?  The collective wisdom of pre-need ‘insiders’ (including managers, funding providers and experienced writers) over the past 25 years are frequently subjective and often flawed.  Traditional measures such as lead return ratios and superstar sellers, typically used to gauge the success of pre-need programs in the past, can be outdated & ineffective.  Prepare to have your pre-need assumptions challenged in this thought-provoking session.  Learn how to hack your processes to experience success and benefit the families you serve.

Legal Issues in the Funeral Profession (Part 2): “We Don’t Know What We Don't Know”

By Poul Lemasters, Lemasters Consulting
Thursday, June 21 @ 8:00-9:30am

Cremation is on the rise. Online options are common. Consumers want less. As much as we know death care is changing, it seems we don’t know what may really be coming. As death care professionals we really don’t know what may happen to our business – let alone the legal issues. The future is happening, and we are seeing new legal issues with the changes. The focus is on new problems that we may have never thought would happen – let alone to us.

Bear Pit Session:
Challenges & Opportunities

Moderated by Jeff Weafer
Thursday, June 21 @ 9:40-10:40am

The funeral services profession is evolving and so is its association. This no-holds barred discussion will go through challenges and opportunities facing the profession and the association, so that both can advance side-by-side. Join us for a candid discussion on how you would like your association to represent you. Whether you plan to attend or not, watch for the pre-conference online survey and join the discussion!

Workshop:
The Under 40 Group

by Marie-Eve Garneau 
Thursday, June 21 @ 10:50-11:50am

They were born in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. They are known as Gen Y or Millennials. They listen to K-pop and hip hop, but they also know the classics like Deep Purple, The Doors, RUSH and the Beatles. They are said to be apolitical, yet they have rocked Canada to its core with their strong ideals. They are thought to be solitary and isolated, but can take off in search of adventure on the spur of the moment, around the world, with no preparation. They may be known to have no brand loyalty, but are obsessive trend followers. 

It’s a fact, the under-40 are unknown to us.
  • Who are they?
  • What do they want?
  • How do we reach them?
  • What should we say to them?

Join us for this discussion, but especially to develop a strategy to learn more about this very special generation and how to communicate with them directly. 

Workshop: Beyond Price - Your Guide to Mastering Cremation Phone Inquiries

by Lacy Robinson, National Funeral Directors Association
Thursday, June 21 @ 10:50-11:50am

Do your nerves get the best of you when answering the question, “How much is cremation?” In need of suggested dialogue to develop the cremation discussion with families? Attend Lacy Robinson’s industry acclaimed crash course and learn everything you need to know to transform a basic cremation phone inquiry into a valuable cremation phone discussion. Lacy will walk you through a very simple four step process designed to help funeral directors, pre-arrangement counselors and administrative assistants of all experience levels. Learn how to give a positive first impression each and overtime while conveying value of celebrating one’s life. Highlights include rules to telephone etiquette, key discovery questions to ask, identifying the next step and conveying empathy. There is no doubt attending this presentation will be the most productive 60 minutes of your day


Online Obituaries:
Intrusions on Privacy 

By Ashley Montroy, FrontRunner Professional
Thursday, June 21 @ 12:00-1:30pm

In this 90-minute session, FrontRunner, alongside Milton’s IP, a legal firm specializing in intellectual property, will show funeral directors:
  • The dangers of obituary piracy: from lost website traffic and revenues to captured family data putting your future at risk
  • How and why third-party companies put your obituaries on their website
  • What these companies can and cannot do, legally, with your obituaries online
  • How to uncover if your obituaries are being used online without your permission
  • What you can do immediately to help it stop

The Fentanyl Crisis: Managing A Funeral Home from Ground Zero

By Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario &
Robert Leier, Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, Vancouver, BC 
Thursday, June 21 @ 1:40-2:40pm

We all know somebody or of somebody - the overdose crisis affects all of us including those on the front lines of funeral service. There is a human face to the crisis. Bob Leier knows all too well how fentanyl is taking toll on all walks of life and the impact on the funeral home located a stone throw away from ground zero of the opioid epidemic and skid row. Managing a funeral home during this crisis has severely increased workload and stress on staff who daily counsel families that are feeling guilt, anger and frustration over the loss of their loved one. The additional pressure on government agencies and health care professionals is felt everywhere. How does this impact the bereavement sector and how can we respond?

Closing Keynote: From Skid Row to CEO, an Inspirational 90 Minutes

By Joe Roberts
Thursday, June 21 @ 2:50-4:20pm

A presentation like no other that you won’t want to miss! Closing keynote speaker Joe Roberts is the recipient of the Ontario Premiers Award, The Courage to Come Back Award, was given the Senate of Canada’s 150th Anniversary Medal, and recently received an Honorary Doctorate from Laurentian University. Joe’s life wasn’t however always this good, in fact 25 years ago he pushed a shopping cart in Vancouver’s downtown east side as a homeless drug addict. Joe maximized his second chance in life to create extraordinary business success. Joe’s story is one of perseverance, determination and the resiliency of the human spirit. He is a living testament to the idea that “anything is possible”.

PRESIDENT'S BANQUET ENTERTAINMENT: LIVE THE LAUGHTER!

By Wayne Lee, Peak Performance Expert
Thursday, June 21 @ 9:00-10:30pm

What does it mean to Live the Laughter? With Wayne Lee it means a highly interactive hypnosis show as unique as it is hilarious! Clean and classy - participants become the stars and heroes of the evening! As well as hilarious, this show is very inspiring as Wayne give all the participants a life changing suggestion to help them achieve any personal or professional goal. If you have seen Wayne before you will know that each show is unique and that you will leave laughing, amazed and wanting more!

Purchase individual banquet tickets here.