NFDA Membership If you’re not already, this is the perfect time to become a member of the world’s largest funeral service association. Discover how NFDA can provide you with the resources you need, when you need them, to help you and your firm adapt and grow in the future. And if you are an NFDA member, then stop by to renew your NFDA membership and/or music/webcasting licenses.  NFDA Store Shop for the latest products, community-outreach materials, NFDA merchandise and Remembering A Life items.  Funeral Service Foundation The Funeral Service Foundation awards a variety of academic and professional development scholarships, offers professional and community resources, and makes grants to organizations that advance its mission of investing in people and programs to strengthen funeral service and lift up grieving communities. Learn how the Foundation offers support for every stage of your career, and how you can make a gift that will impact the profession.  NFDA Advocacy NFDA has your back in Washington, D.C. Whether it’s veterans’ funeral and burial issues, federal mass fatality planning and response, small business and tax issues, body broker legislation, or representing your views to the EPA, OSHA, DoL, DoD, FTC, Congress and the White House, never doubt that your national association works to advocate for legislation and regulation that positively impacts your profession and business.

Now in its 26th year, the Funeral Service Foundation’s golf outing has raised more than $2.15 million in support of its mission of lifting up grieving communities by investing in people and programs that strengthen funeral service.

Join funeral directors and allied professionals of all skill levels for the Funeral Service Foundation Golf Classic! Held in conjunction with the annual NFDA International Convention & Expo, the shotgun scramble-style tournament is one of the best networking opportunities in the profession and convention week’s most anticipated tee time.

This year, we’re heading to Olde Sycamore Golf Club, an award-winning course tucked into a majestic forest of Carolina tall pines just outside the Queen City. Designed by Carolina Hall of Fame architect Tom Jackson, and recognized as both the “Best New Course” and “Best Eastside Course” in Charlotte, Olde Sycamore offers beautifully maintained fairways and some of the best greens in the region.

Sponsorship and individual golfer registration are both available. Visit FuneralServiceFoundation.org/golf to register and learn about sponsorship opportunities.

Location:
Olde Sycamore Golf Club
Charlotte, North Carolina

This dynamic seminar invites funeral professionals, end-of-life doulas and hospice caregivers to explore how deeper collaboration can enhance the support families receive before, during and after a death. Through candid panel discussions featuring funeral directors, doulas, hospice clinicians and families, attendees will gain insight into real-world experiences, challenges and successful models of teamwork. Interactive activities will encourage participants to practice communication approaches, identify shared goals and build stronger cross-disciplinary relationships. Whether you’re seeking to expand your care network or refine existing partnerships, this session offers practical strategies and inspiring stories to help professionals work together more seamlessly in service of families. (3 CE Hours)

Funeral homes are surrounded by one of their most promising preplanning markets – local senior living communities. In this session, a licensed senior living executive shares how to ethically build relationships within these communities and become a trusted resource before, during and after loss. Drawing on years of experience in senior living and grief-informed care, you’ll gain an insider perspective on connecting with seniors, adult children and community staff. Learn five practical strategies to open doors, offer meaningful support that is welcomed, and use thoughtful aftercare communication to remain top of mind for referrals and preplanning conversations.

This session offers valuable insights for both funeral home owners and professionals new to the field. Owners will learn how to train teams to deliver consistent messaging during arrangement conferences, effectively present the General Price List, review payment policies, and confidently request payment. The session will also explore strategies for building a strong, respected team of funeral service professionals within your community. Those newer to the profession will gain practical skills in active listening, building rapport with families, and delivering exceptional service. Packed with training on hospitality and customer care, this presentation will help your funeral home stand out.

Funeral service demands constant on-the-spot leadership because of staffing challenges, emotional families, unexpected crises, and daily decisions made under pressure. This session reveals how the human brain actually responds to stress and why leaders default to patterns such as control, avoidance, frustration or over-functioning when the pressure is high. Attendees will learn a clear, practical, neuroscience-based framework for shifting from reactive leadership to purpose-driven leadership; communicating more clearly; reducing conflict; strengthening team morale; and improving decision-making in real time. With relatable funeral-home scenarios and easy-to-use tools, participants will walk away with strategies they can implement immediately.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience representing funeral service, NFDA’s general counsel will share practical strategies for effectively managing and resolving conflict while reducing the risk of litigation. This session will provide actionable guidance on navigating difficult situations, strengthening communication and protecting your firm. A valuable program for both emerging professionals and seasoned owners, this is a must-attend session for anyone seeking to mitigate risk and lead with confidence.

Mass-casualty incidents present profound professional and emotional challenges for funeral service professionals. This session will explore the importance of caring not only for victims and their families, but also for the mental health of embalmers who respond to these events. Together, we will examine both the immediate and long-term psychological impacts that can follow such incidents and discuss the importance of recognizing and addressing these effects. From experienced embalmers to interns, attendees will gain insight into supporting recovery and resilience after responding to a mass-casualty event.

Every funeral home has a culture, whether intentional or accidental. In this dynamic session, funeral service professionals will learn how culture becomes the invisible product every family experiences the moment they walk through the door. Attendees will explore the core traits of healthy, values-driven workplace cultures and how leadership behavior directly shapes staff morale, service consistency and family satisfaction. Through real-world case studies and practical examples, participants will learn how to identify culture gaps, bridge generational differences, reduce internal friction, and strengthen team collaboration. The session provides five actionable leadership strategies for building a unified, service-focused environment that supports excellence, reduces burnout and drives long-term trust within the community.

Direct cremation is one of the greatest challenges facing independent funeral homes today. This session examines its impact on both funeral home sustainability and the families served. Learn what motivates cremation consumers and how funeral homes can leverage their strengths to promote cremation with meaningful services. Drawing on the latest industry research, this presentation offers practical strategies for addressing the growing direct cremation trend.

In the funeral service profession, compassion isn’t optional, it’s essential. Yet even the most service-minded leaders can struggle to maintain empathy while balancing the emotional and operational demands of the business. In this engaging and actionable session, discover how kindness can be a measurable strategy for improving culture, client satisfaction and team performance. Drawing from research on emotional intelligence and workplace behavior, Rowe will reveal how kindness reduces burnout, increases trust and strengthens loyalty – from your staff to the families you serve. You’ll walk away with simple, science-backed tools to help you lead with empathy, elevate service, and build a resilient, thriving organization that performs better because it cares better.

Funeral homes often offer compassionate support at the time of loss, but meaningful aftercare requires a clear structure. “From Compassion to Commitment: A Road Map for Funeral Home Aftercare” introduces the “funnel approach,” guiding families from broad grief education and resources to more personalized support. This session provides a practical framework, visual model and actionable tools to help funeral homes create sustainable aftercare programs that deepen support while meeting families’ evolving needs.

2026 has already proven a pivotal year in Washington, D.C., with rapid changes shaping the political, legislative and regulatory landscape. As policies change and legislation and regulations move at an unprecedented pace, it’s crucial to stay informed and prepared to act swiftly. Join NFDA lobbyist Witter as she breaks down the key shifts and trends in the nation’s capital, offering a roadmap for staying updated, making your voice heard and driving meaningful change. This informative session will help you learn more about the legislative and regulatory process and what it takes to effect change on the federal level; understand how NFDA advocates on a national level to protect the interests of funeral service; learn about federal regulatory and legislative issues the profession is currently facing; and discuss other issues that might affect funeral service in the coming year. 

This session explores the ethical, clinical and psychological aspects of viewing the deceased in contemporary funeral service. Distinguishing viewing from disposition choice, it examines grief theory, professional responsibility and restorative preparation as tools to support healthy bereavement. Attendees will consider how embalming and preparation preserve dignity, enable informed family decisions, and uphold professional identity in today’s evolving deathcare landscape.

Community outreach is a powerful way to build visibility, trust and create lasting relationships. This session covers practical tips for planning and hosting community events that really make an impact on your funeral home’s business. You’ll learn how to identify target audiences, plan and promote effective outreach, and keep the momentum going after the event – turning those connections into relationships that last.

Families are actively asking for tailored, offsite celebrations of life that are closer to the common wedding than the traditional memorial service. At the same time, the rise of direct cremation has shifted how and when families gather. Funeral directors are already helping curate these events behind the scenes, but many are unsure where to begin when it comes to pricing that support. Led by an experienced celebration of life event planner working in Vancouver, Canada (where the cremation rate is above 85%), this session will guide you through what services families are now looking for and how to creatively pitch event-planning services that families are willing to buy.

Start your engines! Enjoy exclusive private access to the entire NASCAR Hall of Fame, offering a rare opportunity to experience this iconic destination without the crowds. Blending high-energy history with a welcoming social atmosphere, this exclusive evening sets the tone for the days ahead – bringing attendees together in a venue where competition, innovation and community come together under one roof.

NASCAR Hall of Fame
400 E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Charlotte, North Carolina