DISRUPT Media and ConnectingDirectors.com are teaming up with ten death care leaders to bring the first-ever Funeral (un)Conference to your digital screen. For three hours over three days, March 30 to April 1, 2020, you can join an unscripted, unprecedented discussion about some of today’s top priorities within the death care space.
It’s a conference with no fees, no travel, and no agenda .. and you control the narrative.
What’s an (un)conference, anyway?
(Un)conferences are held in person or virtually and have a free-flowing structure. Participants can create their own discussion groups on-the-fly as topics arise. These groups are open for anyone to join, creating the opportunity for lively informal exchanges of ideas about the topics that matter most to you.
The concept of the (un)conference has grown within the last five to ten years as a less-formal alternative to more highly-organized gatherings like annual conferences or expos. Industries use (un)conferences not as an alternative to these shows, but as a supplement to spark valuable conversations in the months between them.
Funeral (un)Conference 2020 isn’t a replacement for the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) Conference and state-level meetings which have been canceled due to coronavirus restrictions. Instead, DISRUPT Media and (un)Conference Coordinator Ryan Thogmartin hopes the (un)Conference will become an annual complement to both the annual ICCFA and National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) shows.
“Given the time we’re in, with so much uncertainty in our profession, the (un)Conference will give us a supplemental opportunity for every facet of the funeral profession to have a voice,” Thogmartin says. “It also gives some of the top companies and thought leaders in our profession another platform to share their products, services, and knowledge.”
Funeral (un)Conference 2020 agenda
Anyone can join one or all of the three one-hour panel discussions scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 30, March 31, and April 1. To participate, you’ll first need to register for the (un)Conference, which will be available on Facebook Live and by Zoom conference.
Everyone who registers will receive simple login instructions prior to March 30. Participants can ask questions of the panel members during the live-streamed sessions or post questions or comments to the on-demand version, which will be available immediately after each live session ends.
Members of the ICCFA leadership team will kick off Funeral (un)Conference 2020 on Monday, March 30 to talk and answer your questions about the canceled 2020 ICCFA conference. They’ll then join Poul LeMasters of LeMasters Consulting, Justin Crowe of Parting Stone, and Jon LeFrandt from The Domani Group to field questions and join in audience-led conversations.
On Tuesday, March 31, panelists will include representatives from C&J Financial, Live Oak Bank, and Johnson Consulting. Wednesday’s panel will feature DISRUPT Media, Ring Ring Marketing, Legacy.com, and Tukios.
Why you should join the (un)Conference
Jamie Meredith, who will represent C&J Financial during the March 31 live panel discussion, believes there’s no better time for the (un)Conference than right now.
“C&J could not be more thrilled to participate in the FUNERAL (un) Conference that Ryan put together through ConnectingDirectors.com and Disrupt Media!” Meredith says. “We thought the funeral industry was changing at a rapid pace before but the past two weeks have been mind-boggling at the speed of change. Funeral homes are literally having to adapt by the hour during this global pandemic. Now more than ever funeral homes need information and services to help their firms navigate these uncharted waters.”
Each 60-minute session will be packed with information you want and need to know right now. Anyone can listen, anyone can ask questions, and anyone can start a conversation. No one will leave the Funeral (un)Conference without taking away some new piece of information or knowledge that you can start using in your profession today.
“We are honored to be a part of an incredible panel of industry leaders, thought provokers and movers and shakers in the first-ever Funeral (un)Conference, where we hope firms will find valuable information and tools needed to get through these unprecedented times!” Meredith adds. “Together we can find opportunity amidst the crisis and weather this storm!”