Summit Agenda
7:30 - 8:30 AM | Welcome Breakfast, Networking, & Vendor Parlor
Start your day with a full breakfast and an opportunity to connect with fellow attendees. Enjoy informal conversations with pre-summit question submission & trivia.
8:30 - 8:45 AM | Opening Remarks
Presented by Sympathy Brands and Fortitude
A welcome to the Summit and a look at the future of funeral service.
8:45 - 9:00 AM | Morning Keynote: Lessons from a Non-Industry Thought Leader Transforming Traditional Spaces
A leader from outside deathcare will offer insights funeral professionals can adapt to stay ahead.
9:00 - 10:00 AM | Reel to Real: A Conversation on HBO's The Mortician and the Future of Ethics, Morality, & Trust Building
Panel featuring Documentary Contributor + Q&A with Practical Application Activity
HBO's The Mortician is the highest-watched HBO documentary of the last 5 years, with 2.6 million viewers. In this timely and thought-provoking panel, contributors will discuss trust, transparency, and integrity. Gain practical tools to strengthen industry reputation, counter negative perceptions, and educate your community proactively.
10:00 - 10:10 AM | Sponsor Presentation: Cremation Recycling
10-minute sponsor feature
10:10 - 11:40 AM | The Future of Leadership, Legacy & Transformation: A Women-Led Conversation
Panel + Workshop
Women across funeral, cemetery, hospice, and end-of-life sectors explore the future of deathcare. This session focuses on leadership, inclusion, and compassionate care from women's lived experiences.
11:40 AM - 12:10 PM | The Future of Innovation: Using New Technology to Complement Human-Centric Experiences
Panel + Q&A
Learn how technology can compliment human-centered service to support families from aftercare through preneed.
12:10 - 1:00 PM | Lunch
Evolving beyond boundaries: Lunching for brand transformation
1:00 - 1:10 PM | Johnson Consulting Group
Sponsor Presentation
1:10 - 2:20 PM | Modern Mourning: The Future of Funeral Service for Gen X, Millennials, and the Generations to Come
Panel + Mini Workshop
Explore how generational shifts are reshaping funeral service. Topics include personalization, eco-consciousness, multicultural inclusion, and community-centered service design.
2:20 - 2:55 PM | The Future of Imminent Preneed: Breaking Silos Between Hospice and Funeral Service
Fireside Chat + Practical Application Activity
Learn how to better integrate hospice and funeral services for compassionate, seamless care. Topics include upstream engagement, referral building, and predictive planning.
2:55 - 3:10 PM | Coffee Break, Networking, & Vendor Parlor
3:10 - 3:55 PM | From Rigor Mortis to Rigor Momentum: The Future of Funeral Home Finances
Panel discussion on succession planning, accounting pitfalls, and financial strategy to sustain long-term business health and value.
3:55 - 4:10 PM | Closing Keynote Speaker
4:10 - 4:20 PM | Closing Thoughts
4:20 - 5:30 PM | Cocktail Reception & Networking Mixer