Submission deadline for the 144th OFDA Convention & Exhibition is open! The submission deadline is September 1, 2023.
The 2024 convention focuses on the funeral directors’ profession and aims to inspire attendees to make a significant impact in their work while redefining their roles as compassionate leaders. By highlighting the evolving needs of bereaved families and embracing innovative practices, the convention aims to empower funeral directors to enhance their services and create meaningful experiences for those they serve.
Key topics are:
• Reinventing funeral services: Exploring innovative approaches to funeral planning, ceremony design, and memorialization, to create personalized and impactful experiences for families. • Nurturing compassion: Emphasizing the importance of empathy, active listening, and emotional support in helping grieving families navigate the funeral process. • Technology and the funeral industry: Harnessing advancements in technology to improve operational efficiency, enhance communication, and provide innovative memorialization options. • Sustainable funeral practices: Promoting eco-friendly alternatives, such as green burials, bio-cremation, and environmentally conscious funeral practices, to align with the growing demand for sustainable options. • Community engagement and outreach: Encouraging funeral directors to actively engage with their local communities, build strong relationships, and offer educational resources to promote death positivity and end-of-life planning. • Supporting diverse bereavement: Addressing the unique needs of diverse communities, cultures, and faiths, to ensure funeral services are inclusive, respectful, and culturally sensitive. • Self-care and professional development: Recognizing the emotional toll of working in the funeral industry and providing strategies for self-care, mental health support, and ongoing professional growth. • Legal and ethical considerations: Examining current legal frameworks, ethical challenges, and industry regulations, and fostering discussions on maintaining integrity and upholding professional standards.
Note: the 2024 Convention is scheduled for April 23-25, 2024.
Rules:
• All proposals must be submitted online (no exceptions) • All proposals must be complete • You may submit a maximum of three proposals per presenter • Presentations cannot be sales pitches
OFDA Convention Fast Facts:
• Audiences are typically composed of funeral professionals, OFDA members and industry partners (vendors, consultants, etc.) • Audience size for learning lab/break-out sessions can range from 30-200 • Audience size for keynote sessions can range from 200-350 • Pro-bono speakers are appreciated. OFDA provides opportunities for speaker visibility via conference marketing materials: pre-convention brochure, convention website, digital communications, and post-conference re-caps
Thank you for your interest in becoming a continuing education provider for the Ohio Funeral Directors Association. Our goal is to provide quality seminars, online webinars, and on demand education opportunities for our members.
OFDA is seeking presentations pertinent to the funeral industry that provide content that is easily implemented, thought provoking with tangible takeaways, and current to today’s progressive market. Topics considered include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Business Management & Operations • Social Media and Technology • Legal Compliance • Human Resources • Cremation • Diversity • Grief Management • Marketing • Customer Service • Communication • Preneed Insurance and Trusts • Ethics
*The Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors mandates licensees obtain 18 hours of continuing education every 2 years to uphold their licenses. Out of the 18 hours of continuing education, 5 are mandatory in the following categories:
• 2 hours Rules and Law (Pertaining to the practice of funeral director, embalming and cremation. Includes but not limited to topics such as FTC, ADA, Veterans Affairs, OSHA, etc.) • 2 hours Preneed • 1 hour Ethics
*Ohio Revised Code for Funeral Directors & Embalmers
Please provide all requested information for equal consideration.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
Presenter Information First Name Last Name Job Title Company Name Professional Designation(s) Address City State Zip Business Phone Mobile Phone Email address Website URL
Co-Presenter Information (If Applicable) First Name Last Name Job Title Company Name Professional Designation(s) Address City State Zip Business Phone Mobile Phone Email address Website URL
Program Information Please complete the information OR upload your documents at the end of the form. Should you choose to upload a document, please make such notation in the appropriate field.
Note: the Upload Utility is located at the end of the Call For Presentation form on the 'Thank You' screen and will prompt you at that time to upload your information and photograph.
Program Title Program Subject Does Program meet any of the following mandatory topics? Please indicate yes or no below for each box:
Ethics choose one Yes No Pre-Need choose one Yes No Rules and Law choose one Yes No
If so, please indicate the number of minutes per mandatory topic included (Minimum of 30 min; in 30 min increments).
Program Length (Minimum of 60 min; in 30 min increments)
What makes your presentation unique to other programs on this subject matter?
Provide brief description of key learning objectives/takeaways (bullet point list recommended).
Provide a summary/description of benefit to funeral industry.
Provide Program Outline. Note: not summary/description completed above.
Presenter Qualifications/Credentials
Presenter bio/credentials:
A brief description of background, presentation experience, and qualifications are required below, or please upload files at the end:
Recent presentations given
Honorarium/expense reimbursement requests. If none, please enter N/A**
Co-Presenter Qualifications/Credentials (If Applicable) Presenter bio/credentials:
A brief description of background, presentation experience, and qualifications are required below, or please upload files at the end:
Recent presentations given
Honorarium/expense reimbursement. If none, please enter N/A.
**Disclaimer: OFDA has a restricted budget for our continuing education programs. In lieu of an honorarium or expense reimbursement, OFDA can provide advertisement/sponsor recognition for the speaker's affiliated company.
