June 2018

Page B13 JUNE 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B The Convention Banquet theme of The Glamorous Roaring 20s was fashionable and sparkling due to the stylish SCI Bay Area Market team members of (L to R) Karen Carter, Lisa Martini, Leslie Rodriques, Lyly Mik and Betty Su. ICCFA Annual Convention Went “All In” in Las Vegas STERLING,VA— The International Cemetery, Cre- mation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) held its Annual Convention & Exposition on April 18–21 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV. The Conven- tion drew in 2,370 total attendees and 521 supplier booths. There were 373 first-time attendees who ex- perienced the 2018 Convention, along with 211 in- ternational attendees representing 30 countries out- side of the United States. This year, there were over 500 more attendees than in 2017. The breakdown for the 2018 attendance numbers is as follows: • Total cemetery, funeral home, crematory and allied business representatives: 1,122 • 28 percent representing cemeteries • 39 percent representing funeral homes • 4 percent representing pet loss providers • 1 percent representing crematory operations • 28 percent “other,” including insurance agents, mortuary school faculty, representatives of industry associations and others • Exhibitor and supplier registrations: 1,040 Attendees classified their positions as follows: • Owners: 40 percent • Managers: 42 percent • Staff: 18 percent • Final purchasing authority: 46 percent • Make purchasing recommendations: 30 percent • No purchasing authority: 9 percent CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS Continued on Page B14 “I had the time of my life! It was very refreshing to be among like-minded individuals in mass.” –Brienna M. Smith, Haven of Rest Funeral Home, Gig Harbor, WA Exhibit hall photos by Elizabeth Roberts, Roberts & Downey Chapel Equipment, Argenta, IL Submitted by Laura Holland