Page A38
SEPTEMBER 2015
FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS
S ec t i on A
STERLING,VA—
Creat-
ing new markets, leading
through change and engag-
ing employees will be the
focus of the three keynote
sessions at the
Internation-
al Cemetery, Cremation
and Funeral Association’s
NEWS
Educational
CONTINUED
ICCFA Fall Management Conference Offers Solutions
to Industry Leader’s Most Common Challenges
2015 Fall Management Conference, Loews Ventana Can-
yon Resort, September 30-October 2 in Tucson, AZ.
The conference program, put together by co-chairs
John
Gouch, Gethsemane Cemetery & Memorial Gardens
in Charlotte, NC, and
Stacy Adams, Serenity Meadows
Memorial Park, Funeral Home & Crematory,
River-
view, FL and ICCFA staff, is designed to find solutions
to some of the most common challenges facing owners,
executives and high-level managers in our profession.
Featuring three keynote sessions, along with two eve-
ning networking receptions, a government and legal af-
fairs breakfast, and the annual Fall Management Golf
and Tennis Tournaments, this conference offers attend-
ees numerous ways to sharpen their business acumen and
build their network of connections within the profession.
The keynote sessions begin with a day-long workshop
on Thursday, October 1, on “The Blue Ocean Strate-
gy in Action,” by
Jason Hunter,
senior global consul-
tant and practice director with the
Blue Ocean Strategy
Network.
Most businesses operate in a Red Ocean—an
ecosystem where you succeed by drawing blood from
the competition. The market is often overcrowded with
shrinking profit margins and limited growth opportuni-
ties. In a Blue Ocean, you create new markets instead
of competing in existing ones. In the process, you stand
apart, energize the company, take advantage of the higher
profit impact that comes with creating new market spac-
es, and keep costs low.
The program picks up on
Friday, October 2, with a
Government & Legal Affairs
Breakfast. This event pro-
vides important news busi-
nesses need to know on taxes,
labor law and litigation that
may affect the profession.
Then,
Stephen Gilliland,
dean of the Eller College
of Management at the
University of Arizona
, will dis-
cuss “Creating a Culture of Candor and Change.” Gil-
liland will help attendees develop a vision that inspires
and motivates, create a culture where change is facilitat-
ed through open information sharing, encourage experi-
mentation and reward initiative.
And finally, entrepreneur and author
Kevin Kruse
will
teach attendees how to practice “Wholehearted Leader-
ship for Employee Engagement.” Wholehearted leader-
ship drives higher levels of service, productivity, quali-
ty—and ultimately—sales and profits. Besides being
entertained, this keynote session will provide attendees
with actionable advice to transform average groups into
high-performing teams by building trust through au-
thenticity, improving communication with transparency,
generating massive employee engagement, and turning
“task managers” into “people leaders.”
Founded in 1887, the International Cemetery, Crema-
tion and Funeral Association is the only international
trade association representing all segments of the ceme-
tery, cremation, funeral and memorialization profession.
Its membership is composed of more than 9,100 rooftop
locations and 18,000 professionals in the cemetery, fu-
neral home and crematory industries, as well as suppli-
