It was great to be back in person, and in Las Vegas, for the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo! I hope you enjoyed the event as much as our team did – and were able to escape Las Vegas without any significant financial damage from the tables or slots. It was wonderful to see so many of our industry friends and also meet lots of new faces this year.
I’d like to thank everyone who visited us at booth #413 to see for themselves just how quick and easy online arrangements are with Parting Pro! Our team enjoyed speaking with all of the booth visitors and it was a blast to see the competitive side really come out once attendees started competing for the cash prizes we were offering.
Congratulations to the cash prize winners for the fastest arrangement completed at the Parting Pro booth during the expo: Michael Phares from High Lawn Funeral Home, and runner-up Liz Carrillo with Carrillo Funeral Homes. I really think that some attendees were blown away by how simple and quick it is to create arrangements online with our platform. But, as I walked through the expo hall it really seemed like technology has really gotten a foothold in the funeral industry.
For several years now, we at Parting Pro have been trying to warn anyone that will listen that the Internet Generation is coming for the funeral industry. Maybe COVID has changed the perception of some Funeral Directors, but it sure seemed like that message was better received than it previously has been. What we saw throughout the past 2 years is the rise and even greater success of affordable, innovative funeral businesses. Low-cost simple cremations have taken over, entering almost every relevant market, and are not going anywhere soon.
The Internet Generation is coming for the funeral industry.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that new consumerism is here. Traditional is out, innovation is in. And just maybe the funeral industry is beginning to embrace technology? The amount of booths that I saw promoting their technology solutions was incredible. Everything from live casting, projectors, electronic payment and digital invoicing platforms, and of course online planning and arrangement tools. Technology has moved to the forefront, or at least become a priority for more funeral professionals. The goal for funeral homes has always been and will remain, to provide families with the highest quality of funeral services possible – and technology can help achieve that goal, especially as families’ expectations continue to evolve.
As it relates to the funeral industry, we have entered a whole new era that provides businesses with innovations that MUST be considered to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry, aggressive competitors, and a demanding consumer. Funeral Directors and the funeral industry are being pushed by new ideas and innovation. That innovation is providing more possibilities for families across the world to be connected at the time of a funeral service, more personalization, lower prices and even bringing more competition into the market. It is really an exciting time for the funeral industry and I feel that transformation will continue to occur as the next generation of funeral consumers emerge.