Do you remember the first time you attended Convention? Maybe you were a young newbie entering into the aftercare industry, looking to connect with others in the field, be inspired about your chosen career path and learn about new advancements.
However, if you’ve been in the industry for a long time, you may wonder how attending a convention can benefit you. We’ve put together a list of just some of the ways that attending our AFCCA Annual Convention can benefit Aftercare Professionals of all levels, whether green or veteran:
- Refresh. Funeral, Cemetery and Crematory conventions on a state level, as you know, happen once a year in the summer. For most of us, this tends to be a slower time of year after months of extreme business. It falls at perfect time to refresh yourself with knowledge and gear up to return to busier months feeling recharged.
- Renew Your Vision. Conventions are an opportunity for you to remember why you started in the Aftercare Industry in the first place and to help you narrow your vision for the future
- Revive Your Excitement. Those newly graduated mortuary science students, nervous with anticipation, excited and full of energy? Their excitement tends to rub off on those around them!
- Wisdom. Those same fresh faced mortuary science graduates can learn and benefit from your wisdom in the same way that perhaps other veterans you met in earlier years did for you. In talking with others, it is likely that you will see your career journey from a new perspective and see some of the progress that has been made more clearly than living in it day in and day out.
- Networking. Even your competitors from other parts of the state can become valuable resources for referrals and best-practices. Avoiding peers for fear of others discovering your competitive advantage can actually limit your own success. Collaboration is the way to approach networking. Together we can help each other uncover ideas and spark inspiration when we get to know each other on a personal level.
- Education. No matter how experienced you are at your business, everyone can learn. Working within the confines or your own business walls, and without exposure to a variety of points of view, we can miss new ideas and trends that can impact future results. The educational aspect of a conference can expose you to new ways of conducting your business and help you discover how to be more productive. If it’s been awhile since you attended a convention, your competition and colleagues may be moving on to another level in technology advancements, marketing or otherwise that requires you to equip yourself with new knowledge and tools.
- Encounter new vendors and suppliers. This year’s convention we have several new vendors and new supplier representatives to meet. Too often people shy away from the trade show exhibit hall at conferences. They fear that they will have to talk to salespeople, but our AFCCA suppliers are some of the best people for you to get to know if you want to learn more about the current business climate. Discovering innovative products and services for your business is necessary to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced world. Plus, these vendors who sell to your industry fully grasp what is happening inside your competition. Invest time with the sponsors at the event and turn them into your friends and allies.
- Belonging. The best part of attending funeral, cemetery and crematory conferences is when you are sitting/standing in those large rooms and the feeling you get when you look around at ALL of those people in there is one of belonging. There are new funeral directors, veteran funeral directors, crematory operators, owners, suppliers and everything in between. Some may be dressed in their funeral director suit or rocking the resort wear, but knowing that every single person in that room has one thing in common is a pretty incredible experience. We are all there to serve our families in their darkest hour. We are professional, compassionate, and exhibit integrity. We are all in this together, so let’s celebrate! Never underestimate the power of a little fun mixed with some like-minded and interesting people!
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