For Immediate Release: September 20, 2021

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), in partnership with the Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC), will host the second ever Professional Women’s Conference – Canada. Known as the profession’s leading gathering for women in funeral service, the event in Canada will take place November 12-14 at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This intimate gathering will be the perfect setting for funeral directors, educators, students and suppliers to generate new ideas, grow personally and professionally, and create lasting relationships with other professionals. 

Attendees can kick off their Professional Women’s Conference experience by participating in the optional NFDA Arranger Training program on November 12. Led by NFDA Training and Development Manager Melissa Loose, attendees will learn how to make the most of arrangement conferences through a creative, five-step process you will only discover during the NFDA Arranger Training workshop.

The conference officially begins the evening of Friday, November 12 with a complimentary Welcome Reception to help conference attendees get to know one another in anticipation of the forthcoming day-and-a-half of learning. 

Attendees can expect engaging conference sessions led by experts covering a wide range of topics:

• Stop Letting Difficult People Ruin Your Day & Your Team presented by Beverly Beuermann-King, a mental health and resiliency expert
• Setting Boundaries to Ease Stress and Prevent Burnout presented by Christina Walton, a marriage and family therapist
• Creating Moments of Ceremony During the Initial Transfer presented by Angela Woosley, founder of Inspired by Journeys
• Advanced Techniques for Embalming Infants, Stillborn and the Unborn presented by Monica Torres, owner of NXT Generation Mortuary Support
• Thrive! Turn Uncertainty into Competitive Advantage presented by Meridith Elliott Powell, a business growth and leadership expert
• And more. 

Complete details about speakers and education sessions that will be featured during the Professional Women’s Conference can be found on the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/pwccanada.  

Appy for a Scholarship

The Funeral Service Foundation is now accepting online applications for scholarhships to attend Professional Women’s Conference in Canada. Five scholarships, valued at up to $1,500, are available to female and non-binary funeral service professionals and students. The award covers registration fees, two nights of lodging, and up to $500 in travel reimbursement.

Candidates will be asked to answer four questions in no more than 250 words per question, and submit a brief video, no longer than two minutes. Applicants may apply online, www.funeralservicefoundation.org/scholarships/pwc. The application deadline is October 3 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Recipients will be announced in early October; they will also be recognized during the conference luncheon on November 13.

“The Foundation has supported this event for more than 35 years because spending time in community with others is vital to this profession,” said Wiensch. “The Funeral Service Foundation is honored to help bring together female and non-binary persons to network, learn, and connect.” 

Register and Book Your Hotel Room

Attendees can register online at www.nfda.org/pwccanada:

• Conference Registration Only
  • NFDA or FSAC Member: $495 USD / $625 CAD
  • Nonmember Funeral Director: $645 USD / $749 CAD
• Discounted Bundle: Conference Registration + Arranger Training
  • NFDA or FSAC Member: $890 USD / $1,125 CAD
• Arranger Training Only
  • NFDA or FSAC Member: $495 USD / $645CAD

NFDA and FSAC have secured a limited number of rooms at the Omni King Edward Hotel for the special rate of $239 plus tax CAD. Visit the www.nfda.org/pwccanada to book a room; conference attendees must secure their rooms by October 12 to receive the exclusive conference rates.

Health and Safety

NFDA and FSAC prioritize the safety of event attendees and will continue to monitor the status of the pandemic right up to and during the Professional Women’s Conference. The associations are prepared to take whatever steps necessary, in accordance with current local, provincial and national requirements and best practices, to keep attendees safe. As the conference nears, NFDA and FSAC will share information with attendees about the specific measures it will take to protect their health and safety.  

Additionally, attendees should note the following information from FSAC: 

“As required by the Government of Ontario, all attendees must be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide their proof of vaccination along with photo ID to access certain public settings and facilities, including meeting and event spaces such as conference/convention centers. This includes attendees visiting from outside the province or the country will be required to show their full vaccination status and identification to enter these prescribed settings. It is the discretion of the individual to determine whether they would like to disclose their vaccination status. Should you make the decision not to divulge this information, you will not be permitted to access settings that require proof of vaccination. Further details on what you will be required to provide to the hotel/venue, and other settings requiring proof of vaccine before entry will follow as required by the Government of Ontario. By registering for the Conference, each attendee acknowledges the requirements of the Government of Ontario and requirement of vaccination status.”

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

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Media Contacts: 
NFDA: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org
FSAC: Diane Hull, 613-505-0277, info@fsac.ca