2013 Annual Conference and Supplier Showcase
Awards of Excellence Scholarship Auction The conference will take place April 25-28, 2013 at The Peabody Memphis, a Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond historic hotel in the heart of “blues city.” Located just blocks from attractions such as Beale Street, Sun Studio, the Memphis Rock N Soul Museum (created by the Smithsonian Institution), the Gibson Guitar Factory, the Fed-Ex Forum (home of the Memphis Grizzlies), the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, and the Orpheum Theatre, the Peabody itself is also one of Memphis' most popular attractions with The Peabody Ducks daily march to and from the Grand Lobby. And Memphis’ most famous attraction, Graceland, is just a 15 minute shuttle ride away. CLICK HERE FOR HOTEL RESERVATION INFO! DOWNLOAD YOUR REGISTRATION FORM HERE! ATTENDEE LIST as of April 5. ExhibitorsSponsorships Exhibitor Brochure Floor Plan Reservation Form Exhibitor List Educational SessionsFacilities Facelift: Quick Fixes and Cost Effective Upgrades Brent Behrens, Behrens Design & Development, Inc. Does your funeral home need to be updated? Are you losing potential customers from an outdated facility? Join us for an innovative and inexpensive approach to giving your building a needed facelift. Connecting to Customers: Telephone Etiquette & Accommodating Price Shoppers Scott Newton, Graystone Associates, Inc. The nature of the phone price shopper has radically changed over the last few years. Price shoppers are doing extensive research before they call prospective funeral homes, making it more challenging for an unprepared funeral director to properly handle the call with solid execution. In this session, you’ll learn how any staff member can skillfully answer price shoppers’ questions and convert them into long-term customers. How Funeral Directors can become Invincible to Lawsuits and Save Thousands in Taxes Larry Oxenham, American Society for Asset Protection Is your financial house in order? Discover the tools you can use to become invincible to lawsuits, save thousands in taxes, and achieve financial peace of mind. Larry Oxenham will show you how to make your firm seem like an unattractive target to plaintiff attorneys so that they will avoid suing you. He’ll also explore five tax reduction strategies that will you help you save thousands of dollars each year. Trends in Technology: Making the Right Choice for Your Business Jason Truesdell, FrontRunner Professional and Matt Dugas, SRS Computing Solutions Technology can help you make progressive changes in your funeral home without overwhelming you. Industry leaders FrontRunner & SRS will present on technological trends and help you understand the easy and inexpensive opportunities available to your funeral home. This session will highlight software options and the tools you need to implement new technologies into your business. The Power of Collaboration: Why Study Groups are Your Key to Success Gregory Darte, George Darte Funeral Chapel Are you interested in collaborating and working with other members after the Annual Conference? OGR has started study groups to provide members with the opportunity to do just that. In this dynamic session, you’ll explore best practices and listen to a panel of fellow OGR members who’ve participated in these collaborative groups. You’ll also participate in a breakout session where you will experience this unique learning opportunity and learn how to start your own study group. Experts Panel: The Future of Funeral Service –Mike Nicodemis, Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home & Crematory; David Nixon, Nixon Consulting, Inc.; and Michael Quinn, Aurora Casket Company Experts from cremation, burial, and the business side of the Funeral Service industry will discuss where they see the industry heading in the next five years. These experts will share their perspectives on the future and provide you with added insight on the pitfalls and victories which may lie ahead. Breakout sessions – Nontraditional Funerals / Young Professionals (40 and under) / Cremation Choose one of three breakouts sessions for more intimate discussion and collaboration. These sessions will provide you with a powerful opportunity for networking and will be led by a moderator who will set the framework for the discussion. Interested in more than one session? Not a problem! Spend a few minutes in each session to get a taste of all three. Great Ideas Exchange - Gold Level Members Join us for an annual favorite, the roundtable discussion. In this year’s Great Ideas Exchange, Gold Level Members will learn new ways to tackle challenges and to provide exceptional service to families. Come prepared with questions and your own best practices to contribute to the annual networking exchange. Staying at the Peabody Hotel149 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38103 Make your room reservations at the historic Peabody Memphis hotel by March 31, 2013 to receive the OGR Rate of $179.00/night. There are several ways to make reservations - 1. Call the hotel at 1.800.732.2639 and ask for the OGR rate of $179.00 per night, 2. Visit OGR’s Reservation Website and make a reservation through our personalized website, 3. Or go to www.peabodymemphis.com and include the group code of 966676. The rate of $179.00/night is only guaranteed until March 31 and while rooms are available in the room block, so make your room reservation early! When making flight arrangements, be sure to fly into Memphis International Airport (MEM), located only fifteen minutes from the Peabody. For transportation to and from the airport, reserve a private van or towncar service through the Peabody Concierge at (901)529-4000 or take a registered taxicab. Visit www.peabodymemphis.com for more information. Optional Activity: City Tour on Memphis Music Bus!On Sunday, April 28th, hop on Memphis’ only music bus for a fun-filled tour of the Home of the Blues. See Beale Street, Sun Studio, Stax Records, the Lorraine Motel, movie locations and more, with an experienced Memphis musician from Backbeat Tours as your guide. The guide will play and sing selections from the city’s rich musical heritage and provide generous amounts of comedy and audience interaction. Join us at 10:00 AM for two hours of high-energy fun for $30.00 per person. A separate visit to Sun Studio may also be included depending on interest. Pre-registration is required for the bus tour. Continuing Education CreditsThe annual conference will offer up to 10 CEUs in states where approved. Visit the CEUs page for a current list of approvals. Awards of Excellence Scholarship AuctionHelp support future generations of funeral directors and do some shopping all at the same time! This annual auction benefits the Awards of Excellence Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to mortuary students in their last year of school. Your donations make the auction a success, so contact Jessica A. Smith at
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with your contributions of gift baskets, travel vouchers, industry products, or other unique items. Download donation form here. Dutch-Treat DinnerIt’s time to choose from a wide variety of restaurants for OGR’s Annual Conference Dutch-Treat Dinner in Memphis. The tables fill up fast, so make your reservations soon! All restaurants are within 5 minutes walking from the hotel. Review the selections below and then make your reservations online or fax the registration form to (512) 334-5514. ALERT! As of 4/19 there is only 1 seat available at Itta Bena and 3 seats available at Flight. Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar, Flying Saucer, Itta Bena, Kooky Canuck, Texas de Brazil |
