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For Immediate Release: November 7, 2025
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is now accepting proposals for education sessions for its 2026 International Convention & Expo, taking place October 25 through 28 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the 2026 Professional Women’s Conference, taking place May 6 through 9 in St. Petersburg, Florida. NFDA invites funeral service professionals, educators and thought leaders to share their knowledge and inspire peers through dynamic, engaging presentations. Proposals are due December 31.
The NFDA International Convention & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of funeral service professionals, offers presenters the opportunity to engage a diverse audience eager for ideas that drive innovation, elevate service excellence and strengthen the future of the profession.
The Professional Women’s Conference, known for its intimate and empowering environment, welcomes proposals that inspire professional growth, leadership and personal resilience among women in funeral service.
Accepted proposals may be considered for either the NFDA International Convention & Expo or the Professional Women’s Conference, depending on topic relevance and audience.
“NFDA’s educational events, from our International Convention & Expo to the Professional Women’s Conference, are known for delivering exceptional learning experiences that help funeral professionals thrive in an ever-changing world,” said Laura Sear, NFDA director of education. “We’re eager to receive proposals that combine practical insights with forward-thinking ideas—sessions that inspire, empower, and equip attendees to serve families with compassion, innovation, and excellence. Whether you’ve presented before or are ready to take the stage for the first time, we welcome your unique perspective.”
Presentations may be one or two hours in length and should address one or more of the following focus areas: business operations; compliance and legal; consumer care; disposition; embalming and restorative art; innovation and technology; or marketing and professional development. NFDA seeks dynamic, engaging sessions that provide actionable takeaways attendees can implement immediately in their funeral homes.
Previous presenters consistently praise their experience; as one speaker shared, “The NFDA staff made the experience exceptional, from check-in to set-up, allowing me to focus entirely on delivering my presentation.” Another noted, “The entire process was flawless, and I felt fully supported.”
Full submission guidelines and details on what the Convention Education Task Force looks for in proposals are available at NFDA.org/Conferences/Call-For-Presentations. Questions may be directed to Education@NFDA.org.
All proposals must be submitted online by December 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. CT. Applicants will be notified of their status via email by March 15, 2026.
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 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 Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org