NFDA 2009 International Convention & Expo Sets Records, Including Selling Majority of 2010 Expo Space

Brookfield, Wis. - The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) 2009 International Convention & Expo, October 25-28 in Boston, Mass., drew 6,056 total attendees and 365 exhibiting companies. Moreover, anticipation for next year's event in New Orleans resulted in the association selling more than 61% of the NFDA 2010 Expo floor in just three days.

The breakdown for the 2009 NFDA International Convention & Expo attendance is as follows:

Total attendance: 6,056

• Attendee registration: 3,918, the highest in more than a decade, which includes:
  • Non-licensee/spouse/guest registrations: 721
  • International funeral service professionals: 304, representing a record 41 countries outside of the United States
  • Mortuary student/spouse registrations: 178
  • Exhibitor/supplier registrations: 2,138, representing 365 exhibiting companies

Attendees classified their positions within funeral service as follows:

• Owners: 54.3%
• Managers: 22.2%
• Staff: 14.5%

In addition to owning/operating a funeral home, attendees indicated that they also own/operate the following businesses:

• Monument company: 48.3%
• Crematory: 47.4%
• Cemetery: 33.5%
• Insurance company: 25.4%
• Flower shop: 19.1%

Other data concerning NFDA's 2009 International Convention & Expo:

• 60.0% of attendees indicated they make purchasing decisions on the NFDA Expo floor
• 57.3% of attendees intend to make a purchase one to three months after NFDA's convention; 15.4% intend to do so four to 12 months after.
• 77.1% of attendees indicated they are either very or somewhat more likely to buy products and services from companies that exhibit at the NFDA Expo.
• 23.0% of attendees offer green funerals
• 17.7% of attendees offer pet services
• 13.4% of attendees own/operate a community/family center
• 27 media outlets covered NFDA's 2009 International Convention & Expo, including representatives of the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, Exhibit City News, the Financial Times, FOX, and Tokyo TV.

Said NFDA CEO Christine Pepper, CAE, about this year's convention:
"Despite challenging economic times, record numbers of funeral professionals attended NFDA's premier annual event to discover practical solutions they can immediately implement in their businesses to increase profitability, secure their future and better serve the evolving needs of families."

During this year's convention, exhibitors and suppliers were given the opportunity to select exhibit space for NFDA's 2010 International Convention & Expo, October 10-13 in New Orleans, La. In just three days, 155 suppliers exhibiting in Boston purchased 61.6% percent (44,800 sq. ft.) of the available exhibit space for next year's gathering in "The Crescent City," another record for the association. In addition, 11 exhibiting companies increased the size of their NFDA Expo space.

For more information about NFDA's 2010 International Convention & Expo in New Orleans, including information for businesses interested in exhibiting at the world's largest annual funeral service exposition, please visit www.nfda.org/NewOrleans2010 [1].

NFDA is the world's leading funeral service association, serving 19,000 individual members who represent more than 10,200 funeral homes in the United States and internationally. From its headquarters in Brookfield, Wis., and its Advocacy Division office in Washington, D.C., NFDA informs, educates and advocates to help members enhance the quality of service they provide to families. For more information, visit www.nfda.org [2].