PRESS RELEASE
WHEELING, IL — We have guessed how many cremated remains are in homes based on sales data and cemetery retention but haven’t really known until we asked. It’s often reported that one in every five American households have at least one set of cremated remains. Where is that statistic from? How old is it? Does it include human and pet remains? Most importantly, does it take consumer attitudes toward those ashes into account?
Now the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) has some concrete answers for you! In April 2022, CANA conducted a new research project with The Harris Poll to find out how many cremated remains are at home, what these households plan to do with them, and much more. The results of this new research will debut at CANA’s 104th Cremation Innovation Convention in Atlanta this August 17-19, 2022!
In Cremation Trends Part 2: Cremation Memorialization, CANA delves into why people throughout the US and Canada keep human and pet cremated remains in the home. Executive Director Barbara Kemmis will facilitate a discussion with leaders on the results of this study and what it means for cremation memorialization today and in the future. She’ll share the stage with Stephen Knight, Director of Strategy & Innovation at Service Corporation International; Scott MacKenzie, President and Owner of MacKenzie Vault, Inc.; David Morgan, formerly of Brooklawn Memorial Park and Crematory and now with The Cremation Consultant; and Nikki Nordeen, Director of Sales & Marketing at Terrybear Urns & Memorials.
These leaders in the profession will talk about the results of the research and how they see it impacting different stakeholders within our profession. This research speaks to every cremation professional, whether you want to sell urns and memorial sites or just seek a better understanding of the families we serve. You’ll walk away with valuable insights to inform your business practices. Key takeaways from this session, sponsored by Columbarium by Design, include:
- the number of cremated remains kept in households
- families’ ultimate disposition strategies, either completed or planned for the future
- attitudes toward cremated remains and satisfaction levels with urn selection
- demographic information about these cremation families
- and much more!
The shared expertise continues in other sessions led by industry pros:
- Brian Waters co-host of Undertaking: The Podcast, opens the convention with a plan to Question Everything.
- Michael Dixon and Kim Zavrotny, of Funeral Professional Peer Support, talk about stress and burnout in the workplace and how we’re Stronger Together: The Value of Peer Support.
- Jake Johnson, President & CEO of Johnson Consulting, helps attendees set their goals and priorities with Interactive Strategic Planning.
- CANA’s own Barbara Kemmis facilitates a discussion on Cremation Trends Part 1: Statistics and Business Diversification with expert insights from leaders across the profession.
- John Baker and Judy Olson of National Guardian Life Insurance share their data and experience with Cremation & Preneed.
- … plus, the always popular Roundtable Conversations offer collaborative discussion on solutions and new ideas for all attendees!
Understand the cremation landscape with new research from CANA! Savor your bite of the Big Peach and join CANA for the 104th Cremation Innovation Convention August 17-19 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit goCANA.org/CANA22 to see what else we have planned for the event and register to join other cremation business owners and managers from across the country.
About CANA
Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,500 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.