For Immediate Release: July 13, 2010

Experience the sights and sounds of New Orleans while connecting with peers during the NFDA International Convention & Expo.

Brookfield, Wis. – Those who attend the National Funeral Directors Association's (NFDA) 2010 International Convention & Expo, October 10-13 in New Orleans, La., can participate in exclusive events and tours that will allow them to socialize and network with colleagues while exploring the rich history and vibrant culture that New Orleans has to offer.

Give Back to the Crescent City and Your Profession
Building on the success of the last two Habitat for Humanity builds in Orlando and Boston, NFDA is again working with the organization to give back to New Orleans. Convention attendees can donate their time and energy on October 9 to this vital cause, and help provide a small piece of the American dream to a family in need. Lunch, refreshments, a T-shirt and transportation to and from the site will be provided to all volunteers. Those who are interested in volunteering should send an email to NFDA Meetings Specialist Sandra Jeske at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information; the email should include the volunteer's name, firm name and telephone number. A $50 donation is requested, but not required, from volunteers to help fund building supplies.

The 2010 Funeral Service Foundation (FSF) Golf Classic will take place on October 10 at Lakewood Golf Club, a favorite site for PGA Tour professionals. Golfers can experience one of New Orleans' finest courses while enjoying the camaraderie of their colleagues. Proceeds from this event will help FSF in its work to attract, retain and educate funeral service professionals; promote the value of the deathcare profession to the public; provide scholarships to mortuary science students and professionals; and support children's grief programs.

The annual NFDA Motorcycle Ride will take place on October 10. Participants will enjoy a unique ride along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest bridge in the world, and take in the most scenic beaches and swamps of the South. They will also witness the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and be inspired by the rebirth of New Orleans. The cost to participate is $50, and includes tour, lunch, T-shirt and a donation to FSF.

Additional information about these opportunities, including registration information, can be found by visiting the NFDA Convention website, www.nfda.org/neworleans2010, and clicking on the "Activities/Tours" link.

Fais do-do and Pass a Good Time! ("Put the kids to sleep and live it up!")
On October 10, with a Mardi Gras float, police escort, grand marshal and Motown Revelers, convention attendees will parade, in true New Orleans style, from the New Orleans Hilton Riverside to Generations Hall, site of the President-elect Party honoring Patrick E. Lynch. Once at Generations Hall, the home of New Orleans jazz, guests will enjoy a variety of New Orleans-style cuisine, sip cocktails from the cash bar and groove to the soul music of Detroit with local Motown Band, "ELS." Motown legend Martha Reeves will make a special appearance and sing a few of her hit songs. There is no charge for this event.

The All-Star Recognition Ceremony & Reception on October 11 will give attendees an opportunity to recognize their colleagues who strive for excellence every day. Receiving recognition at this event, which has become known as the "Academy Awards of funeral service," are: firms that have earned a 2010 Pursuit of Excellence® Award; individuals who have earned a Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC) or Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) designation; JoAnn Baldwin, the 2010 NFDA Initiative Award winner; recipients of the Cremation Association of North America's (CANA) Ginny Awards; and those who have earned Crematory Operator Certification from CANA.

Joining the funeral service all-stars will be special guest speaker Doug Gober of Matthews International. While economic conditions and consumer preferences may change, a funeral directors role in helping people remember their loved ones never changes. Business difficulties aside, Gober believes that there has never been a better time to be in funeral service. There is no charge to attend the All-Star Recognition Ceremony & Reception.

The Funeral Directors Under 40: A Night on the Town event, taking place on October 11, is sure to be an unforgettable night of fun in the French Quarter. Attendees will meet-up with other "Under-40s" for cocktails and appetizers in the New Orleans Hilton Riverside Presidential Suite. The group will then head over to the Bourbon Cowboy bar on legendary Bourbon Street. Revelers are also free to explore the many other unique watering holes on Bourbon Street. The ticket price of $40 ($65 after September 1) includes two drinks and appetizers in the Presidential Suite, beads, tax and gratuity (and aspirin).

A groovy flashback to the '60s awaits attendees at the Closing Celebration on October 13. Join NFDA President William Wappner, CFSP, and his wife, Esther, at Mardi Gras World to welcome the 2010-11 NFDA Executive Board. Step off the bus into the Mardi Gras Float Den, have a cocktail at the stately Grand Oaks Mansion and enjoy a delicious New Orleans-style meal. Following dinner, attendees will dance the night away to the number-one Beatles tribute show in the world, "1964." The ticket price of $125 ($150 after September 1) includes transportation, food, entertainment, tax and gratuity.

Attendees can find additional information about these events by visiting the NFDA Convention website, www.nfda.org/neworleans2010, and clicking on the "Activities/Tours" link.

Explore the Big Easy
The city of New Orleans – with world-renowned restaurants, nightlife, history and culture – is back and open for business. The authentic culture of New Orleans creates a dynamic experience that is vibrant and unlike that of any other American city. Attendees can experience the cultural riches of New Orleans through exclusive tours:

Cemeteries of New Orleans: Delve into the religious culture and spirit of Louisiana by visiting its most famous cemeteries. Admire great architecture, exquisite woodwork, stained glass and stone, and learn about the "cities of the dead."

History, Highlights and Hope: New Orleans Post-Katrina: New Orleans suffered greatly during Hurricane Katrina but is now rebuilding. Travel through the historic French Quarter, virtually untouched by the storm, to the 9th Ward and Lakeview, two neighborhoods devastated by Katrina. View the area's destruction and return via rebuilding projects such as native Harry Connick Jr.'s Musicians' Village and actor Brad Pitt's Make It Right project. View the sites of major levee breeches and the progress of their reconstruction.

Ghosts, Scandals and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop: The dark and roguish history of the French Quarter is replete with stories of outlaws, voodoo queens, saints and sinners, including pirate Jean Lafitte, a warrior hero who helped defeat the British in the Battle of Orleans. Dubbed the oldest bar in America, Lafitte's haunted blacksmith shop was built before 1772. Tradition has it that while the Lafitte brothers operated this blacksmith shop as a legitimate business, it was really a front for their pirate enterprise.

Cajun Swamp Tour: Experience the beauty and serenity of Louisiana's scenic bayous and swamps on a flatboat ride into one of the wildest swamps and natural areas in North America. Flourishing with Cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, wild flowers and multitudes of indigenous aquatic plants, the swamp opens a path into the heart of Louisiana.

Additional information about these tours, including dates, prices and registration information can be found by visiting the NFDA Convention website, www.nfda.org/neworleans2010, and clicking on the "Activities/Tours" link.

Complete information about all aspects of the 2010 NFDA International Convention & Expo can be obtained by visiting www.nfda.org/neworleans2010 or by calling the association at 800-228-6332.

Sponsors that have generously supported NFDA in 2010 are: American Airlines Cargo, Aurora Casket Company, Batesville Casket Company, Director's Select Retirement Plan, Doric, Federated Insurance, Funeral Call, Homesteaders Life, Hunter Warfield, JCPenney, Kodak, Louisiana Funeral Directors Association, Madelyn Company, Memorial Streams, Memories by Design, Messenger and Nomis.

NFDA is the world's leading funeral service association, serving 18,500 individual members who represent more than 9,900 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.

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Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536; Emilee High, 262-814-1547

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