2023 Annual Convention and Expo
April 23-25, 2023
Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center
2501 Conference Dr.
Norman, OK 73069
Hotel Room Block-CLOSED Please email Dustin at info@okfda.com with your dates.
The room rate is $139.00/night plus tax. You can reserve your room under the OKFDA Room Block by calling the OKFDA Offices at 405-843-0730. There are only a few rooms left to our extended room block. OKFDA encourages you to stay under our room block, because it helps OKFDA reach contractual obligations with the hotel. You will have until April 1, 2023, to book your room under our special rate. Reserving your room under OKFDA’s Room Block is one way you can help OKFDA!
Opening Party
Agenda
Sunday, April 23, 2023 |
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TIME | PROGRAM | SPEAKER | LOCATION |
8:00 AM | Exhibit Floor Set up | OK ABCDE | |
9:00 AM | Golf Tournament-Shotgun Start | The Links Golf Course | |
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Vendor Move In | OK ABCDE | |
3:00 PM |
Ethical Employment Practices and Pricing Disclosures 2 hours CEU-Ethics OK/KS |
Marty Ludlum, J.D. | OK GH |
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM |
Opening Party: Band SuperFreak (Wear Your 1970's Best) |
OK F | |
Monday, April 24, 2023 | |||
7:00 AM | Registration | Convention Registration | |
8:00 AM |
Funeral Services: Loss Exposures & Risk Management Sponsored by Federated Insurance 1 hour CEU OK/KS
|
Cody Schumacher | OK GH |
9:00 AM |
Key Note: Using Artificial Intelligence in Your Funeral Home Sponsored by Tukios 1 hour CEU OK/KS |
Curtis Funk, CEO | OK GH |
10:00 AM |
OKFDA Memorial Service Sponsored by Messenger Co. |
OK GH | |
10:45 AM |
OKFDA Business Meeting & Election of Officers & 25/50 Year Pinning Award 1 hour CEU OK Only |
OK GH | |
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Trade Show Floor Opens w/Light Lunch provided by Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association and OK Funeral Supply Sales Club | OK ABCDE | |
3:00 PM |
Key Note: Becoming a Champion-Principles of Greatness & Ethics from the World of Sports 1 hour CEU-Ethics OK/KS |
Howard Kellman | OK GH |
4:00 PM |
The Importance of a Funeral Sponsored by Homesteaders Life 1 hour CEU OK/KS |
Brianne Niedermyer | OK GH |
6:30 PM |
Cocktails |
OK IJ | |
7:00 PM |
President's Banquet and Awards |
OK IJ | |
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 |
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7:30 AM |
Registration |
Convention Registration | |
8:00 AM |
Key Note: Embalming 101 2 hours CEU OK/KS |
Matt Smith | OK GH |
10:00 AM |
Key Note: Massive Trauma & Restoration 1 hour CEU OK/KS |
Matt Smith | OK GH |
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
Air Brush Cosmetics Demo |
Matt Smith | OK ABCDE |
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
Trade Show Floor w/Light Lunch provided by Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association and OK Funeral Supply Sales Club |
OK ABCDE | |
12:00 PM | Past President's Luncheon-by Invitation Only-Must be a Member | BOOMER AB |
Registration
Hello Funeral Directors, "Follow the Call of the Disco Ball"
We are celebrating our 120th Annual Convention and Expo just around the corner! We couldn’t be more excited to share with you our 120th year! President-Elect Ronnie Dighton will be hosting a 1970’s Themed Opening Party with the band SuperFreak (All are encouraged to dress in your best 1970’s Clothes) Sunday evening. The President’s Banquet will be held on Monday evening, so please make sure to purchase your tickets on your Registration Application. This year the President’s Banquet will be formal dress or suit and tie.
We look forward to seeing you all very soon and look forward to another Groovy Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association Convention and Expo. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 405-843-0730 or email convention@okfda.com.
Sincerely,
Dustin B. Pierce
Executive Director
Speakers
Information coming soon!
Curtis Funk
Founder and CEO of Tukios
As a tech-minded entrepreneur, Curtis Funk is always looking for a way technology can simplify things. He comes from an entrepreneurial family and got his start in the funeral profession by digitally recording memorial services. That “side-hustle” eventually became FuneralRecording.com, which was a national brand in funeral webcasting software.
In 2010, Curtis noticed a need for an easier way to create memorial videos. Tukios was born from that idea, and now the software is used by thousands of funeral homes to easily create beautiful videos for their families. The name means “events” in Swahili. “I came up with the name Tukios because I got tired of people forgetting who we were at FuneralRecording.com. Our name and brand must have been too boring.”
Curtis is also the creator of the hit web-show Funeral Cribs. The goal of that project is to give back to the industry and help funeral directors learn from successful people in the funeral profession.
Curtis Funk is the founder and CEO of Tukios, a software company providing websites and a tribute video platform for funeral homes. He has been an entrepreneur his entire adult life and has founded multiple companies. He has spent the last 15 years providing products and services exclusively to funeral homes.Curtis grew up in Ogden, Utah, and graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelors in Professional Sales. While in college he was starting and running businesses. Curtis and his companies have received many awards including the National Funeral Directors Association Innovation Award, the “Coolest College Startup of 2010” from Inc Magazine, and the Young Alumni of the Year Award from Weber State University. Curtis is recognized as a thought leader in the funeral industry and has built a company with an impeccable reputation and thousands of customers worldwide. He loves to golf, surf, and mountain bike. He’s immune to mosquitoes, can play the piano upside-down, and is married with 3 kids and 2 dogs.
Howard Kellman
Along with teaching at University of Indianapolis, Howard Kellman has been a
Announcer
- New York Yankees, New York Mets Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago White Sox, and St. John’s Red Storm
- The Triple A Indianapolis Indians Baseball Games since 1974
- Play-by-play announcer for the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Triple A World Series on ESPN2
Broadcaster
- Eight Championship Baseball Teams; the second most of any announcer in Baseball History
- High School Football and Basketball Game of the Week on television throughout the state of Indiana since 1990
Awards
- Inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018
- Inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2015
- Inducted into the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2009
- 2002 Indiana Sportscaster of the year
- Top salesperson for the Indianapolis Indians for more than 20 years
Reporter
- Sideline reporter for Yale football games on the YES Television Network
- Has covered the World Series, Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts, Notre Dame, Indiana State University, Purdue, and Indiana University Sports for CBS, ABC and AP Radio
- Has interviewed everybody from Michael Jordan and Major League Baseball Commissioner “Bud” Selig to Pete Rose and Larry Bird
Host
- Hosts "Motivational/Inspirational Sports Moments" on ESPN 950
- Hosts “Great Baseball Memories” on ESPN 950
- Sports Director WNDE Radio
- Writer and producer for WINS Radio (New York City), the first-ever all-news station in the U.S.
Matt Smith
The opportunity to impact the lives of others can present itself in many ways. But for Matt Smith, he answers that calling every day in his life’s work. In death, he restores beauty and creates a greater family experience by making the loved one “Perfectly Presentable”.
If there ever were a trailblazer in a profession, it is Matt Smith. In the past 25 years, Matt has become an international icon in embalming and professional instruction.
“Matt MAKES the impossible POSSIBLE and the overwhelmingly challenging EASIER.”
~S. Hill
Matt is well-known for his innovative solutions for difficult case restoration and feature setting. The one to transform bodies and mindset in the most difficult cases;
Severe Edema, Severe Emaciation, Gun-shot trauma, Auto accident trauma, Burn victim, Decomposition cases, Jaundice, Infant embalming, Autopsy,
Tissue Donor, Frozen cases, Multiple Complexities
The infamous ‘Creating the Smile’, and more.
Developing and teaching his rarified technical procedures and artistic enhancements with his extensive experience, Matt inspires this community. He has designed well-documented visuals and instructional courses to transform the profession. Matt is driven to make an impact. But most importantly, he is an inspirational, encouraging, and compelling coach.
Matt has spoken to numerous groups, Colleges, and Associations including the American Board of Funeral Services Education. Internationally Matt has presented for the NFDA, ICCFA, ABFSE, AFE in Hong Kong and Macau, and Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the United States, he has presented at state association conventions in 30 states.
Embalming nearly 19,000 bodies during his career since graduating in 1994 from John A. Gupton College in Nashville, TN, Matt has been a trade embalmer for several funeral home operations in the Metro Detroit area. Matt is the owner and President of Homeward Bound Shipping specializing in domestic mortuary shipping and international repatriation. Matt is also the founder of Professional Embalmers Institute (PEI), where embalmers from around the world gain experience with hands-on training.
“Matt Smith is a true professional; an embalmer with great talent who combines technical proficiency and true compassion. He serves the living by caring for the dead.”
~T. Lynch
Exhibitors
PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICES BEFORE REGISTERING!
Hello Vendors!
We are celebrating our 120th Annual Convention and Expo just around the corner! The convention will be held April 23-25, 2023, at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman, OK. We couldn’t be more excited to share with you our 120th year! President-Elect Ronnie Dighton will be hosting a 1970’s Themed Opening Party (All are encouraged to dress in your best 1970’s Leisure Suit) Sunday evening. The President’s Banquet will be held on Monday evening, so please make sure to purchase your tickets on your Exhibitor Application. This year the President’s Banquet will be formal dress or suit and tie.
The room rate is $139.00/night plus tax. You can reserve your room under the OKFDA Room Block by calling 1-866-577-1273 using the code FNE or Click Here OKFDA encourages you to stay under our room block, because it helps OKFDA reach contractual obligations with the hotel. You will have until April 1, 2023 to book your room under our special rate. Reserving your room under OKFDA’s Room Block is one way you can help OKFDA!
We look forward to seeing you all very soon and look forward to another Groovy Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association Convention and Expo. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 405-843-0730 or email convention@okfda.com.
Sincerely,
Dustin B. Pierce
Executive Director
None at this time.