2025 FSAC Summit & Exhibitor Showcase

CRACK THE CODE: Unlocking the Secrets to Confident, Compassionate Conversations and Influence in the Funeral Profession

Pamela Barnum

In the funeral profession, much of our communication is nonverbal, and by overlooking these cues, we miss a significant portion of the conversation. Learn the secret second language used by communication experts and law enforcement to convey empathy, build trust, and navigate difficult conversations with confidence. Gain the skills to display calm and assurance in every interaction, especially in emotionally charged situations. Discover how to approach sensitive topics with care, turning challenging conversations into productive exchanges. Decode nonverbal signals accurately, allowing you to understand clients’ true needs and emotions, even when unspoken. Use science-backed techniques to enhance your communication, ensuring better outcomes. Confidently detect signs of misrepresentation or dishonesty in both verbal and nonverbal cues, fostering stronger, more trustworthy relationships.

Halifax and the RMS Titanic Recovery Effort

Dee Ryan-Meister: President, Titanic Society of Atlanic Canada

The presentation will illustrate what Halifax looked like in the days and weeks following the disaster — stories of the recovery effort, including the ships that responded to the call (CS Mackay-Bennett, CS Minia, CGS Montmagny, SS Algerine and SS Florizel among others); John Snow’s involvement, and that of Reverend Cunningham and Reverend Hind, with regard to burials at sea. It will include a day in the life of funeral staff in Halifax’: The funeral directors and embalmers who responded both locally and from across Atlantic Canada, and the repatriation; the disaster scene, the morgues, and procedures — what ensued in the days after the recovery — the aftermath, and how this played out with funeral homes, and the churches involved, including St. Paul’s Anglican, Saint George’s Anglican (Round), St. Mary’s Basilica, and All Saints Cathedral.

BE YOUR BEST AVERAGE SELF!

Zac Crouse

Are you tired of trying to optimize your life for peak performance? Are you done feeling bad about your lack of exceptionalism? Me too.

This is not a motivational speech. It’s a blueprint for life that’s achievable, realistic and sustainable. I’m not asking you to be your best self. I want you to be your average self. No machine can operate at peak output all the time. Your mind and body are no different. We can’t all be exceptional but we can all live balanced lifestyles that last beyond the two weeks after you hear me talk.

Be average – and be healthy. Don’t be a shooting star. Try for a slow steady burn. I want a dependable workforce. Not one that’s amazing on Monday but calls in sick on Friday. Aim for middle. It’s not awesome but it’s adequate.

Resiliency Through Adversity

Tareq Hadhad

Join Tareq on an emotional journey from Syria to Canada with heartbreaking and perspective shaping stops along the way. From sunny days in Syria where the scent of roses filled the air to the beginning of conflict and war. Listen as Tareq shares the fear and confusion that came when violence and danger begin to slowly surround his family. Understand what it is really like to spend days hiding in your basement, praying for safety and food and medicine. Learn how a family made the decision to leave everything behind in search of safety outside of their homeland only to find more uncertainty and desperation as refugees in Lebanon. Witness the life changing impact of being granted a family ticket to Canada and watch as that country’s Prime Minister singles out the Hadhad family and their community for its perseverance and kindness. Resiliency Through Adversity is an emotional rollercoaster for any audience, one that leaves them feeling inspired and resolved to make their own impact on the world.