2025 CANA Symposium: Seek Success at Every Step

WHEELING, IL— CANA returned to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino to help business owners, managers, and employees achieve success at every step. From February 26-28, attendees explored strategic solutions in preneed, aftercare—and everything in between!

Attracting leaders from across funeral service, CANA events are known for providing opportunities for owners and managers from across the profession to gather fresh, practical ideas that make a difference in their businesses. The 2025 Symposium showcased sessions that inspired solutions and sparked conversations that carried over to networking, shared meals, and roundtables. Professionals from all business models, locales, experience levels, and call volumes were eager to tackle today’s challenges and share solutions, and industry suppliers are always part of the mix. Together, everyone exchanged innovative business ideas to find success.

Greg Grabowski, Partner at Hospice Advisors and an experienced leader with a proven record of results and revenue generation, kicked off the event with Bridging Hospice and Funeral Services: A Compassionate Continuum of Care. Each registrant received a free copy of his book Engaging the Heart of Hospice.

Following that, Danielle Burmeister, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Homesteaders Life Company, revealed key insights about why families who choose cremation decide to prearrange in her session Preneed Motivators: Cremation Edition. Next, a panel of experts from across the cremation preneed industry shared actionable insights for Cremation Preneed Success: Strategies, Insights, and Innovation in Sales and Marketing. Tyler Anderson, VP, Business Development at Precoa; William Bonacorda, President of Trust 100; Rob Goff, Regional Director, PreNeed Northwest, for United Heritage Life Insurance; and Joshua Rae, CEO of Golden Considerations helped attendees discover how to communicate the value of pre-planning.

Aftercare industry leaders continued the discussion on enhancing a relationship with families while driving business growth in an Aftercare Panel: Supporting Families and Growing Your Business with Greg Grabowski; Jon Lefrandt, Founder and CEO of Elevia; and Matthew Van Drimmelen, Founder of Full-Circle Aftercare. In Preneed Spotlight: Lessons and Ideas from Real-Life Success Stories, Lindsey Ballard, Owner of Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, led attendees in an interactive and engaging session to showcase participants’ most effective preneed strategies, campaigns, and events.

Welton Hong, CEO & Founder of Ring Ring Marketing, provided actionable insights to grow preneed business in his session, Leveraging Technology to Grow Your Preneed Program. Finally, Wendy Russell Wiener, Managing Member of WRW Legal, PLLC, and Bill Williams, former President/CEO of Funeral Services, Inc., wrapped the event with The Great Debate: Trust vs Insurance. They gave attendees the tools they needed to determine what’s right for their business.

Thank you to Event Emcee Rob Heins and the many attendees and sponsors who chose to join us in Las Vegas! CANA’s advisory group members carefully choose presenters who have insight into new ideas and practical strategies that attendees can put to use right away to meet today’s needs.

What’s next? Be sure to save the dates for CANA’s 107th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention at the Arizona Biltmore on August 6-8, 2025. Next year, CANA returns to the Paris Las Vegas/Horseshoe for the Cremation Symposium on February 25-27, 2026. Reserve time for these events in your busy calendar and contact CANA to learn more: cremationassociation.org

About CANA

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.

2025 CANA Symposium: Seek Success at Every Step

WHEELING, IL— The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) returns to the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino to help businesses achieve success at every step. Join CANA this February 26-28, 2025, for the 2025 Cremation Symposium, where you’ll explore strategic solutions in preneed, aftercare and everything in between!

CANA events are known for providing opportunities for owners and managers from across the profession to gather fresh, practical ideas that make a difference in their businesses. The 2025 Symposium will showcase sessions that inspire solutions and spark conversations that carry over to networking, shared meals, and roundtables.

You’ll bask in the splendor of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Recent renovations feature new restaurants, nightlife, and experiences along the iconic cobblestone pathways and ornate architecture, under ceilings painted to emulate the Parisian sky. Fortunately, your getaway remains cost-effective since registration prices for the 2025 Cremation Symposium will stay the same: just $625 for the first registration and $425 for each additional employee and just $295 for spouses/travel companions.

Registration includes:

• Networking at the Opening Reception on Wednesday where your first drink is on CANA!
• Breakfasts on Thursday and Friday worth the early hour
• All-day coffee and beverages to keep the energy flowing
• Delicious Thursday lunch
• Evenings on your own to yourself to enjoy Las Vegas
• Up to 7 Hours CE from the APFSP
• The intimate networking experience you love about CANA events

Time to network is what makes a CANA event unique. Our events attract leaders from across funeral service in all business models, locales, experience levels, and call volumes eager to tackle today’s challenges and share solutions. Plus, suppliers are untethered from booths so they can learn and connect with practitioners through sessions designed to support their business growth as well. Together, everyone can exchange innovative business ideas to find success.

Kicking off the event is Greg Grabowski, Partner at Hospice Advisors and an experienced leader with a proven record of results and revenue generation. In his session, Bridging Hospice and Funeral Services: A Compassionate Continuum of Care, Greg will explore how funeral professionals can become integral resources in supporting hospice care efforts and healthcare resources, fostering a seamless transition for families as they navigate end-of-life. Each registrant will receive a free copy of his book Engaging the Heart of Hospice to engage both hearts and skills in delivering value to the healthcare continuum.

Then, Danielle Burmeister, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Homesteaders Life Company, takes a look at demographics including age, marital status, religious affiliation and prior experience. She’ll reveal key insights about why families who choose cremation decide to prearrange in her session Preneed Motivators: Cremation Edition. Learn practical data-based suggestions for strengthening relationships with current client families, connecting with new families and leveraging tools to grow your business.

A panel of experts from across the cremation preneed industry share actionable insights for Cremation Preneed Success: Strategies, Insights, and Innovation in Sales and Marketing. Discover how to communicate the value of pre-planning with Tyler Anderson, VP, Business Development at Precoa; William Bonacorda, President of Trust 100; and, Rob Goff, Regional Director, PreNeed Northwest, for United Heritage Life Insurance.

Aftercare industry leaders continue the discussion on enhancing your relationship with families while driving business growth in an Aftercare Panel: Supporting Families and Growing Your Business. Gain actionable insights and practical strategies for creating an aftercare program with Greg Grabowski of Hospice Advisors; Jon Lefrandt, Founder and CEO of Elevia; and, Matthew Van Drimmelen, Founder of Full-Circle Aftercare.

Lindsey Ballard, Owner of Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, leads attendees in an interactive and engaging session to showcase participants’ most effective preneed strategies, campaigns, and events. In Preneed Spotlight: Lessons and Ideas from Real-Life Success Stories, attendees will share their innovative ideas and impactful techniques that have made a tangible difference in driving preneed accomplishments – and have a chance to win a fabulous prize!

Finally, Wendy Russell Wiener, Managing Member of WRW Legal, PLLC, and Bill Williams, President/CEO of Funeral Services, Inc., will wrap the event with The Great Debate: Trust vs Insurance. Together, they’ll give attendees the tools they need to determine, or confirm, what’s right for their business. What you’ll learn might surprise you!

Building your business success starts before first call. How can you improve your business’s success at every step of family service and support? The 2025 Cremation Symposium shows how.

Registration is open to join CANA for the 2025 Cremation Symposium February 26-28, 2025, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Register to attend at cremationassociation.org/success.

About CANA

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.

Most people don’t like to think about what happens to a body after death. Decomposition, odors, and body fluids are gross. But, if you are like me, these are things you find fascinating.

What part of the body decomposes first? How long does the decomposition process take? Can a body explode if it’s left after death?

Read on and learn the steps of decomposition and what exactly happens to a body upon death.

What Happens to a Body After Death?

1. Death pronouncement
2. Body transportation
   • In most cases, the funeral home
   • Less common, the Medical Examiner or similar office
3. Body processing
   • Refrigeration
   • Embalming
   • Cremation
   • Burial
4. Memorial events
   • Viewing, visitation, or wake
   • Funeral or memorial service
   • Final disposition
5. Body Decomposition; Or, “At Rest”

1. Death Pronouncement

A death pronouncement is an official medical fact that someone is dead. Typically a doctor or nurse can make a death pronouncement. Everyone else (firefighters, police officers, or EMTs) will declare death.

I have had families say, “Mom didn’t die at 2:50. She died at 2:25!”

The family and the doctor may have a discrepancy because the doctor was not present at the actual time of death.

When the doctor arrives, he will check for signs of respiration and a pulse. He will then inspect the deceased pupils’ responses. 

The death pronouncement is given at the time the doctor examines the body and determines death has occurred. The legal time of death may be a long time after the death has actually occurred.

For example, many accident victims are dead at the accident scene but are pronounced dead officially upon arrival at a hospital because no physician was at the scene.

Related: What Happens When Someone Dies?

2. Body Transportation

After a death has occurred, someone notifies the funeral home. The funeral home will come to the place of death and pick up the body.

When a death occurs in/at a:

• Hospital: The hospital will notify the funeral home when a death has occurred. The body will either be in the room they died in or the hospital morgue.
• Home: In a home death, the police or hospice nurse will notify the funeral home. If it is a natural death, the funeral home’s removal team will pick up the deceased and transport it to the funeral home. If it is a suspicious death, the Medical Examiner’s removal team will take the body to the county morgue.
• Hospice: In a hospice facility death, the hospice nurse will notify the funeral home. The removal team will pick the deceased up in the room where he passed.
• If the body is found: When a body is found, someone will call the police. Law enforcement will go to the scene. The Medical Examiner’s team will be notified and transport the body to the county morgue.

3. Processing or Preserving the Body

There are various ways to process or preserve the body. Embalming hasn’t always been readily available in the US.

Body Preservation: Refrigeration

People will typically think of “refrigeration” when keeping a body cold. But there are other alternatives.

• Ice – If you keep a deceased loved one at home, you will need to keep the body cool. Place ice packs on the torso. You should cover the stomach, intestines, heart, and lungs. Please don’t place the ice packs directly on the skin; wrapping them in towels will be fine.
• Dry Ice – Dry ice is difficult to come by. It also requires special handling to avoid burning the skin of either the user or the deceased.
• Air Conditioning – Keeping the body for 24 hours or less, keep the room at 65 degrees or less.
• Open the Windows – For families willing to go old-fashioned, open the windows in cool weather can be the way to go. As with air conditioning, this is a temporary measure to be used for 24 hours or less.

Body Preservation: Embalming

• Embalming – Traditional embalming is the most popular way to preserve a body. Embalming became more common in the United States during the American Civil War. Service members often died far from home and needed to be preserved for the long journey back.
• Eco-Embalming – This is a newer alternative to formaldehyde. Because it is so unique, not all funeral homes offer it. In addition, eco-embalming is made of non-toxic plant-based oils. Therefore, it will not cause any damage to the ground once the body breaks down.

Related: How Long the Funeral Home Can Hold the Body?

Body Processing: Burial

Burial is placing the body in a grave or tomb. Burial is common in the US, coming in at 35% or second place to cremation.

As the costs of burial continue to rise; the price can get out of hand very quickly. For example, the average cost of a funeral today is $7,400. So you can easily add another $4,000 to $5,000 for cemetery costs.

Learn more in our extensive burial resources.

Body Processing: Cremation

Cremation reduces the body to bone fragments by burning it to ashes.

Cremation is now the number one choice in the US. It is less expensive than a traditional burial. Direct cremation starts out around $2,000. Read about the cremation process here.

We’ll go into greater detail of burial, cremation, and other options in the “Final Disposition” section below.

4. Memorial Events

Viewing, Visitation, or Wake

At a viewing or wake, the body is usually present. However, a visitation may or may not have the body present.

A viewing is akin to a wake, and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The most significant difference is the wake tends to be more religious and will have a prayer service. However, a body will be present.

A visitation usually doesn’t have a body present. Instead, it is the time friends and family gather together to honor the decedent.

Funeral or Memorial Service

The most significant difference between a traditional funeral and a memorial service is that the body is not present in a casket at a memorial service.

A memorial service can be held after a burial. Some families will have a private funeral followed by a memorial service; the body will already be buried.

A memorial service can be held after a cremation. The urn, which is filled with the cremated remains, will be present.

Final Disposition

The last memorial event involving the body is the final disposition. This is where the body is – finally – at rest.

When the body is buried or interred in a cemetery grave, tomb, or mausoleum, the service is called a committal. If the body is cremated and the remains (aka “ashes”) are scattered or kept at home, some families have a cremation ceremony or scattering service.

Here are the most common final disposition options:

• Burial
  • Ground burial at a cemetery
  • Above-ground burial in a mausoleum
  • Entombment in a lawn crypt
  • Natural burial
• Cremation
  • Cremation with burial in a cemetery
  • Above-ground burial in a columbarium
  • Scattering of ashes
  • Urn kept at home
  • Direct cremation
• Alternative disposition methods
  • Alkaline hydrolysis
  • Burial or scattering at sea
  • Body preservation

Read more about each of these options here.

Body Decomposition – Or “At Rest”?

This last stage is the part that can be the most unpleasant to talk or think about. The body is not “at rest,” which means returning to the earth.

No one enjoys the thought of their loved one’s body decaying. This is why we use euphemisms like “at rest.”

Still, it’s helpful to know what actually happens.

The Five Stages of Decomposition

Here’s what physically happens to the human body after death. Unfortunately, none of it is restful or peaceful.

If you don’t want to know the gritty truth, read no further.

Stage One: Autolysis

Immediately through 4 days after death

The definition of autolysis is the destruction of cells or tissues by their own enzymes. For example, autolysis is how digestive enzymes within the body cells break down carbohydrates and proteins.

Autolysis – the body’s cells breaking down – begins immediately after death. For example, your brain is one of the first parts of the body to break down. Then, just a few minutes after death, its cells collapse and release water.

Stage Two: Bloating

4-10 days after death

Leaked enzymes from autolysis begin producing various gases, causing bloating.

The sulfur-containing compounds that the bacteria release also cause skin discoloration. Due to the gases, the human body can bloat to double in size.

In addition, the microorganisms produce unpleasant odors called putrefaction. This stench often alerts others that a person (or animal) has died.

These smells stay around long after a body has been removed. At this point, the body may rupture due to the excess gas building up. This stage occurs between four and ten days after death.

Stage Three: Active Decay

10-25 days after death

Fluids released through the body’s openings show the beginning of active decay. During the active decay phase of decomposition, insects and maggots feed on the body, helping break it down even further. The active decay stage occurs anywhere from 10 to 25 days after death.

Stage Four: Advanced Decay

25-50 days after death

Insects complete the breaking down of soft tissues, skin, and hair. The body continues to break down, exposing bones to the environment.

This stage of decomposition could allow the bones to scatter. The advanced decay stage occurs 25 to 50 days after death.

Stage Five: Dry Remains

50+ days after death

The last stage of decomposition is skeletonization or dry remains. Bones, teeth, hair, and dried skin might be present.

However, the bones are probably not in any form of a human skeleton because the muscles and connective tissue have broken down. This stage happens after 50 days of decomposition.

Related: How to Have a Funeral When There’s No Body

Skipping the Stages: Preservation & Cremation

A direct cremation will bypass most of the steps of decomposition. The cremation might be able to take place as quickly as 48 hours after death. The whole time the body is waiting for cremation, it is in refrigeration.

Embalming and refrigeration can slow down the steps of decomposition. Some people think the embalming process will completely stop the body’s decay, but this isn’t true.

The rate of decomposition will differ, depending on the strength of the chemicals and embalming methods used. According to my research, it will take 50 years for an embalmed body to decompose in a casket; mummified skin and tissue will be left behind.

Related: How Long Is There Between Death and Cremation?

At Rest

Death is an essential part of life, as necessary as birth. It is something none of us will escape. “For you are dust, and to dust, you will return.”

There are many ways to memorialize your loved one. For example, you can honor their memory for all to see by creating an online memorial tribute. Or, how about a balloon, dove, or butterfly release?

It is OK to celebrate their life and even, in a sense, feel happy while at the same time grieving. So continue to find joy in life.

Read next: 30 Questions People Always Ask About Death & Dying