2026 CANA Cremation Symposium | Las Vegas
Future Focused
GO BEYOND THE FLAME
Our own Founder & Principal Larry Stuart, Jr. Keynotes
CANA’s Cremation Symposium in Las Vegas this February 25-27, 2026!
In a rapidly changing environment, taking one step back can give you the space you need to get a running leap forward. This February, join Larry Stuart, Jr. and explore what today’s trends reveal about tomorrow’s possibilities. Gather with colleagues to get inspired, gain practical strategies, and generate the energy you need for the year ahead at the Cremation Association of North America’s 2026 Cremation Symposium.
Don’t miss this dynamic keynote session where Larry brings together strategic foresight and deep industry expertise to spark your imagination and energize your approach to funeral and cremation service. Larry will inspire you to look beyond today’s landscape and seize the future, as he explores the latest innovations in sustainability, technology, family dynamics, and evolving memorial preferences. Discover how today’s trends are reshaping the very way we honor, remember, and care for those we serve—and leave empowered to lead your profession forward.
As the United States celebrates 150 years of cremation history, you’re invited to bring the future into focus with Larry Stuart, Jr. Register CANA’s 2026 Cremation Symposium February 25-27, 2026, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino!
Sign Up Now! Register Here
🎤 Stellar Speakers and Strategic Insights
Many others with strategic insights will bring their expertise and practical takeaways to CANA’s 2026 Symposium:
· A panel of legal and regulatory experts consider the Legal and Ethical Strategies for Unclaimed Remains. Tim Koch of Metro First Call, Tanya Marsh of Wake Forest University School of Law, Lara Price of Pappas Grubbs Price, and Wendy Russell Wiener of WRW Legal, PLLC, discuss how to protect your organization while honoring those left in your care with unclaimed remains.
· Experienced cemeterians from coast-to-coast will tackle Cremation’s Role in Cemetery Financial Sustainability. Dan Applegate of The Arlington Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, Steve Brown of Mount Auburn Cemetery, and Sandra Walker of Fairmount Memorial Association, will discuss trends in consumer attitudes toward cremation memorialization.
· Armed with the latest stats on consumer preferences in disposition methods across different demographics, Tanya Marsh, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, shares highlights from the 2025 Wake Forest Law School study in Tomorrow’s Consumers in Focus: Casket Burial Gains Ground Among Younger Adults.
· In Really Thriving or Just Surviving: How to Work Smarter and Build Wealth, Kara Ludlum, CPA and licensed funeral director, shares insights on why formerly financially strong funeral homes and cemeteries are now struggling and how to restore profitability and sustainability.
· The future is bright when it comes to AI and the efficiencies it can bring. A panel of experts take the stage to share practical capabilities, case studies—and some cautionary tales—about AI usage in death care. The AI Panelfeatures Lauren Pettine of WRW Legal, PLLC, Curtis Funk of Tukios, and Kris Yee of Prelude.
Take steps to transform your hospice relationships into strategic partnerships generating measurable results. Lacy Robinson, Sr. Business Consultant at Johnson Consulting Group, shares strategies to help you authentically connect with and support hospice care team members and leave with actionable frameworks in Advanced Hospice Partnership Strategies.