Live! Casino & Hotel
900 Packer Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Telephone: (888) 251-7931
At Mastermind, you’ll gain practical strategies to help your business grow stronger, serve families more effectively and prepare confidently for the future.
This year’s speakers bring new insights and real-world experience to the conversations that matter most right now — from strengthening preneed performance and understanding changing consumer expectations to planning for successful business transitions and applying lessons from the world of hospitality to the craft of funeral service.
Explore how to:
Identify key customer touchpoints to increase engagement and trust.
Recognize critical moments in the family journey and create meaningful connections that build loyalty and trust.
Leverage consumer insights and emerging data trends to refine services.
Adapt offerings to meet the evolving preferences of multiple generations making end-of-life decisions.
Turn exceptional service into a powerful reputation advantage in your market.
Expand visibility through modern digital marketing strategies, including social media, search optimization and targeted advertising.
Leverage the power of AI to streamline processes and provide more value to families.
Apply lessons from pastoral care to improve the relationship your funeral home has with clergy members.
You’ll leave Mastermind with actionable ideas, proven strategies and renewed clarity — tools you can immediately apply to elevate your funeral home, crematory business and/or cemetery and better serve the families who depend on you.
Who You’ll Learn From

CEO of Foresight, began his career in the funeral and cemetery profession over 25 years ago as part of the corporate development team for SCI. His career spans North America, five continents and 25 countries. He has cross-dimensional experience in finance, sales, transactions and operational management with both public and private companies. He regularly consults with members of the financial community on matters related to funeral service and leads one of the profession’s premier consulting firms and brokers. He is the father of two boys and enjoys golf, fitness, hunting, fishing, traveling and outdoor activities.

Founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing, is the secret weapon behind some of the deathcare profession’s highest-volume firms. A leading expert in helping businesses in deathcare, hospice and senior care, his marketing strategies help firms of all sizes convert leads from online directly to the phone line. He is the author of “Making Your Phone Ring with Internet Marketing.” Prior to starting Ring Ring Marketing, he was a senior technologist for Intel, Sun Microsystems and Oracle. He earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and is an advisory board member at Worsham College of Mortuary Science.

Rev. Christopher Monturo is a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and has served as pastor of Sacred Heart–Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in Dobbs Ferry, New York since July 1, 2019. He previously served for twelve years as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in West Harrison, New York. Before entering the seminary, he worked as a funeral director in Atlanta and New York City, and as a priest, he has presided over and participated in some of the world’s most noteworthy funerals – including the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI and the funeral of New York City Police Detective and Air National Guardsman Joseph Lemm, who was killed by a Taliban suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Father Monturo was ordained May 17, 2003, at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral by Cardinal Edward Egan. He regularly works with Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in New York City and serves as chaplain to several Westchester County law enforcement and first responder organizations and is active in leadership roles within the Archdiocese of New York.

Director of Customer Care at Carriage Services, leads the company’s Passion for Service initiative — championing empathy, service excellence and recovery strategies that create premier experiences for the families they serve. He believes that empathy is the foundation of understanding and delivering truly meaningful care. Before joining the deathcare profession, he spent over 15 years in luxury hospitality, most notably with The Ritz-Carlton as Director of Operations.
Mastermind Speakers and Topics

Start your day by connecting with fellow attendees and your hosts. Grab your conference materials, settle in, and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, fresh juice, and a selection of delicious breakfast treats, from toasted bagels to flaky Danishes. It’s the perfect opportunity to network, meet new faces, and gear up for a day packed with insightful discussions, valuable business connections, and fresh ideas.

CEO, Foresight
Almost half of funeral and cemetery business owners plan to retire within the next five years, but hardly any of them have a succession plan in place.
But succession planning is a critical step in preserving your legacy and ensuring the long-term stability of your business.
Chris Cruger, the CEO of Foresight, will explore the implications of what it means for deathcare to have a highly fragmented, aging ownership base. Walk away knowing how to:Get a clear picture of the key factors driving value, as well as ownership transfer strategies, buyer profiles and valuation metrics — and create long-term value for your business while securing your legacy.

Founder and CEO, Ring Ring Marketing
As we approach 2026, the competitive landscape for funeral homes is rapidly evolving, and embracing artificial intelligence is crucial to staying ahead.
In this session, Welton Hong breaks down the essentials of online marketing and demonstrates how AI can transform your efforts to grow at-need and preneed cases.By staying on top of trends and leveraging AI to adapt to the dynamic nature of digital marketing, funeral homes, crematories and other deathcare businesses can gain a decisive advantage in their local markets.

VP-Marketing Communications, Homesteaders Life Company
Too often funeral providers find themselves stuck in conversations about price without a clear strategy for how to redirect the focus back to creating a meaningful memorial experience.
This presentation dives into the psychology behind price-driven decisions. Get insights on how to:
Leave with actionable insights and elevate conversations, so they focus on care, meaning and value.

Director of Marketing, eFuneral

Director-Field Development, Domani Preneed
In this workshop, you’ll discover how easy it can be to share your expertise and connect with families online. No technical expertise needed — just bring your experience and dedication to serving families.
You'll leave with ready-to-use content, simple templates and everything you need to post meaningful messages in just minutes a day. Through real examples from successful funeral professionals who've done this before, you'll see how sharing your knowledge builds trust and brings more families to your door.
Best of all, you'll be part of an interactive, supportive environment where you can practice these new skills and get immediate feedback.
Join our experts and ask anything you want about growing market share, creating a strong community presence, or implementing innovative marketing tactics that resonate with today’s consumers.
And don’t be shy about sharing what you’ve done at your own funeral home, crematory or deathcare business as we try to learn from each other to reach new heights of success.
Live! Casino & Hotel
900 Packer Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Telephone: (888) 251-7931
Philadelphia’s Live! Casino & Hotel is a four-minute walk from Citizens Bank Park and 13 minutes by foot from Lincoln Financial Field. This casino hotel is 0.9 mi (1.5 km) from Wells Fargo Center and 3.7 mi (5.9 km) from the University of Pennsylvania.
You do NOT have to walk through the casino floor to get to the conference room for Mastermind, even though it is conveniently located in the exact same venue.
Some other highlights are listed below.
Rooms have a flat-screen TV, cable television, and a private bathroom with bathtub.
Enjoy the 24-hour fitness center and gift shops/newsstands.
Satisfy your appetite at The Prime Rib, a steakhouse with a bar/lounge. Dining is also available at the coffee shop/cafe.
Other amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, a 24-hour front desk, and multilingual staff.

Ticket Prices
If you are bringing three or more people
contact the event organizer to inquire about bulk pricing.