SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

The Uncorked Temecula Wine Tour

The Uncorked Tour features wine tasting at 4 wineries and a gourmet-inspired boxed lunch in a casual winery setting. Tour fee is all-inclusive. Private transportation is included to and from the hotel and in between wineries.

offsite, optional, $265 per person, transportation included

Forest Lawn Cemetery Tour

Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks welcomes OGR on a private tour of their beautiful Covina location. Enjoy the breathtaking Southern California views while exploring this grand cemetery. Wrap up your tour with hors d'oeuvres, complimentary of Forest Lawn. This tour is no additional charge. Transportation is not included, but ridesharing is encouraged. 

offsite, optional, no extra charge, transportation not included

Registration is open

Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory Tour

Thomas Miller Mortuary, proud OGR member, invites you on a guided tour of their firm and crematory facilities. Explore the innovation and rich history of this unique establishment. This tour is no additional charge. Transportation is not included, but ridesharing is encouraged. 

offsite, optional, no extra charge, transportation not included

Historical Mission Inn & Catacombs Tour

Experience the rich history and beauty of the Mission Inn Hotel as it approaches its 150th anniversary. Explore the underground tunnels, rumored to be catacombs, that were built in the early 1900s. Peruse the hotel's extensive collection of art and artifacts, collected by the hotel's eccentric original owner, Frank Augustus Miller. Finally, wrap up your time with some light appetizers at the California Lounge, the hotel's main bar. This is a walking tour and will take place at the conference hotel, with no transportation needed. 

on property, optional, $65 per person

Past Presidents Welcome Reception

Kick off your PROGRESS experience at this opening reception to honor the accomplishments of previous OGR leaders and catch up with friends over light refreshments. All attendees are welcome!

Dine Arounds

Join fellow OGR members for dinner at various restaurants around Riverside, California. Enjoy tasty local cuisine while reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. 

offsite, optional, at your own expense, transportation not included

Registration is open

Breakfast

OGR Annual Business Meeting

OGR member firms only

Supplier Round-Up

Opening Keynote Session: Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth

Step into the magical world of Walt Disney and explore the enchanting secrets behind The Happiest Place on Earth in this interactive workshop. Through a captivating virtual tour of the iconic Disneyland, we'll explore the key elements of Disney's customer service excellence, leadership strategies, and innovative thinking that will ultimately empower you to lead your funeral home and staff with transformative success and create an environment where families feel truly valued during their most difficult times. 

   Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, The Wisdom of Walt

Modern Tools for Timeless Service: ChatGPT in Funeral Operations

Discover how ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence writing and planning tool, can transform funeral service operations while maintaining excellence in family care. Through live demonstrations, learn practical applications for essential funeral profession tasks: crafting personalized obituaries, conducting arrangements conferences, developing staff training methods, and creating innovative service packages. 

   Sanjoy Moulik, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside (Information Systems)

   Rich Yueh, University of California, Riverside (Information Systems)

Lunch & Supplier Round-Up

Spouses Grand Tea

Your guest or spouse is cordially welcome to join other spouses/guests for a private Grand Tea at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. 

on property, optional, $65 per person

Fostering the Future: Industry-Education Partnerships Supporting Funeral Service Students and Staff

The most pressing concern for many funeral homes in today's post-pandemic reality relates to staffing and planning for human resources. Funeral service practitioners and facility owners frequently express frustration with the number of quality of applicants seeking employment. In this session, we will outline the origin and development of the Forest Lawn Academy of Mortuary Science, a collaborative venture that blends hands-on experience with prescribed American Board of Funeral Service Education learning outcomes designed to prepare the future workforce to serve client families and your communities. Join us as we discuss the value and virtues of partnering with practitioners and educators to explore the opportunities of today and address the challenges of tomorrow. The principles of such partnerships are relevant to funeral operations of all sizes and scales. Whether you operate a multi-rooftop operation or a single, family-run funeral home, you will leave empowered with ideas to build your own talent pipeline. 

   Shivon Ozinga, Forest Lawn Cemetery

   Jolena Grande, CFSP, A.S., B.S., M.F.S., M.S., Cypress College, Mortuary Science Department

Supplier Round-Up

OGR Study Group

Join OGR members for a strategy discussion session to unpack hot topics facing the funeral profession and reflect on key concepts from PROGRESS sessions. 

optional, no extra charge, OGR member firms only

Golden Circle Awards Dinner

Experience an unforgettable night at the Mission Inn with the fabulous Golden Circle Awards Dinner. Dinner will be followed by a program that includes a Service of Remembrance, Milestone Recognitions, Professional Service Awards, and the OGR Board Installation.

bar opens at 5 pm

Registration is open

Breakfast

Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Funeral Service: Hiring, Retaining, Motivating, and Team Development for Business Growth

Dive into the unique challenges and opportunities of staffing within the funeral service profession in this engaging discussion. Featuring three funeral service professionals who have each experienced a dynamic career journey to an ownership or managerial role at their firm, attendees will hear their stories and passionate insight. This session, designed for independently owned funeral homes, will focus on strategies to hire, retain, and motivate exceptional staff while fostering team development to support business growth and ultimately high standards of service to families. Session participants will share actionable insights, real-world experiences, and innovative approaches to overcoming workforce challenges, ensuring your funeral home staff remain both compassionate and high performing in a competitive and changing environment. Attendees will leave equipped with practical tools and fresh perspectives to address common challenges and opportunities in funeral service staffing, such as crafting appealing job descriptions that highlight opportunities for mentorship and career development, investing in wellness programs and mental health support, and ensuring that employees understand the significance of funeral service as purpose-driven work. 

   Gregory McClary, CFSP, Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home

   Larnique Mickens, MBA, CFSP, CCSP, Heritage Mortuary, Inc.

   Keysha Licea, Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory

Future-Proof Your Funeral Home: Marketing for 2025 and Beyond

Topic 1: What Will and Will Not Work in 2025 for Getting More Cases
It's common knowledge that many funeral home owners and directors are still struggling to understand internet marketing and how to leverage its possibilities. Welton Hong breaks down the fundamentals of online marketing and why certain techniques work better than others, depending on what you want to accomplish. Need to drive at-needs? Search optimization and pay-per-click advertising work wonders. For preneeds, social media is quite effective. For both, you need a website that converts well, a pristine online reputation (driven by review quality and quantity), compatibility with mobile devices and plenty of high-grade content. You also need to be prepared to adjust your plans in tandem with the dynamic nature of online marketing. Funeral homes that stay up to date with the changes (and act on them) have a huge advantage in their local markets. 

   Welton Hong, Ring Ring Marketing

Topic 2: Best Known is Better Than Best: What Funeral Homes Need to Know About Content Marketing
In 2025, we all know that funeral homes and cemeteries need to be on Facebook. The vast majority of businesses in this profession have pages, and a growing number are starting to post consistently. But what if you could make the most of it? What if you knew how to turn the digital landscape into a garden of relationships, leads, and calls? What if you could educate your community on your products, services, and motives? It would be a game changer... our data backs that up. Ryan Thogmartin has helped funeral homes across the globe create engaging content. In this presentation, he will be spilling all the secrets to having a powerful social media presence that's obtainable, maintainable, and profitable. Attendees won't walk away empty-handed. On the contrary, attendees will walk away knowing exactly what they need to do to take care of their social media in 2025. 

   Ryan Thogmartin, DISRUPT Media

Topic 3: Humanized AI for Future-Proof Marketing
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, funeral homes must adapt to stay competitive and meet the changing needs of families. Explore how AI-driven marketing and hybrid-AI chatbots can transform customer engagement, enhance online visibility, and boost website conversions, using strategies that come from a place of empathy and human service that stays true to your funeral home's caring voice. Learn how to blend technology and empathy to connect with families, ensuring your funeral home remains a trusted, accessible, and innovative service provider.

   Mary Barnett, Another Brilliant Idea

Lunch & Final Supplier Round-Up

Closing Keynote Session: Funeral Arrangements to Die For; Best Practices of the Funeral Arrangement Conference

The arrangement conference is arguably the most important aspect of the entire funeral experience. Therefore, it merits greater attention by the modern professional. In this program, Justin will reveal what it takes to be a top-notch arranger using over a decade of experience speaking with and presenting to funeral directors all over North America. You will learn the 5 advanced arrangement techniques that include communication skills, rapport building and open-ended questioning that lead to greater trust and impact in serving your families. Justin will also address what you can do before, during, and after the arrangement conference to guarantee your families are satisfied with the quality of the service you provide. 

   Justin Zabor, CFSP, The Zabor Funeral Home