Precoa Guide to NFDA: New Orleans 2024
How to maximize your convention experience
The National Funeral Directors Association International Convention and Expo is an incredible opportunity to connect with peers and find new ways for your funeral home to win your market. For Precoa, it’s a chance to show our commitment and support for the profession, and to share meaningful experiences with our current partners and fellow funeral professionals.
It’s also a chance to have fun, and with NFDA 2024 in New Orleans, there will certainly be many chances to have a great time. Here’s our guide to making the best of your time in the Big Easy, whether you’re on the conference floor or out in the city!
Does the idea of putting on a “community event” get you excited or make you want to run for the hills?
A successful event is one of the best ways for your funeral home to engage new families and establish yourself as a thought leader in your community, but there are also many challenges and potential pitfalls. With proven strategies and popular examples drawn from over 2,200 events held in the past year alone, you’ll learn key tactics to drive interest, increase attendance and make every community event a success.
If you want to master the art of community events (and earn CE credit), attend Tyler Anderson’s workshop on Sunday, October 20th at 1:15 p.m.!
Booth #2628 is the place to be at NFDA! Our expert team has helped hundreds of funeral homes 2x preneed, and they're here to share how we can help you prearrange more families and grow your market.
We know the challenges you face every day require going deeper than surface-level solutions. That's why we handcrafted ProActive Preneed to deliver consistent repeatable results for 20 years and counting. It's our proven system for getting you more quality leads, more appointments, and more prearranged families.
If you’re a current partner, we’d love for you to stop by, say hello and allow us to express our gratitude!
The Funeral Face-Off is one contest you can’t miss! Sponsored by Precoa and @need, the ultimate funeral service trivia challenge returns to the NFDA Convention and Expo in New Orleans.
Hosted by Gabe Schauf and Benjamin Schmidt, this competition will feature trivia about embalming, restorative art, psychology, ethics, funeral pop culture and more!
This year’s event also features an exciting Wild Card round! On Monday, gather a team of your most knowledgeable friends and put yourselves to the test in the NFDA Lounge. Then, at the same time and place on Tuesday, watch the top teams compete for the Precoa Cup, cash, and bragging rights.
Wild Card Round: Monday, October 21st. 2-3 pm
Face-off Finals: Tuesday, October 22nd. 2-3 pm
The most famous neighborhood of New Orleans is the French Quarter. It’s where you’ll find Bourbon Street, the city’s iconic galleries, and many of the city’s most popular sights. The nation’s oldest Black neighborhood, Treme, is a short walk from the French Quarter and is known for Second line parades, jazz funerals and authentic Creole food.
As you venture west of the Conference Center, you’ll find the Garden District, home to larger estates, beautiful landscaping and a more casual vibe. And as you approach the bend of the Mississippi River, you’ll encounter Audubon. This quiet neighborhood is home to Tulane University, Loyola University and the Audubon Zoo.
East of the French Quarter is The Marigny and Bywater, where you can discover new artists, interesting venues and fascinating Creole architecture. And in the northern part of the city, you can find diverse cuisine, New Orleans’ famed above-ground cemeteries and views of Lake Pontchartrain in Mid-City, Lakeview and Gentilly.
Just steps from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center sits the National WWII Museum, a sprawling collection of exhibits that documents the experiences of American soldiers throughout World War II.
From nearby Crescent Park, you’ll see levees rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, a stirring testament to the spirit of New Orleans. And Jackson Square in the French Quarter is home to artists, musicians and centuries of history.
North of the French Quarter sits City Park, home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, the New Orleans Children’s Museum and the New Orleans Botanical Garden.
The Big Easy is no stranger to gourmet food. On any given street, you’re likely to find a delicious meal. But Cochon, not far from the convention center, offers unique takes on cajun standbyes and incredible pork dishes.
Cafe Du Monde is a New Orleans classic just steps from Jackson Square, and it’s where you’ll find one of New Orleans’ most famed desserts: beignets. Be sure to order their chicory coffee, and don’t wear black!
It may be October during NFDA, but heat and humidity are a constant throughout the year in New Orleans. If you need to cool off, Hansen’s Sno-Blizz offers soft-shaved ice and specialty syrups.
There is no shortage of watering holes around the city, but LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is reputed to be the city’s – and one of our nation’s – oldest. Nestled toward the end of Bourbon Street, most of the bar operates without electricity, instead lit by candlelight.
Within the Roosevelt Hotel sits the Sazerac Bar, reportedly the first bar to ever offer the Sazerac cocktail. Similar to an Old-Fashioned, the Sazerac is a New Orleans staple that packs a punch.
New Orleans may appear to have been built with bricks and mortar, but the real foundation of the city is music. For a traditional jazz club feel with a modern spin (and great food!), stop by Bamboula’s on Frenchman Street.
If you’re looking to find the roots of jazz, look no further than the Toulouse Theatre, the temporary performance home of the multi-generational Preservation Hall Jazz Band. A New Orleans fixture since 1963, the band is known for their joyous talent and historic knowledge of New Orleans jazz.