Report from ADEC Miami Conference

Jun 25, 2011 | 2 comments

Taking some time while waiting for the plane from Miami to New Orleans to upload this YouTube video about the ADEC conference which wrapped up today.

My presentation on “Using Comedy Films to start Funeral Planning Conversations” was very well received. In addition to showing Carpet Kingdom and Plots, there was time to show some scenes from other films to encourage the idea of having a living memorial service. In conversations with other attendees, I’ve now got a whole new batch of films to explore for new presentation clips.

The Centering Corporation bought 20 copies of A Good Goodbye and more than half were sold by the end of the conference. The nice folks who run the bookstore said they’d take the rest to other conferences where they sell these kinds of books.

At the author’s reception last night, four charming young women from Brazil bought my book, asked me to sign it, and raved about the presentation. I’m big in Brazil!

Later today I’ll find out about A Good Goodbye and where it places in the Book of the Year Award from ForeWord Reviews. It’s a finalist in the Family and Relationships category. I’m going on to New Orleans for the American Library Association convention.

Some of the interesting sessions I attended at ADEC included Living and Dying on the Internet, Professionalising Funeral Services in the U.K. (shout-out to Charles Cowling, the presenter Kate Woodthorpe, PhD at the University of Bath knows you!), Dying in the Hospital (you really don’t want to tell them to “Do Everything Possible” – do you really know what they will do to you?), and Renewing Rituals.

I did this little YouTube video outside the hotel at the Bayside Park in downtown Miami.

Miami ADEC Report
A Good Goodbye