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President's Letter:
Betting on a successful future
Patrick Downey
Patrick Downey, ICFA president for 2004-2005, who has 25 years of experience in the cemetery and funeral profession, works for Palm Cemeteries, Mortuaries and Crematories in Las Vegas Nevada. He can be reached at pdowney@palmmortuary.com.
When I moved to Las Vegas three years ago I arrived in a city that has distilled risk-taking to a fine science. You can bet on almost anything imaginable in Las Vegas. It's all about understanding probabilities and having enough information to predict a future outcome. But there is a big difference between wagering on the turn of a card and gambling with the future of our businesses.
We are all lined up at the starting line for our dash through 2005. The starting gun has sounded and the race is on. But are we on the right track? It's not as easy to answer that question as it used to be. Running alongside us we see a changing consumer, growing government regulation and new competitors. It can often appear to be an uphill race with new hurdles to clear at every turn. We all wonder what the picture at the finish line in December will look like.
The good news is that the ICFA is betting on your success in 2005 and offering a sure-fire way to hedge your bets and have a great year. March 30 to April 2 in Las Vegas, hundreds of cemetery and funeral professionals will come together to share their formulas for future success at the ICFA's Annual Convention and Exposition. Please take time to review the entire Convention and Exposition program by clicking here. Then send in your registration and make your travel plans, because this is the best bet in the business if you want to succeed in the world of tomorrow.
Our convention this year will provide you with a real world road map to success. In the exposition, hundreds of exhibitors will showcase the latest funeral and cemetery products and services. And, of course, Las Vegas will offer non-stop fun and excitement. How can you lose?
Let me offer my personal guarantee that your experience at the 2005 ICFA Convention and Exposition in Las Vegas will be both fun and rewarding. The 6,400+ members of our association know that the best way to bet on success is to be open to new ideas and to openly share the best practices that make us all winners. I have been sharing in the winnings from that formula for over 25 years!
With my best wishes to all of you for success in 2005, I look forward to seeing you all soon in Las Vegas.
Copyright ICFA 2005
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