Where else besides Atlantic City can you dine at iconic and popular restaurants, hang out on the beach and climb inside a giant elephant in the same day?

For those who attend the 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, these attractions and more await. The event, to be held from September 15 through September 17, 2026, will leave plenty of time for exploring all the city, known as America’s Playground, has to offer.

And Atlantic City has a lot to do and see. Here are a few of the highlights:

Iconic Attractions

Atlantic City has a more than 100-year reputation as a place where fun meets the ocean, and part of that fun is the places your grandparents talked about.

Steel Pier for example, has been around since the late 1800s, offering thrills and memories for those who visit. An amusement pier, its rides are as good as a lot of theme parks, with the added benefit of ocean views. Those rides even pay homage to the pier’s storied past, with the Diving Horse taking on the name of an old attraction that featured a horse diving into a pool.

For sheer Jersey kitsch, you can’t beat Lucy the Elephant, the famed 65-foot pachyderm that borders the Atlantic Ocean in nearby Margate. Called the oldest roadside attraction in the United States, Lucy is celebrating its 145th birthday this year. Step inside and climb up into its howdah for a great view of the ocean and Margate.

Prefer a quieter visit? Try the Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse at 171 feet. Built in 1854 and first active in 1857, the lighthouse offers climbs Monday through Thursday in September, but the entire site is a jewel along the shore.

Fun and Frolic

If you’re more interested in water activities, the Island Waterpark may be for you. Located at the Showboat, the waterpark features slides, a wave rider and a lazy river for the less adventurous. If you’d rather just relax, the park’s Bliss Pool is a quieter option, and the Swim-Up Lounge there offers cocktails.

A beautiful and informative stroll also awaits at the Atlantic City Aquarium, a year-round venue in Gardner’s Basin that features a 225-pound loggerhead sea turtle, plus plenty of tropical species and crustaceans hanging out in fun exhibits.

Be prepared to kick up your AC experience with shows and nightlife as well. From casino bars and concert venues to nightclubs featuring drinks and dancing, Atlantic City wants you to keep the party going well into the night. View various casinos’ websites for show listings and hot spots.

Strolling and Shopping

Looking for some deals? Take a short walk to the Tanger Outlets, Atlantic City’s outdoor shopping area where you can browse Brooks Brothers, Coach and Michael Kors, along with many discount retailers. If you’re more interested in outdoor pursuits, visit the Bass Pro Shops for everything from hunting and camping gear to outdoor wear.

A nearby treasure is Historic Smithville, where small shops are located in a village made up of historic buildings. You can find everything from funky T-shirts to repurposed vintage glass. More than 50 shops and 10 places to eat await your visit.

Eat AC

If you truly want to make your visit to Atlantic City memorable, try some of the top-flight restaurants that dot the landscape there. Craving a good steak? The Knife and Fork Inn and Morton’s are both options.

The Knife and Fork was originally established in 1912 and proudly admits to having served the infamous Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, a Prohibition-era mobster portrayed in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

Morton’s, located in Caesar’s Casino & Hotel, has a little less of a colorful past, but its food is still top-notch, featuring a stunning array of steaks in a modern interior.

If you are looking for a unique dining experience to enjoy a sumptuous Italian meal, here’s a secret: Try Chef Vola’s. Located in a private residence on South Albion Place, Vola’s has long been a hidden gem in the city. The restaurant bills itself as a small, family-style place with very limited seating, so good luck getting a table. “Reservations are a must,” the restaurant’s website reads. “Please understand not all requests are guaranteed.”

Of course, if you choose, you never have to leave the Hard Rock, where high-end dining is only a short walk away from your room. Sitar, featuring modern Indian cuisine, is open from 1:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Council Oak’s Steak and Seafood will not disappoint those looking for either option, and it features a fine selection of wines. Japanese and Italian experiences are available at Kuro and Il Mulino New York. The hotel also features a number of casual dining establishments, as well as grab-and-go options.

Aaaaahhh…

If you’re just looking to decompress and contemplate the beauty of it all, consider the Atlantic City beaches that are just steps away from where you are staying. Get up early and watch the sun rise. Dig your toes in the sand and enjoy the late summer days while it’s warm enough to still sunbathe. Or take a stroll and enjoy the sounds of the waves while melting away the stress of a hectic profession.

Book Your Room Today!

Booking a room for this year’s Convention will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the Convention and Atlantic City experience, and staying at the Hard Rock is the best way to do it.

Rooms are available at a discounted rate of $129 a night, resort fees included, for Sunday, September 13 through Thursday, September 17. Rooms must be booked by Monday, August 31. Come early, stay late and enjoy all that one of the most iconic resorts in America has to offer.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has released a guide for funeral directors who are handling funeral arrangements for eligible veterans.

The guide, which can be found here, includes checklists for expediting the process of arranging for a veteran’s interment and links to various web pages where more information on establishing eligibility and scheduling services at a VA national cemetery can be found.

The guide details the information needed to process a request for burial benefits for a veteran, including basic biographical data and military service records. It also provides guidance on establishing eligibility preneed.

Funeral directors should download the guide and print it out when needed to assist families and inform them of the steps that must be taken to arrange for interment and apply for veterans benefits.

Further information for funeral directors concerning interment and veterans benefits can be found here.

Students at the University of Michigan hold a mock funeral at the end of a class on death and grief. A cemetery in Venezuela is expanding to handle the number of victims from recent earthquakes in the country. And an article looks at the “birthplace of modern British cremation.” These stories and more are in the week in funeral news.

NEWS

City in Mississippi Moves to Ban Burials on Private Property
By WDAM
The City of Laurel, MS, is moving to ban burials on private property. The city council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would make it illegal to bury human remains on any private, residential or commercial land within city limits. Under the new rules, all burials would have to take place at a licensed cemetery, mausoleum, or crematorium authorized under Mississippi state law. Read more here.

Venezuelan Cemetery Expands Burials for Earthquake Victims, Many of Whom Remain Unidentified
By Osmary Hernández, Rocío Muñoz-Ledo and Avery Schmitz (CNN)
In the mountains of Venezuela’s La Guaira state, workers have excavated new trenches at a cemetery to bury hundreds of people killed in the powerful twin earthquakes nearly two weeks ago, even as many of the bodies being laid to rest remain unidentified. Read more here.

Choosing Her Casket
By Peggy Weeks (Fernandina Observer)
During one particular visit from her niece, Aunt Helen suggested that it was time to "get her affairs in order." Among other things, that meant a trip to the funeral home. Read more here.

How Did a University of Michigan Professor Make Class Come to Life? By Hosting a Funeral
By William Diep (Mlive)
At the end of a life, yes, but at the end of a class? University of Michigan graduate students made an unusual suggestion to close an in-person course in April. They wanted to stage a funeral. And Erin Martinez-Gilliard, their lecturer, thought it was a great way to make learning come to life in her winter semester course “Death, Loss and Grief” in Ann Arbor, MI. Read more here.

A British Town’s Radical Experiment with the Dead
By Simon Furber and Daniel Sexton (BBC)
When Woking Crematorium opened in 1878, it stood alone in a quiet corner of Surrey, England, surrounded by heathland and suspicion. But in recent times, it is recognized as the birthplace of modern British cremation, a place that reshaped national attitudes to death, public health and dignity. The idea was far from universally welcomed by local residents, who even petitioned the home secretary to stop the project, fearing it was unchristian, unsafe or simply disturbing. Read more here.

Stunning Video Shows Body Fall Out of Bottom of Casket at Funeral as Horrified Mourners Scream
By Chris Bradford (New York Post)
It’s a real-life “Coffin Flop”! Wild viral footage shows a corpse falling out of a casket as it’s being carried by pallbearers to its final resting place in Guyana. Read more here.

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards is seeking input from funeral directors on the knowledge and skills that funeral service professionals need to practice in today’s environment.

The conference is seeking volunteers to serve on a Job Task Analysis Committee where they will share their expertise in funeral directing, embalming and other tasks as part of a review of current practice. The results will be used to inform future iterations of the National Board Examination.

Those interested in volunteering must:

• Be licensed and in good standing as a funeral director and embalmer
• Have taken and passed both sections of the National Board Exam
• Have knowledge of basic technology
• Bring laptop to all meetings
• Be able to communicate both in person and remotely
• Be available to travel and attend the meeting, in entirety, in-person October 13-15, 2026 in Dallas, TX, and April 20-21, 2027 at a location to be determined
• Commit to exam security and be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement

Travel expenses to the meeting locations will be covered by the conference.

Those considering applying to become a volunteer should click here.

Anyone with questions should contact Dustin Wardlow at Dustin@theconferenceonline.org.

Much has been written and discussed about funeral homes’ need for a vibrant and informative web presence, but a recent survey indicated the importance of a more traditional aspect of the business: your physical location.

A total of 87 percent of consumer respondents physically visited the funeral home they selected before making their choices, the study found, and 90 percent said that a facility’s cleanliness was important when it came time to decide. The survey was commissioned by Foresight, a funeral home and cemetery consultant service, and Fortitude, a research and marketing firm.

Key Takeaways

• A total of 87 percent toured funeral homes; cleanliness, parking, accessibility and appearance heavily influenced selection decisions
• Consumers understand funeral options far less than professionals believe, highlighting a major education gap.
• Association involvement boosts employee engagement, satisfaction and access to valuable leadership and business training.

That initial visit, however, wasn’t the only trip to a funeral home that consumers were making. The study found that 33 percent physically visited other locations as well. In fact, the average number of locations visited was 3.1, the study said.

“The assumption that once we have a family in the fold, we have them for life is a nice soundbite, but the data doesn’t bear that out,” the survey said.

In addition to how clean a facility was, consumers also paid close attention to appearance and décor, availability of parking and availability of private viewing and visitation rooms. Each of those areas scored more than 80 percent in importance to consumers. In addition, accessibility for senior citizens and the disabled was important for 79 percent of respondents.

The size of the service or chapel area and overall environment, whether modern or traditional, were also deemed important.

Consumers also stressed that the ability to incorporate technology into services was important. Modern audio/visual systems, capable of streaming services and creating slideshows with background music, were important to 57 percent of respondents.

But the study stressed that most often, the bells and whistles of a modern facility take a backseat to what consumers find most important, “basic cleanliness, availability of parking [and] accessibility for older attendees.”

The conclusions were obvious, the study said.

“While consumers are increasingly visiting your website, don’t lose sight of your physical location AND what is important to your customers,” the survey stated.

The study also pointed to another basic need for consumers: education. And this is an area where funeral professionals often fall short, according to the data. While 70 percent of industry professionals said that education was offered, only 32 percent said that education was received, indicating that while funeral directors may be providing information, the actual meaning of that information is not being understood.

The study indicates that funeral professionals should never assume that what they are telling people is actually registering with them. A total of 59 percent of industry respondents believes consumers are aware of the details of funeral service, while only 29 percent of consumers say they are aware.

“Consumers simply do not know very much about their funeral and cemetery options, something our professionals continue to miss,” the study said.

The largest gap in awareness is in online cremation arrangements, where 75 percent of professionals believe that consumers are aware while only 17 percent of consumers say they are. Similarly large gaps exist when it comes to eco-friendly burial options, memorializations with cremation and natural burial.

The study also points to the value of professional associations when it comes to overall workplace engagement. Among those professional companies, 81 percent of those involved in associations report being engaged with their work, while 71 percent of employees are engaged and 50 percent are “completely satisfied with their job.” Respondents who are not involved in associations rated consistently lower in engagement and job satisfaction.

The associations provided added value in areas where respondents said they need more tools and education. Training programs in leadership, employee management and business operations were all considered valuable by respondents.

The New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association continues to supply in-person and on-demand online seminars to address these needs and through the Northeast Funeral Service Partnership, an organization made up of the funeral directors associations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, has offered training sessions in leadership and management.

A full copy of the Foresight report can be found here.

By Lanae Strovers

Funeral service has always required compassion, professionalism and adaptability. Today's funeral professionals are increasingly asked to navigate complicated family dynamics, emotionally charged situations, financial concerns and heightened expectations–all while supporting families during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Helping, Not Heightening, our seminar at the 2026 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, is designed to provide funeral directors with practical tools for managing conflict, communicating effectively and maintaining professionalism when emotions are running high. Through real-world experiences, interactive discussion and actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to guide families through challenging conversations without escalating tension.

Why Should You Attend This Presentation?

Families don't arrive at the funeral home as blank slates. They bring years of family history, unresolved conflicts, financial concerns, guilt, grief and differing opinions about what should happen next. As funeral professionals, we are often expected to manage these competing emotions while helping families make important decisions in a short period of time.

This seminar explores the most common types of family conflict funeral directors encounter and provides practical communication strategies for responding effectively. Participants will learn how to recognize the warning signs of escalating conflict, de-escalate emotionally charged situations and maintain neutrality when family members attempt to draw them into disputes.

Attendees will also gain confidence in one of the most uncomfortable but necessary parts of funeral service: discussing finances. From explaining payment policies to helping families make informed decisions within their budget, participants will learn how to approach financial conversations with empathy, transparency and professionalism.

What's the ROI for Attending?

The return on investment extends far beyond a single arrangement conference.

First, attendees will gain practical communication skills that can immediately improve interactions with families. Learning how to navigate conflict effectively can reduce stress, improve family satisfaction and create a more positive experience for everyone involved.

Second, participants will learn strategies for conducting difficult financial conversations with confidence. Clear communication about pricing, payment expectations and available options helps build trust, reduce misunderstandings and support healthier business practices.

Third, attendees will leave with a framework for handling real-life situations that are rarely discussed in mortuary school. From sibling disputes and blended family challenges to grief-driven anger and emotionally charged complaints, participants will gain practical tools they can use the very next day.

Perhaps most importantly, this presentation addresses the emotional toll these situations can take on funeral professionals. Attendees will learn strategies for protecting their own emotional well-being while continuing to provide exceptional service to the families they serve.

A Real-Life Example of Value

Imagine sitting across from three adult children who cannot agree on disposition, service preferences or financial responsibility. Emotions are escalating, old family grievances are resurfacing and the arrangement conference is at a standstill.

Without effective communication strategies, situations like these can quickly become overwhelming for both the family and the funeral director.

By understanding the underlying sources of conflict, using de-escalation techniques and applying structured communication methods such as the CARE framework, funeral professionals can guide families toward productive conversations and meaningful solutions while preserving trust and professionalism.

Helping, Not Heightening reinforces a simple but powerful truth: We cannot control grief, family history, financial circumstances or how others react. We can control how we respond.

Attending this session is an investment in your communication skills, professional confidence, emotional resilience and ability to serve families with excellence during some of life's most difficult moments.

Lanae Strovers is passionate about helping families create personalized services that honor the lives of their loved ones. Her seminar, Helping, Not Heightening, will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 16 and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Registration for the event is now open. Use code FD26 to save 5 percent on your registration.