ABSTRACT
This chapter sheds light on a dimension of the events industry that has until now remained largely ‘in the dark’ in the related literature. End of life events (funerals) are considered an area worthy of research given the limited extant application of events concepts/theory to these types of ‘sensitive’, ‘emotive’, ‘awkward’ and often very personal occasions. The ideas presented here blend both primary and secondary research in order to consider different stakeholder roles, experiences and well-being specifically within the context of funeral services and funeral receptions and from the perspective of the event service providers. The findings identify that wider events management principles apply to the funeral occasion. However, funerals differ significantly from other events, in particular due to challenges related to their stressful nature, lack of planning, and the existence of ‘unknowns’. As such, they require a range of inter-related ‘soft’ skills which are not necessarily transferable to other service or events contexts. The use of these ‘soft’ skills can contribute significantly to both a fitting, personalised ‘send-off’ for the deceased as well as the positive well-being of individuals involved in its co-creation. These skills are encapsulated in ‘The CRADLES ‘Soft’ Skillset for Funeral Service Providers’ model.
