PRESS INFORMATION FROM BINZ UK One Hundred Hearses For Croydon The funeral profession is generally not a bag of laughs. Dealing with bereaved families requires compassion, empathy and a sense of dignity. So, funeral directors planning on making an attempt on a Guinness World Record might appear to be a bit of a stretch, you might think. However, that is just what the British Institute of Funeral Directors (BIFD) aim to do at their annual conference at the Croydon Hilton on the 24 - 26th October this year. Adrian Pink, the current president of the BIFD says, "I wanted to make this year's conference something different. We always have a bit of a trade show but we need to do more to open our doors to the public. "The Funeral profession has a history of conservation and there are many restored hearses around the UK so we thought that we would try and bring a few of them together at the conference. We had reserved 100 places for hearses for the display and by the end of July we were almost fully booked. They range from a Victorian hand bier to the latest Mercedes-Benz based models from event sponsor Binz (UK) Ltd. "There are a few horse drawn hearses and one or two conversions of carriage hearses mounted on small Austin trucks. From a number of 1930's Austin hearses to a range of models from the 1950's through to the current day, including a classic Cadillac hearse. One of the biggest Rolls Royce fleet owners in the world, A W Lymm of Nottingham is sending six Roll Royce vehicles to the event, and Greens the carriage masters are bringing five hearses". Another attendee at the event is the Rev. Paul Sinclair who is bringing a convoy of seven motorcycle hearses down from Leicester adding yet another "first" to this "first" large scale gathering of hearses. The event's special guest will be the Mayor of Croydon, who will see the world's longest cavalcade of funeral vehicles tour through Croydon on the Saturday between 2:15 and 4:00pm Adrian Pink concludes, "The BIFD wants to open up the profession and its suppliers to their market, to make the whole process less intimidating. The hearse cavalcade is an event that puts us in the public eye, it lets the public and the funeral directors see the range of vehicles available from the carriage masters. A visit to the conference's exhibition allows the public to see the wide range of options available to them, without being under the immediate stress of a bereavement". Ends Image caption: "Wanting to open up the funeral profession to its market": Croydon hearse run instigators Adrian and Diane Pink (centre), with IF Design award-winning Binz hearse and matching Binz 6-door limousine More images and further information at: http://www.aardvarkpr.co.uk/downloads.htm Editors contact: Ewan Scott Aardvark Associates tel. 01484 864 520 (mob. 07951 963 433) or 01308 897 911 Company contact: Binz UK tel. 0118 975 8999 PRESS INFORMATION FROM BINZ UK Additional Information - One Hundred Hearses For Croydon The BIFD conference takes place at the Croydon Hilton over the weekend of the 24 - 26th October 2008, and will be attended by leading lights from across the UK funeral profession. The event's special guest will be the Mayor of Croydon, who will see the world's longest cavalcade of funeral vehicles tour through Croydon town centre on the Saturday between 2:15 and 4:00pm. Members of the public will be able to view the hearses and talk to the owners before the vehicles set off on their record-breaking attempt. All fundraising proceeds from the event will go to the President's Charity for 2007-2008, Marie Curie Cancer Care. The funeral products and services exhibition run alongside the conference opens its doors to the public from 9:00am on the Saturday. The products and services on show will provide a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in a world that is often shrouded in mystery and surrounded by misconception. The B.I.F.D was formed in 1982 by a group of highly experienced, qualified Funeral Directors to provide an organisation which cares for professionally qualified individuals working within the Funeral Industry. The Institute's main aim is to promote education services within the profession. Event sponsor Binz UK Ltd. is the sole agent in this country for the Binz range of manufactured Mercedes-Benz based extended chassis hearses and 6-door limousines. Its business is based upon supplying vehicles that come with a full EU Certificate of Conformity, and whose lengthened wheelbases feature Mercedes-Benz approved and purpose-recalibrated active safety and dynamic handling assistance driver aids. Ends Images and further information at: http://www.aardvarkpr.co.uk/downloads.htm Editors contact: Ewan Scott Aardvark Associates tel. 01484 864 520 (mob. 07951 963 433) or 01308 897 911 Company contact: Binz UK tel. 0118 975 8999 Please note that this document is for information only and is non-contractual; both Aardvark Associates and Binz UK - Nilsson Ltd. decline all liability in the case of omissions or errors. ?? ?? ?? ?? Please note that this document is for information only and is non-contractual; both Aardvark Associates and Binz UK - Nilsson Ltd. decline all liability in the case of omissions or errors.