The floral industry has seen increased demand for cut flowers and foliage during the pandemic. How does the industry keep that momentum going?

A group of industry leaders believes the answer is in creating a national floral marketing campaign, funded by assessments on domestic growers and importers. The program would be overseen by a proposed U.S. Floral Board in conjunction with the USDA.

A drafting committee, which includes domestic growers, importers and wholesalers, is proposing the marketing order that, if passed by the industry, will lead to the formation of a 12-person floral board to oversee the marketing effort. The marketing order proposes assessing domestic growers and importers that sell more than $100,000 in cut flowers and foliage a small percentage of their sales. That money, which the committee estimates could total up to $19 million a year, would be used to fund a generic floral marketing campaign. The drafting committee believes the resulting marketing will increase the demand and value for cut flowers and foliage.

In this panel discussion, three members of the drafting committee — Michelle Castellano Keeler, AAF, Mellano & Company; Oscar Fernandez, Equiflor/RioRoses; and Red Kennicott, AAF, Kennicott Brothers Company — will discussed the proposed marketing order and take questions.

Step up your social media game with tried and true basics and tips to capitalize on emerging trends. 

In this course, sponsored and presented by Details Flowers, you will learn 

• The essential elements of a proposal – what makes a winning contract. Through format, layout, design, colors, personal touches and more, you’ll discover tips that make you and your contract stand out from the competition. 
• Contract Terms you can’t afford to get wrong- the clauses that are imperative to any event contract and why they are so important. Plus, the terms that are very often overlooked, but ensure you are prepared for anything. 
• Best Practices- a proposal is one of the first opportunities to showcase your business. The expert insights and resources in this course help you communicate your dedication, experience, and work ethic through the essential elements of a wedding proposal and important contract terms that every florist should be using.

The pandemic elevated the importance of an effective online presence for every retail florist. Your website is a shopper’s first impression of your business. Do you have a plan for your website content that will maximize customer engagement, enhance your brand---and drive sales? This session includes a 15-minute video presentation followed by an interactive live Q&A with Art Conforti, founder of Bloomerang Solutions, a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in Google Ads, SEP, web development, social media and video production. 

You’ll learn how to:

Develop a homepage strategy with special offers and updated product listings.

Offer add-ons that complement your online inventory. 

Increase engagement with your online shoppers and keep them coming back. 

Train your team so that they are familiar with your website content and are ready to answer questions.

Own your backyard and get ahead of online competition through search optimization. 

Solicit customer feedback via your website to make sure your offerings are on point.

A strong social media presence is imperative to successfully marketing your business!  Learn fundamental skills and feel confident managing your channels.

Learn how to Identify your consumer base, target market and which social media channels are best for your business needs. 

The basics of creating and editing photos and videos that showcase your offerings, resonate with your shoppers and turn into sales. 

This course provides downloadable resources and links to additional learnings, which you can use as a base to develop a social media strategy for your business.

Perfect for anyone looking for basic social media skills

You want to break into or grow your plant business, but you’re having trouble sourcing plant material. You’re not alone. SAF tackled this topic as part of The Great Big Plant Event this past March. 

For florists who can offer deliver/curbside services, Mother’s Day could be a surprisingly strong sales event. How do you make the most of the holiday with a reduced team, including employees who are taking on new roles during the crisis? If you aren’t sure about the exact product you’ll have, how can you plan and market effectively? Join Derek C. Woodruff AIFD, CFD, CF, PFCI, of Floral Underground in Traverse City, Michigan, to learn more about design room training tips that will help you make the most of your lean workforce this holiday — along with practical ideas on how to capitalize on the product you do have access to, in the design room and through your communications with customers. 

Whether you are thinking about selling or passing your business onto to the next generation, these succession planning tools can help. 

Kennicott Kuts has a long history in the floral industry — with roots back to 1836 when Dr. John Kennicott established a flower farm (“The Grove”) in Illinois. The Kennicott family went on to pioneer new business models in the industry, establishing one of the first commercial ferneries in Florida and starting Kennicott Brothers Wholesale Florist in Chicago in 1881. Today, Kennicott Kuts has 12 specialty cut flower operations in the United States and Chile. Join SAF Board member Stephen Kennicott and his daughter Paige Kennicott-Jacques as they discuss the realities of running a fourth-generation family business in the floral industry and working together — and share insight on how multiple generations can work together to build more resilient businesses.

You’ll learn:

• Strategies for creating a positive work environment that spans generation — with insight from the owner level and next gen.
• Lessons learned from a longtime family business — including advice on how to communicate more effectively.
• Specific challenges and opportunities facing Kennicott Kuts and how the family is working together to create solutions.