What happens when nearly 100,000 people spend a weekend surrounded by flowers? For Arizona Flower Market, that kind of community engagement became part of the work recognized with the 2026 SAF Marketer of the Year Award.
In this episode of The Bloom Show, Sahid Nahim spoke with Brent Denham, General Manager of Arizona Family Florist and Floral Director of Arizona Flower Market, and Alexis Gonzales, Marketing Manager of Arizona Flower Market, about Tempe Blooms. They shared how the event brings floral professionals, local businesses, and the public together—and what the experience has taught them about reaching consumers, creating floral experiences, and getting more involved in the community.
Tempe Blooms Was Built Around Experiencing Flowers
Brent explained that Tempe Blooms began after the Downtown Tempe Authority approached the company about creating an event following COVID. Arizona Flower Market had already been developing more customer experiences, and the opportunity expanded that thinking into the community. The team began asking how the industry could create more reasons for people to connect with flowers beyond birthdays, anniversaries, and major holidays.
As Brent put it, “Flowers should be experienced. It’s not just purchased.” That idea became central to how Tempe Blooms developed.
Bringing Arizona’s Floral Community Into the Event
From the beginning, Alexis said the goal was to involve floral designers from across Arizona. More than 20 teams participate, developing their own concepts for installations placed throughout downtown Tempe. Arizona Flower Market provides floral materials and funding while allowing the designers creative freedom.
As Alexis explained, “So, it wasn’t just about us. It was about bringing the floral community together.”
The experience also includes local businesses, a floral market, flower bars, floral-themed food and drinks, competitions, educational programming, and other activities throughout downtown.
Learning From Thousands of Consumer Interactions
Alexis shared that approximately 100,000 people attend Tempe Blooms across its two days, with many staying four to five hours. That scale allows the Arizona Flower Market team to observe how people respond to different floral products and experiences.
Brent recalled seeing people wait two or three hours to create their own bouquets, which helped change his perspective on introducing a flower bar into Arizona Flower Market. Alexis also explained that observing what attracts consumers during the event has given the team ideas they can bring back into their everyday business.
Getting Out in Front of People
For Brent, one of the broader marketing lessons is the importance of being visible and actively reaching consumers.
“Everybody’s trying to do what? Sell more flowers. How do you sell more flowers? Well, you’re going to have to get out there, and you’re going to have to get in front of people, and you’re going to have to do the things that are going to set you aside.”
Alexis offered a practical place to begin: “I would say start small, like just bring experiences back into your place. Start doing flower bars, start doing classes. It all starts there, and then get out into the community just like we talked about.”
Watch the Full Episode
Watch the full episode of The Bloom Show to hear Brent and Alexis discuss the development of Tempe Blooms, Arizona Flower Market’s SAF Marketer of the Year recognition, and what they have learned along the way.
Upcoming Shows
Coming up on The Bloom Show, more conversations are on the way with floral industry leaders, experts, and correspondents.
- September 11 | 2 PM EST The Bloom Show: SAF’s Petal It Forward 2026 with Amanda Jedlinsky, Monty Pereira, and Emily Torres
- September 24 | 1 PM EST The Bloom Show Correspondent: Caridad Sáenz | Ep. 7 – Ecuador’s Role in Seasonal Design
- September 25 | 1 PM EST Bloom Show Correspondent: Bill Schaffer | Ep. 7 – Designing Floral Events: Guest Experience & Flow
Our Message to the Community
Arizona Flower Market’s experience is a reminder that creating greater interest in flowers can begin with giving people more opportunities to experience them as you do.
Tempe Blooms brings designers, floral organizations, local businesses, educators, and the public into the same environment. Consumers can see floral professionals at work, create bouquets, learn about flowers, and interact directly with the industry.
And as Alexis shared, community engagement does not have to begin with an event of this scale. It can start with a class, a flower bar, or simply becoming more present in your local community. Every one of those interactions creates another opportunity to bring people closer to flowers. When more floral businesses create those connections, the impact can extend beyond one company and help grow awareness of flowers throughout the industry.
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