It was a privilege to be invited by AIFD as a press to experience their annual AIFD Symposium. This was my first time attending, and though I only had one day available, I made the most of it. As you will see, there was so much I was able to see and do in just one day—I hope next time I can stay for the entire week as I missed a lot. To get to Orlando this time, I took the new Brightline, which I highly recommend to my fellow Miami floral professionals. The journey was comfortable and quick, taking just 3.5 hours. This is a great option for anyone attending floral conferences in Orlando—just a tip.
AIFD Event Poster
Upon arriving at the AIFD Symposium on Tuesday at 11 am, I went straight to registration and received my lanyard. One of the first things I encountered was the AIFD Foundation’s “We Design with Our Hands and Hearts” fundraising game. For a $20 donation, attendees could play and win prizes, with proceeds supporting the AIFD Foundation, which provides grants, scholarships, and more. According to Robyn Arnold, a trustee for the foundation, they raised about $98,000 this year. I was very impressed by their grassroots approach to fundraising—it’s clear that everyone involved truly puts some elbow grease into raising funds for something they believe in, such as AIFD.
Next, I visited the auction, featuring vintage items with proceeds benefiting the AIFD Foundation. It was a creative and engaging way to support the cause. I hope Williee Armellini considers putting one of his hats up for auction next year!
Jet Fresh’s Booth and Details Flowers Software’s Booth
The industry showcase was bustling with activity. Upon entry, I received a ticket to vote for my favorite booth. Notable exhibits were Oasis, Jet Fresh’s Booth, Details Flowers Software Booth, and Teleflora Booth—they were all awesome.
As many of our readers know, I am always on the lookout for innovative products, first-time exhibitors, and useful services. Our goal is to help the floral industry innovate by supporting new businesses and giving them a voice through our blog and other media channels. In my mission, I found a couple of cool products and a newcomer to our industry—I do have to be clear I am not endorsing any of these companies, just saying they are worth a second or third look.
Dream Flowers’ No-Sapill Vase
The first one was Dream Flowers, which showcased their no-spill vase, a patented product made from recycled materials and shipped with water in it. These vases, which can feature hundreds of different designs, are packed six per box and come with roses. This innovation has significant potential across various sectors and I look forward to seeing more from them soon.
Jena Gizerskiy of Rosaprima
FloraPrima by Rosaprima introduced a new variety of Lavante anemones, available in colors like fuchsia, rossi, bianco, rossa, and blu. These anemones, from Italian breeder Bianceri, include a butterfly ranunculus variety. Seeing these flowers in person was a breathtaking experience, reminiscent of a mix of cosmos, gerbera daisies, traditional anemones, and a lot of wow—they seem like double-bloom anemones but this had more than triple blooms—really cool product.
Meraki Scissors’ Innovative Tool
Meraki Scissors, attending the symposium for the second year, showcased their innovative multi-tool scissors available in eight colors. These scissors, designed for both right- and left-handed users, feature integrated wire cutters and various blade sizes. Made from carbon steel, they are balanced and durable, making them a versatile tool for florists. Their booth was pretty busy, and I witnessed them selling two or three of the scissors at a time on the spot.
As a newbie and startup, I visited Flower Buddy, founded by brothers Paul and Tony Guerrie. They offer comprehensive software for managing floral events. Inspired by Tony’s wife, a florist, the software is a robust platform for growing florist and event companies. Their strategy is to deeply integrate with the floral industry and expand to wholesale and local growers. It will be interesting to see how this new software develops, and they intend to build their community and brand name.
Fitz Design sponsored the Make and Take Shop, offering a creative space for florists to experiment with new prom and event gear. Items included slaplet bracelets, magic magnets, and flexible black tape that can be added to skin or clothing. It was a cool approach to having their customers get a hands-on experience with new products they may have never tested or worked with before.
I do want to mention that these are just a few of the vendors I visited. As my goal is to highlight new things I find, if you are a vendor and want your new innovation or product to be highlighted, just reach out to us before the event, and we will make sure to check it out.
Blooms Over Orlando
Since I was a newbie to AIFD, I took the newcomer tour and went behind the scenes. Two huge ballrooms were filled with flowers, floral sculptures, and designers. This year, like every year, the leftover flowers will be donated to Blooms Over Orlando, aiming to distribute 1,500 bouquets to elderly homes, senior living facilities, veterans, and more. As I took the tour, they stated that the planning process for the symposium involves 15 committees, each with about 10 members, and takes 2-3 years to organize. Mind-blowing, but I can truly see why because there was so much happening.
AIFD Main Stage
I attended a presentation by Ian Prosser AIFD and Zoe Gallina on entering the high-end luxury floral business. It was a full production with over 200+ attendees, featuring stunning music and videos. Again, this was an amazing production. When I was on my behind-the-scenes tour the day before, I was told AIFD spends over $180,000 just for the production of the main stages.
Floral Pricing Knockout Event
The Floral Pricing Knockout, sponsored by Details, Syndicate Sales, and Jet Fresh, was a highlight. This boxing-themed presentation focused on pricing strategies and adding value-based pricing to flowers and services. I loved the theme, and Jackie Lacey and Corrine Heck killed it on stage—they were truly two knockouts adding value to the florist audience.
Details Flowers Software team and Corrine Heck with Mimi Pachecho
An honorable mention goes out to the Details suite, which was a highlight for me. Details had a stunning hospitality suite themed around Brigenton, complete with umbrellas, patio furniture, and great small details tying in the entire theme.
From Tuesday to Friday, they hosted played classical music, and had a paint-by-numbers canvas, where I spent what felt like an hour painting in #11 and the time flew by. Details was very involved during AIFD and was the official procurement software. The software played a crucial role in organizing the event and managing over 50,000 stems of flowers through their system.
As you can see, I only truly had one full day at the event, and this event goes on for about 4 days. I covered a lot in just one day. I didn’t even mention all of the presenters, the presenters’ showcase, the pop-up shops, and all the other night events and dinners- I couldn’t imagine all of the value I would have received if I would have been there for the full convention. A huge thank you to AIFD and Camron King for the invitation.
I do want to say if you are a florist and want to learn more about the floral industry, I would highly recommend you aim to become AIFD certified. It is a great community of floral professionals who truly roll up their sleeves and add value to their organization. I was inspired by the passion everyone involved showed—from the volunteers manning the auction to the volunteers at the registration desk or the ones giving the tours.
AIFD was a great experience for me even though it was only for a day and I do look forward to attending next year. Thank you again to the AFID team for the invitation. See you again next year!