Bloomtastic got a publicity boost by participating in the Columbus Home & Garden Show. Owner Heather Waits described the experience as an opportunity to combat customers’ insecurity with ordering and caring for flowers.
Last week, Heather Waits, co-owner of Bloomtastic in Columbus, Ohio, and her designer, Carrie, stepped away from their usual duties to give presentations at the city’s biannual Home & Garden Show, an event that drew more than 75,000 visitors.
The show’s organizers also put on Columbus’s biggest bridal show, where Waits has had a major presence in recent years. “They knew me and asked if Bloomtastic would be willing to do three demos on the main stage on three separate days,” she said.
Waits pounced on the opportunity, knowing the show would offer great exposure that would boost the shop’s credibility and prestige. “It was free PR,” she said, “the best kind!”
The Bloomtastic women taught the audience how to arrange flowers for the home like a pro. They demonstrated three styles—a traditional dozen roses, a hand-tied bouquet and a simple contemporary arrangement—which a few lucky audience members got to take home.
Between the three presentations, Waits estimates there were 132 spectators. “It helped that Drew and Jonathan Scott from HGTV’s ‘Property Brothers’ were on after me,” she said. “People were snagging seats early.”
After one of the presentations, a bride-to-be approached Waits and said she would stop by the shop for a wedding consultation.
However, she considers educating a large group of people on the care and handling the biggest payoff.
“In my opinion, people are afraid of flowers and that’s why they don’t buy them,” she said. “They don’t know how to care for flowers so they die quickly, which makes them seem really expensive. A little knowledge takes away the intimidation and creates a new flower buyer, which helps our industry as a whole.”
Waits urges florists to participate in community events as much as possible. “It’s not the client’s job to remember you; it’s your job to be memorable to the client,” she said. “The more you get in front of consumers, the more they think of you. And education is the best way to turn skeptics into flower lovers.”
Need some presentation pointers? Check us this handy guide, courtesy of SAF’s Professional Floral Communicators-International. You’ll find tips on finding speaking opportunities, selecting an engaging topic and honing your stage presence.
