FTD has been a hole sponsor each year for the Annual Merlin Olsen Summer Class in Fish Haven, Idaho. The company also donates to the auction and provides for the floral centerpieces for the picnic. The Plant Peddler in Logan, Utah, has been the filling FTD florist for the event.
Close your eyes and mentally fast forward a decade or two. What does your business look like, and who’s in charge? Millennials make up 35 percent of the U.S. workforce and are expected to represent 75 percent by 2025.
If this stat has you shuddering at the thought of a world run by lazy, entitled narcissists devouring avocado toast and taking thousands of selfies a day, it’s time to scrap tired stereotypes and embrace youthful workers, said Diane Thielfoldt, co-founder of The Learning Café, a leadership training company that specializes in cultivating a multi-generational workforce, and a featured speaker at SAF Palm Beach 2017, the Society of American Florists 133rd Annual Convention, Sept. 6-9 at The Breakers in Florida
“Millennials bring new talents and skill sets to the workplace, particularly in terms of technology,” Thielfoldt said. Furthermore, she added, millennials know how to market to other millennials, “which can be your organization’s competitive advantage.”
“The youngest baby boomer is 54 — 11 years away from the traditional age of retirement,” she added. “There are simply not enough Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1979) to replace the leadership roles Boomers are vacating.”
At SAF Palm Beach 2017, Thielfoldt will present “Preparing Millennials for Leadership,” assisted by a panel made up of millennials from the industry. They include Kyle Garrison of the Bill Doran Company; Emily Kleinhans from Syndicate Sales; Cameron Pappas of Norton’s Florist, Events & Gift Baskets; and Samantha Welzbacher of Lone Star Bloom.
“They are energized and empowered about their positions and opportunities,” Thielfoldt said. “They defy all the myths and misconceptions about their generation and have insight into how the floral industry can attract, engage and retain millennials.”
The can’t miss conversation is just one of more than 40 programs on tap at SAF Palm Beach 2017. There’s still time to register. Click here.
