Seeing 5,000-plus stems of the best flowers and plants on the market is a special experience for those who wander through the Outstanding Varieties exhibit at the Society of American Florists’ Annual Convention. For the growers who enter the competition, the contest is about more than a ribbon — it’s also marketing gold.
“Outstanding Varieties puts you on the map,” said Diana Roy of Resendiz Brothers in Fallbrook, California.
The contest — this year at SAF Palm Springs 2018, Sept. 12-15 at the Westin Mission Hills in California — features commercially available cuts, bedding plants, and potted plants. Judges evaluate the entries and award a Best in Show as well as Best in Class for the 13 categories: Cut Rose, Cut Garden Rose, Cut Spray Rose, Cut Dianthus, Cut Chrysanthemum, Cut Bulb Flower, Cut Alstroemeria, Cut Gerbera, Other Cut Flower, Decorative (Cut) Foliage, Potted Flowering Plant, Potted Foliage Plant, and Bedding Plant, Convention participants vote for People’s Choice.
But that’s just the beginning, really. Roy explained that education has been one of the hallmarks of the contest for Resendiz Brothers. Entering varieties raised the profile of the proteas they grow.
“Here in the U.S., proteas have been relatively uncommon,” she said. “When I first started, education was the primary way I benefited.”
During the convention, attendees, walk through the entries, see them, touch them, and learn about them. Once they knew more about protea, Roy said, they started making many of the varieties more of a staple in their offerings.
Juan David Lecuona, commercial director for Deliflor Latin America in Colombia, said viewing the varieties as a conference attendee never gets old.
“After almost a decade of going to this amazing competition, you would think, ‘Mmm it’s flowers, what can they change?’ Well, a lot. Every year, there are new things, new colors, stuff that, in my almost 15 years in the business, I’ve never seen. It’s a very rewarding experience to see that everyone is working hard for their products.”
The benefits last long after the contest is over. Those who win ribbons market the accomplishment. “I make it work for us, whether it’s in our newsletters, my blogs, or something I post on Facebook or Instagram,” Roy said.
Jody Whitekus at Golden Flowers also said he uses the ribbon winners to market their efforts for quality and innovation.
Plus, SAF provides additional platforms for the winners, putting the Best in Show winner on the cover of Floral Management magazine and giving editorial coverage to Best in Show and Best in Class winners.
In addition, this year’s top varieties will be invited to be part of a special display at the 2019 American Institute of Floral Designers National Symposium.
“If you want to help influence trends in your favor, this is a great way to do it,” Roy advises other growers.
Growers: Sign up by Aug. 17 to exhibit in the SAF Outstanding Varieties Competition. Get details and the entry form at safnow.org/ov.
