Johanna Bareford (far right) from King William Florist in Aylett, VA, brought her entire team to SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast.
“You can never stop learning.” That’s what veteran florist and 4th generation owner Herb Rothe of Rothe Florists in Philadelphia said to fellow attendees at the conclusion of SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast.
After visiting with exhibiting growers and attending a session on “Fast, Profitable and Sustainable Designs,” led by Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, CAFA, CFD, PFCI, Rothe said he’s inspired to try something new. “The very first session, boom, I learned about a great new product from Smithers-Oasis …plus you get to see all of the latest flowers coming out,” he said. “I’ve been designing for over 30 years, I have to think out of the box.”
The event, held in Baltimore, drew 97 people from 15 states, Ecuador and Colombia for a day focused on how to retain staff, drive sales and save time and money during the busy holiday season and year-round.
Sponsored by DV Flora, the conference featured educational sessions, along with a Supplier Showcase featuring growers, floral supply manufacturers and technology providers.
Amy McManus of Crimson & Clover Floral Designs, Inc. in Baltimore, plans to put to use some of the tips on how to automate your marketing efforts, shared by Melanie Spilbeler, of FreshPath Marketing . “I really enjoyed learning about some automated ways I can use for customer appreciation and to keep customers coming back,” she said. “Automation is an easy way to reach out and send something so that I don’t have to think about it.”
Rothe is also inspired to give incentive plans another try for his team, after listening to presenter Derrick Myers, CPA, PFCI, of Crockett & Myers Associates, share best practices for incentive plans. “I’ve (offered incentives) in the past, but I’m going to re-introduce them because we have new staff,” Rothe said. “There’s no better thing than an incentive program for new employees you want to keep.”
John Richards, vice president of sales of DV Flora, said the company wanted to sponsor Profit Blast to get back out in the community with their customers and vendors. “It’s been a challenging 20 months to say the least, but I think this event reinforces how important and valuable the industry is and the personal connections,” he said. “Every time we’re in an environment like this, we make our businesses better.”
Sherry Grimes-Jenkins of EMY Flowers in Mahopac, NY, drove five hours to attend SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast in Baltimore.
“I gathered so much information,” said Sherry Grimes-Jenkins of EMY Flowers in Mahopac, New York. “To sit amongst many florists in the industry, talk to them and hear what they’re doing differently — tips that can help me — was so exciting. I love SAF. SAF has really helped a small business like me.”
Valencia Couse of Brandon’s Flowers in Woodbridge, Virginia said the event was particularly meaningful to a younger florist like her. “There’s so much valuable information here today to help you survive,” she said. “SAF is here for us. It has been amazing and totally worth the investment to be here with everyone.”
To see more pictures from SAF 1-Day Profit Blast in Baltimore visit SAF’s Flickr page.
Ready to experience SAF’s world-class education yourself? Join SAF in 2022 for:
One-Day Profit Blast:
March 22; Albany, New York
June 7: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
SAF’s 137th Annual Convention, SAF Orlando 2022:
Sept. 6-8
Katie Butler is the senior vice president of the Society of American Florists.