As the floral industry navigated a year marked by a boom in weddings coupled with historic inflation — and a dip in sales for some — the Society of American Florists was front and center, bringing the floral professionals together to learn, grow and network and advocate for industry needs on Capitol Hill.
“After two years of double-digit growth, 2022 required business owners to transition to a new kind of normal that included increasing costs,” says SAF CEO Kate Penn. “SAF was there to keep the industry informed about economic forecasts, trends, ways to control costs and more.”
SAF was the voice for the floral industry on Capitol Hill. Its political action fund, SAFPAC, raised a record-setting $52,000 to help advocacy efforts. Those efforts and SAF’s annual Congressional Action Days, when floral professionals met with more than 70 Congressional offices, resulted in an increase of $1 million in additional funding for the Floriculture & Nursery Research Initiative. (That funding is in addition to the $5.4 million going toward research projects in the current program).
SAF brought the industry together to learn and grow virtually and in person. More than 200 new floral professionals joined the organization this year, gaining access to exclusive benefits. More than 1,105 people registered for virtual events and on-demand resources focused on sustainability, economic forecasting, mental health and more. SAF also added 20 new courses and resource packages to its online learning hub.
SAF also helped its members drive sales and plan for growth with its events and publications. Thousands of floral pros benefited from education at three 1-Day Profit Blasts, SAF Orlando 2022, and the first Next Gen LIVE! event in Miami for young floral professionals. Those events and SAF’s publications — Floral Management magazine and the SAF NOW newsletter — featured more than 150 floral industry experts who shared their best practices and advice. The newsletter, published weekly, brought members more than 200 exclusive articles on critical industry news, trends, and best practices.
“SAF keeps a pulse on changing economic conditions and new challenges and opportunities to help the industry adapt and keep growing,” says SAF President Michell Castellano Keeler, AAF, of Mellano and Company. “While no one knows exactly what the next year will bring, we know we can count on SAF to be there to help the industry succeed.”
Amanda Jedlinsky is the managing editor of SAF NOW.
