Next Gen LIVE! attendees toured progressive retail flower shops around Miami as part of this year’s event. Next year’s event will take attendees to flower farms around San Diego.
Looking for ways to inspire and engage your best employees, battle burnout, and teach them more about the floral industry? The Society of American Florists’ Next Gen LIVE! conference Feb. 25-27 in San Diego provides all that — and much more.
The event is tailored for — and by — the up-and-coming generation of floral professionals who are 45 and younger. In addition to educational sessions focused on leadership skills, technology and industry trends and challenges, next year’s event also takes attendees on tours of flower farms. And beyond the education and tours, there are hidden benefits to attending Next Gen LIVE! (Register here.)
Develop a Network
SAF’s Next Gen group fosters a supportive community of industry professionals that stay active year-round through monthly virtual happy hours (register here for the Oct. 26 happy hour), a quarterly book club, and a private Facebook page.
“ clearly excited and passionate about growing, developing, and supporting each other as we learn to navigate everything this amazing and diverse industry has to offer,” says Megan Gerace of the floral marketing company GravityFree.
Get Energized
Everyone knows how real burnout is in the floral industry. Next Gen LIVE! has been the catalyst for many to get inspired and reignited their passion for their career.
“I feel rejuvenated and refreshed after attending next Gen LIVE!,” says Sarah Gillespie of Gillespie Florists in Indianapolis. “I loved learning from my peers and feel more connected than ever with my floral community.”
Invest in Your Future
Sheldon Jenson of Flowers by Michelle in Las Vegas, attended Next Gen LIVE! in 2022 and in 2023. It helped him learn more about himself. “I feel it makes me a better manager for myself, and my employees,” he says.
Claudia Muñoz, of the online flower selling platform Fresh-o-Fair, credits the event for helping her business move forward. “We discovered innovative approaches, practical solutions, and newfound inspiration that will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of our business,” she says.
Be a Part of Something Bigger
Amber Solomon of Tillie’s Flower Shop in Wichita, Kansas, attended the conference as a relative newbie. “The experience at Next Gen really made me feel like I’m part of the floral industry,” she says. “My eight months of design may not seem like much, but no one at the event made me feel new or unknowledgeable. Everyone was very welcoming and spoke to me as if I’ve been doing this for years.”
Expand Your Industry Knowledge
Robert Morgalo, a senior account executive at Esmeralda Farms, doesn’t get to see much of the day-to-day operations of a retail florist. Next Gen LIVE! helped him have a new appreciation for what they do, he says. “I have become aware of details I never really took into consideration, and I am now more equipped to assist my wholesalers to ensure they deliver above and beyond to their florists.”
The same was true for Cristina Ramos at Lovingly, a floral technology provider. “As an account manager I now can understand and relate a bit better to the struggles florists go through on a day-to-day basis,” she says.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the managing editor of SAF NOW.
