Branea Reed bought the Missouri Stems Florist last fall and survived the December holidays and her first Valentine’s Day. But in the chaos of those holidays, she realized she needed more education and more contacts in the industry.
She found it at the Society of American Florists’ Next Gen LIVE! conference Feb. 23-25 in Dallas.
“Everybody there was really awesome and nice,” Reed says. “I wasn’t expecting everybody to be so open with information. This exceeded anything I could have imagined.”
Developed by and for young floral professionals, the event offered a unique blend of education, networking, industry insights and hands-on experiences to help attendees sharpen their skills and grow their careers. The event drew 133 floral professionals from 25 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada, Colombia and Ecuador. (See more photos here.)
In addition to education sessions focused on artificial intelligence, management, leadership, marketing, and communication, attendees also gained a deeper understanding of the industry through the session, “So You Think You Know Flowers.”
“I learned a lot more about the inner workings of the floral industry,” says first-time attendee Amanda Wiggins of McNamara Florist in Indianapolis. “I needed this because sometimes it’s hard to remember there is more than just your store.”
She also appreciated that the event gave her and others access to industry experts.
“I think that people who are getting into the floral industry or looking to move up in the business should go to further their knowledge from experts in the field,” she says.
Denise LaFrenier of Family Flowers agrees.
“This conference provides the tools and insights needed to grow and thrive,” she says. “If you’re serious about the future of your floral business, you don’t want to miss it.”
More Than Education
During an interactive trends and challenges session, attendees tackled the industry-wide challenge of getting more young people to pursue a career in floriculture. That discussion inspired Kyleen Rockman of Floral Expressions in Janesville, Wisconsin, to think of ways to get involved in her community and talk about floral careers.
“Coming here has really opened my eyes to how expansive the industry is and how many different types of jobs there are,” she says. “I’d like to see us do our part to get the word out and talk about career opportunities in this industry.
Something for Everyone
The event brought together professionals from all segments of the industry — florists, wholesalers and suppliers, technology vendors, importers, growers, and breeders. That provided a rich opportunity for networking, says Lisa Nason of Kennicott Brothers, a Chicago-based wholesaler.
“The energy, innovation, and passion for the floral industry were truly inspiring,” she says. “It was amazing to connect with so many talented professionals who are shaping the future of floristry…and the networking opportunities were second to none.”
Reed is heading back to her shop with new suppliers in mind, new insights about the floral industry, new friends, and more knowledge to grow her business. She says she is grateful for the event and will encourage others — no matter what stage they are in their career — to attend next year.
“There’s something for everybody here — whether you’re a wholesaler, whether you’re a retail florist like me, or whether you even do things that aren’t actually dealing with the flowers themselves, like marketing,” she says. “I would definitely recommend it for anybody in any aspect of the industry.”
Stay tuned for an announcement revealing the date and location for next year’s Next Gen LIVE! conference.
Kenya McCullum is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.