What do customers see when they land on your homepage or walk into your shop? If it’s tired design tropes — like a mylar balloon tied to a bud vase with a single rose and baby’s breath — you may be sending the wrong message, says floral trend-spotter Talmage McLaurin, AIFD.
“We really want to try to get away from that old-world kind of stale florist concept,” says McLaurin, creative director at Esmeralda Farms. “We want something that when they walk in — whether it’s virtually or physically — that surprises them and shows that you’re trend forward.”
And that’s not just about aesthetics. It’s about profits.
“Quite frankly, if you’re creating those kind of reactions, you can charge more money,” McLaurin says.
Find out what’s driving those reactions — and how to infuse your 2026 product lines with trend-forward appeal — at SAF Phoenix 2025, the Society of American Florists’ 140th annual convention Aug. 11-14. McLaurin kicks-off the event with the 2026 Flower Trend Forecast, an eye-opening presentation on the global and cultural forces shaping floral design.
McLaurin has more than 30 years of experience spotting and translating trends into floral inspiration. His forecast will reveal six trends, accompanied by stunning arrangements that demonstrate the trend, and examples of how they are showing up in current events, pop culture, fashion and interior decorating. McLaurin will also provide a color palette and container suggestions.
“These six looks are important and validated across the different industries,” McLaurin says. “Consumers are going to be seeing them in magazines, they’re going to be seeing them in different venues of pop culture. The whole goal is to key into other things that are happening aesthetically in the world so when they walk in your shop they think, ‘Wow! This is cool!’”
Another session, “Profiles in Color: Turn Trends Into Sales,” builds on the trends forecast by using some of the trending colors and showing floral pros how to align them with specific customer profiles. The session, presented by Klair McDermott, AIFD, PFCI, and Kim Kashman of Fresh Path Marketing, also provides ways to enhance the in-store experience with scripts, visuals and product pairings.
“The activation of a trend is not easy,” says Laura Shinall of Fresh Path Marketing. “It’s one thing to hear the trend, it’s another to understand how to apply it and how to actually leverage it from a sales perspective.”
The session, she says, helps florists engage with customers at a deeper level so they are better served.
Looking for more ways to elevate your offerings? Discover premiere flowers and foliage at the Outstanding Varieties Competition, where growers and breeders present thousands of stems to be judged by an expert panel for top honors. Suppliers will also have their products on display at the Supplier Expo, which this year features high-value giveaways from dozens of vendors.
Learn more about SAF Phoenix and register here.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
