When George Clements heard a presentation about AI-powered customer service at the Society of American Florists’ 2025 annual convention, he saw a possibility: offer customers support around the clock. Back home at George’s Flowers in Roanoke, Virginia, that idea became a project. Now, the shop is preparing to launch “Rosie,” an AI customer service agent designed to provide after-hours support and eventually assist staff during busy call periods.
That kind of practical, business-changing idea is exactly why many florists say they can’t afford to miss SAF’s convention, SAF Amelia Island 2026, happening Aug. 18-20. At a time when artificial intelligence, shifting consumer behavior, rising costs and labor challenges are reshaping the floral industry, attendees say the convention provides something increasingly valuable: a chance to step away from day-to-day operations, learn what’s coming next, and return home with strategies they can put to work immediately.
“Evolving and adapting …are the only ways to keep our industry alive, especially when challenges are shaping our industry fast and furious,” Clements says.
Michael Goldman, owner of Dottie’s Flowers & Plants in Reseda, California, asks himself every year: “How is this trip going to pay for itself?” And every year “I’ve found that it has — many times over,” he says.
For Goldman, convention education and peer conversations have produced practical ideas around profitability, delivery management, product development, technology, and customer experience. He notes that the community surrounding the event can be just as valuable as the formal sessions themselves.
That combination of education and networking shows up repeatedly in attendees’ experiences.
Dan Rohe, co-owner of The Flower Station in Traverse City, Michigan, says lessons learned at convention helped transform their operation. Through convention education, they explored everything from flower food fundamentals to AI tools. Through networking, they built relationships with florists across the country who shared operational insights and best practices.
“The people we’ve met and the things we’ve learned has helped us take our 50-plus year-old flower shop from carbon copies to an efficient systems driven business,” Rohe says. The business is now in the process of opening its second location.
For many attendees, the value comes from ideas that can be applied immediately.
Sarah LoBue, AIFD, PFCI, owner of Main Street Florist in Carlinville, Illinois, last year attended a session on designing and selling sympathy flowers led by Tim Farrell, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, and Vonda LaFever, AAF, AIFD, PFCI. The program offered practical approaches for consulting with grieving families and creating more personalized memorial tributes. LoBue returned home and shared those concepts with her team, helping them guide families more confidently and create designs that felt more meaningful and individualized.
“The class offered practical ways to adapt instead of just dwelling on how the industry has changed,” LoBue says.
Even attendees with decades of industry experience continue to find new ideas.
Brad Weinstein of Petals and Stems Florist in Dallas attended his first SAF convention after nearly 30 years in the business. He found value in hearing industry perspectives, exploring trends, and learning about emerging AI tools that his son has since begun using in the business. The experience also helped him recognize market shifts that would soon affect his own shop. “It was eye-opening,” he says.
Convention also offers something increasingly difficult to find when you’re focused on daily operations — a chance to step outside the shop and see what’s happening across the industry. Attendees hear economic forecasts, explore consumer trends, discover new products and technologies at the Supplier Expo, compare strategies with peers, and build relationships that continue long after the event ends.
“If you want to learn, improve and grow your business, invest in yourself and go,” Rohe says.
See the full schedule and register here. Early bird rates end June 18.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists, and Kenya McCullumn is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
