Fewer than 60 days after entering the floral industry, Sydney Williams arrived at the Society of American Florists’ 141st annual convention looking for practical help running the two Red River Florals shops she had purchased July 1.
Williams was one of 493 floral professionals who attended SAF Amelia Island 2026, held Aug. 18–20 at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida. Over three days, attendees learned from business experts and industry peers, explored new products and floral varieties, and formed relationships spanning every segment of the supply chain. (See event photos here.)
For Williams, the payoff came during “Build Your AI Brain,” presented by Joe Aldeguer, SAF’s director of IT, and Cameron Pappas, AAF, of Norton’s Florist in Birmingham, Alabama. Although Williams already used artificial intelligence daily, she hoped the session would show her floral-specific ways to reduce repetitive work and create more time to manage two locations. It delivered far more than she expected.
“The dashboard Joe and Cameron demonstrated was astounding, and I cannot wait to implement that tool,” Williams says. “Joe also helped me resolve a few other AI challenges, allowing me to avoid hiring a bookkeeper altogether. That single class saved me an estimated 10 to 15 hours a week.”
Williams plans to purchase a dedicated computer for her new AI tools — a much smaller expense than the employee she had expected to hire.
Ideas Attendees Can Implement
Like Williams, attendees returned home with specific strategies they could put to work.
Jena Gizerskiy, CFD, PFCI, of Tessa Corp. left with an employee-engagement exercise shared by keynote speaker Mike Lee. Lee encouraged employers to ask team members to identify 10 things that genuinely matter to them about their work experience—and then commit to acting on at least one response.
Monty Pereira, AAF, PFCI, of Watanabe Floral in Honolulu, also took note of Lee’s recommendation that employers provide one mental health day per quarter.
Attendees found inspiration in design and marketing, too. Marcela Lopez-Vallejo of Marcela Floral in Wendell, North Carolina, was struck by the different creative approaches demonstrated in the Sylvia Cup Design Competition.
Jenny Ingrum, AIFD, EMC, CEJ, PFCI, of Dr. Delphinium Designs & Events began thinking about how a community event inspired by the winning Marketer of the Year campaign could be adapted for Dallas.
Those takeaways reflect one of the convention’s greatest benefits: Attendees don’t simply hear broad ideas. They see how others are putting them into practice and consider how to adapt them for their own businesses.
A Broader View of the Supply Chain
Learning continued beyond the meeting rooms during an optional tour of Florida foliage operations Albin Hagstrom & Sons and FernTrust. For Taylor Priest of Cleveland Flower & Plant, seeing foliage before harvest and following it through the packing houses provided context he plans to share with his managers and sales team.
“It was valuable to see their operations and gain an understanding of what our product looks like before it is harvested and how the product is handled while it is still growing,” Priest says.
The tour also offered a firsthand look at growers’ labor and production challenges—knowledge Priest believes can help wholesalers communicate more effectively when problems arise, recommend substitutions and educate customers.
“It is super important for everyone, from retailers to wholesalers, to understand growers’ challenges so that we can have better communication with our customers,” he says. “The industry does better when we all work together to support each other.”
Connections That Strengthen Businesses
Education is only part of the convention’s value. By bringing growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, designers and educators together, the event creates opportunities for conversations that rarely happen through emails or scheduled sales calls.
“You leave with more than just new ideas,” says Dani Pritt, AAF, AzMF, of Cactus Flowers. “You gain practical knowledge, fresh perspective and relationships that can continue to benefit your business long after the convention is over.”
Williams, whose previous conference experience was in the automotive industry, was surprised not only by the convention’s practicality, but by the willingness of floral industry leaders to share their knowledge. “I plan to return every year,” she says, “and next year I am bringing some staff.”
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communication for the Society of American Florists.
