Staying connected to the floral industry — and to the people, events, information and resources that can help your business — just got easier.
The Society of American Florists has launched SAF Now, a new mobile app that gives members a year-round hub for industry news, SAF resources, educational opportunities and conversations with fellow floral professionals, all accessible from a phone or tablet.
“SAF already has so much information, practical business help and, just as important, a community of floral professionals who are always learning from and helping each other,” says SAF CEO Kate Penn. “We created the SAF Now app to make it easier to tap into all of that throughout the year, wherever you are.”
Unlike an event-only app that members might open a few times a year, SAF Now is designed to be a resource used year-round. Members can check the latest industry headlines, learn about upcoming educational events and find SAF resources such as Ask Aster — SAF’s AI business assistant. Members can also use the app’s messaging features to continue conversations beyond conferences and meetings through one-on-one and group messages.
(Click here for a short video tour of the app and its features.)
For Lisa Nason of Kennicott Brothers Wholesale, the app’s messaging feature has already opened the door to new industry connections.
“I’ve had several conversations with people in the industry who I wasn’t previously connected to, and we were able to connect right in the app,” Nason says. “It’s a great way to build your network and start conversations. For something that takes a minute to download, you get a lot of value from it.”
SAF Now also serves as the mobile event app for SAF’s in-person events. Attendees can view schedules and speaker information, build personalized agendas, connect with exhibitors and other attendees, participate in group chats, share photos and receive event notifications.
SAF Now is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. After downloading the app, members can sign in using the same email address and password they use for the SAF website and member database. Once logged in, follow the directions below to customize which notifications you receive, including alerts about events, news posts, polls and more. Be sure to also enable notifications for SAF Now in your device settings.
Members who download and log in to SAF Now by Oct. 16 will automatically be entered into a drawing to win one of three $100 gift cards.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
