This week's article comes from Joe Guggia, AIFD.
Just think about hundreds of florists in one location for the better part of a week, designing at all hours with their different personalities and egos kicking around together professionally and socially. Scary thought? Turns out, not in the least! This is where flowers, art, and designers from across the globe gather for the annual American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) Symposium. This year’s event, “Transition Transformation,” occurred last weekend with the goal to create floral art that tantalizes our senses beyond our wildest imagination. That goal was definitely accomplished.
Not many of us “everyday” florists have a chance to create floral art as they do at Symposium. Given the types of orders we usually get (get well soon, happy birthday, etc.), it might seem a waste of your valuable time to even view the program images, much less attend the event. But I have a newsflash for you: dollar for dollar, there is no other place flooded with so much floral information/inspiration, both in terms of design as well as how to sell your skills. I know from experience that you can elevate your skills and profit margin by incorporating just one idea from AIFD Symposium.
A few years ago I helped Pim van den Akker as a liaison for his AIFD program. He’s an incredible guy, laid back, with tons of talent. What he taught me was how to give floral arrangements a nature-like feel with birch log stands and bark coverings. I learned to glue fresh items to cover my mechanics. On my trip back home, I started thinking about different ways to implement these design elements into artificial, fresh, sympathy, and other florist designs.
Here are a few genius ideas from this year’s event you can use to better your business:
· The birch-covered “risers” Monroe Cranford, AIFD, CFD, and Darla Pawlak, AIFD, CFD, created for their “Amalgamation” program. They have so many uses: ceremony designs, table creations, artificial installations ... get your tools out and go for it! This program was about blending fresh and artificial product. How cool is that? You then have items to reuse as rentals for the next event. Yeah!
· Walter Fedyshyn, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, and Lottie Nys, AIFD, CFD, showed how to give the same materials a different slant to create event designs for various seasons in “Unveiled—Re-Purpose, Re-Use, Re-New.” I really gravitated to the Accent Décor container line with the mossed sphere, flowers and foliage. Adjust their large designs to suit your bride’s needs. This program gave me the idea to purchase a large children’s bouncing ball, spray it with adhesive, then moss it up myself, color spraying it whatever color I need. (See, one idea sparks a whole lot more!)
Sure, you might not sell some extravagant floor-to-ceiling design, but there are plenty of ideas you can take and incorporate into your own business to separate yourself from the mass marketers. Visit the Symposium Facebook page (AIFD Symposium Transition Transformation) this weekend. Take one idea and put it to work for your next event or shop display. Keeping the creative juices flowing will give your floral soul new life and goals and will keep money coming your way. This small guy is a perfect example!
Just think about hundreds of florists in one location for the better part of a week, designing at all hours with their different personalities and egos kicking around together professionally and socially. Scary thought? Turns out, not in the least! This is where flowers, art, and designers from across the globe gather for the annual American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) Symposium. This year’s event, “Transition Transformation,” occurred last weekend with the goal to create floral art that tantalizes our senses beyond our wildest imagination. That goal was definitely accomplished.
Not many of us “everyday” florists have a chance to create floral art as they do at Symposium. Given the types of orders we usually get (get well soon, happy birthday, etc.), it might seem a waste of your valuable time to even view the program images, much less attend the event. But I have a newsflash for you: dollar for dollar, there is no other place flooded with so much floral information/inspiration, both in terms of design as well as how to sell your skills. I know from experience that you can elevate your skills and profit margin by incorporating just one idea from AIFD Symposium.
A few years ago I helped Pim van den Akker as a liaison for his AIFD program. He’s an incredible guy, laid back, with tons of talent. What he taught me was how to give floral arrangements a nature-like feel with birch log stands and bark coverings. I learned to glue fresh items to cover my mechanics. On my trip back home, I started thinking about different ways to implement these design elements into artificial, fresh, sympathy, and other florist designs.
Here are a few genius ideas from this year’s event you can use to better your business:
· The birch-covered “risers” Monroe Cranford, AIFD, CFD, and Darla Pawlak, AIFD, CFD, created for their “Amalgamation” program. They have so many uses: ceremony designs, table creations, artificial installations ... get your tools out and go for it! This program was about blending fresh and artificial product. How cool is that? You then have items to reuse as rentals for the next event. Yeah!
· Walter Fedyshyn, AIFD, CFD, PFCI, and Lottie Nys, AIFD, CFD, showed how to give the same materials a different slant to create event designs for various seasons in “Unveiled—Re-Purpose, Re-Use, Re-New.” I really gravitated to the Accent Décor container line with the mossed sphere, flowers and foliage. Adjust their large designs to suit your bride’s needs. This program gave me the idea to purchase a large children’s bouncing ball, spray it with adhesive, then moss it up myself, color spraying it whatever color I need. (See, one idea sparks a whole lot more!)
Sure, you might not sell some extravagant floor-to-ceiling design, but there are plenty of ideas you can take and incorporate into your own business to separate yourself from the mass marketers. Visit the Symposium Facebook page (AIFD Symposium Transition Transformation) this weekend. Take one idea and put it to work for your next event or shop display. Keeping the creative juices flowing will give your floral soul new life and goals and will keep money coming your way. This small guy is a perfect example!
