It feels like just yesterday, we were planting the first seeds of Thursd.com. And now, here we are, celebrating five incredible years of blooming, growing, and thriving together with you, our global community of florists, breeders, growers, and flower enthusiasts.
The Seed That Started It All
First, Thursd was just an idea — a small seedling with big dreams. We envisioned a space where the floral industry could unite, share ideas, showcase beautiful blooms, and keep up with the latest trends. This came to fruition when Thursd went live on September 1st, 2019. Fast-forward five years, and that little seedling has grown into a flourishing platform that connects florists, designers, growers, and flower lovers from every corner of the world.
Team Thursd.
Editor Melissa Maingot is marking a two-and-a-half year anniversary at Thursd:
"I proudly say that the team behind Thursd is the most talented, creative, and hard-working I've ever worked for. I started a floral journey with no plans to stop soon, and I hope that we, as Thursd, can keep communicating the importance and impact flowers and plants have on our well-being and daily lives. Happy five years of a flourishing time to come!"
"Seeing, smelling, writing, and working with flowers has made me a happy flower lover, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Flowers are the way to anyone's heart, and definitely made their way to mine!"
Edwin Kirwa, whose job function was channeled from Channel Manager to Customer Success Manager this year, is happy that Thursd promotes the Kenyan Flower Industry and shares Thursd's Vision.
"I first came in contact with Thursd in 2021, during my marketing manager days at United Selections. As their customer, I experienced firsthand the value they brought to our marketing strategies. Exposing the brand to the global audience and the right ones. Fast forward, I have now six months working full time as the Customer Success Manager for both Thursd and myThursd Meetup Spot; I couldn‘t be happier about the growth of Thursd over the years and am glad to be part of the amazing and thriving company now!"
Marcel de Romph is the Managing Editor of Thursd. He has been part of the team almost from the beginning:
"With a long history as a marketer in the trade business, I have come to understand that the real decision-makers in our industry are florists. These are the people who decide what an end consumer can choose from when entering into the shop; not for buying a specific flower, but for buying an emotion. Love, happiness, friendship, mourning... I have also learned that not everyone in this long floral chain knows or understands this. That's why I joined Thursd in January 2020.
The basis of Thursd.com is the great floriculture (related) stories. With that Thursd moves the entire floral chain from the breeder to the end consumer, creating demand from supply with inspirational content for everyone who loves flowers and plants. This way, our whole industry profits from this wonderful floral magazine.
I have been excited since day one - and I still am - to be a part of Thursd."
A Community That Keeps Growing
Watching our community blossom is one of the most rewarding aspects of these five years. Whether you’re a breeder in the Netherlands, a grower in Kenya, an agent in Ecuador, a trader in Japan, an event planner in the United States, a florist in Australia, or a consumer just loving flowers and plants in India, Thursd has become a hub for sharing knowledge, inspiration, and passion. We’ve seen countless collaborations bloom, new friendships take root, and innovations sprout throughout the floral industry.
Highlights From the Past Five Years
Looking back, there are so many moments that stand out. Remember when we launched our first-ever online exhibition, the Thursd Online Trade Fair (TOTF)? This is how Thursd focused on the floral industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Or what about all those floral designers who grabbed the opportunity to get the spotlight aimed at them, showing novelty flowers and plants at their best, promoting entire product groups?
Thursd has covered live events such as floristry championships, trade fairs, exhibitions, and seminars. The Thursd Floral Trend Color, marking the floristry color for the coming year, is held every November.
Team Thursd. Part 2
A team member who was front-running and deeply involved with the Thursd trend color is Regine Motmans:
"Flowers are my passion! They make you happy and feed your soul, and everything is more beautiful with flowers.
I have always believed in this mantra, and Thursd breathes this message. People are my passion as well. Family, friends, floral designers worldwide, growers, breeders, and traders…. To achieve results as we already did in the past five years, it’s an amazing feeling. Together with the whole Thursd Team I'm proud of it."
Our content has also evolved, moving beyond just flowers. We’ve delved into sustainability in floristry, explored the intersection of flowers and fashion, and even dipped our toes into the world of floral tech. And let’s not forget the profiles of inspiring figures in the industry — stories that have motivated us all to think bigger and do better. Thursd has built a long history of inspirational lifestyle articles about trends, home decoration, architecture, and art.
But also journalistic content. Brian Okinda is a reporter for Thursd that often creates in-depth stories for Thursd:
"Coming from a journalistic field that mainly focuses on the environment, sustainability, and nature, I must admit that at Thursd, I found myself just at the right spot. Even though at first I did not have much experience in flowers and plants at a more personal level, in the few years that I have been at Thursd, a lot has changed. I’m a connoisseur now! Well, I’m not quite there yet, but all the same, I'm getting there. Of course, with the help and input of the entire team and everyone else who partners with Thursd. It’s been a great time working with the Thursd team, and much more is coming!"
But there's more: Thursd is also highly sought after for link building to 3rd party domains. Nishant Mehta is Business Development Manager at Thursd:
"Since joining Thursd in April 2023 as a Business Development Manager, my journey has been truly transformative. Initially unfamiliar with the flower and plant industry, I've grown to love discussing all things floral. Managing link-building and sponsored content has sharpened my SEO skills while attending floriculture events in India and broadened my horizons. As we celebrate Thursd's 5th anniversary, I reflect on the past one and a half years with gratitude. The experience has not only increased my knowledge but also increased my passion for the floral world. I'm excited about my future with Thursd and the continued personal and professional growth it promises.
Happy 5th anniversary Thursd!!😍"
All stories are brought to you in a single online magazine, all still there to be (re)discovered by you. Can't get enough? That's fine because there's so much to see and read on Thursd.com.
Thursd Is Good for You
'Thursd Is Good for You' is more than a concept — it's a call to action, a reminder of our inherent connection to nature and its potential for healing and spiritual growth. Thursd's founder, Arnold Wittkamp, firmly believes that when we look at flowers and plants, have them around, and are much more aware of them, good things happen within us.
Arnold Wittkamp:
"Our mission is to promote the flower industry and 'Flower Magic'. We aim to build a platform that inspires people to reconnect with nature again and experience the magic that every flower and plant has to offer. We want to shift the focus from the quantitative aspect of consuming more flowers to the qualitative aspect of experiencing and appreciating the beauty and benefits of flowers and plants. And sometimes, that's just one flower."
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Looking to the Future
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re not just looking back — we’re excited about what lies ahead. The floral industry constantly evolves, and we’re committed to staying at the forefront of those changes. You can expect more innovative content, opportunities to connect with fellow flower enthusiasts, and more ways to showcase your work globally.
Where Thursd.com will remain the magazine with inspiring stories and designs, the myThursd meetup spot is designed to provide a more personalized and interactive experience for users within the global floral community. Essentially, it's your digital space within the Thursd ecosystem, where you can create and manage projects with other myThursd members (breeders, growers, floral designers, ...) that showcase your work, products, and services.
We’re also looking forward to expanding our reach, bringing in more voices from different parts of the world, and continuing to push the boundaries of what a floral platform can be. The next five years will be filled with more growth, creativity, and flowers.
A Heartfelt Thank You
To everyone who has been part of our journey — thank you. Whether you’ve been with us from the start or just joined the Thursd community, your passion and support have driven everything we do. Here’s to the next five years of blooming together!
Keep flowering, keep sharing, and let’s keep the floral world turning.
With gratitude and anticipation,
The Thursd Team
