The Orange Festival during Chrysanthemum Week 2025 in Antioquia, Colombia, brought an intensity that went beyond a variety display. Dümmen Orange LATAM welcomed hundreds of visitors from across Latin America, the U.S., and Europe but numbers alone weren’t the story. What mattered was how the event created an environment for conversations about the present and future of Chrysanthemums.
Always a Great Floral Time at Dümmen Orange
Instead of traditional showroom visits, the company built an atmosphere that felt closer to an open house than a trade floor. Coffee stations linked to variety names, signature cocktails, and interactive corners kept the flow informal but intentional. The genetics were at the center — more than 160 Chrysanthemum varieties in one place — but the surrounding design encouraged guests to engage with them in new ways.
Fun moments and times along Chrysanthemums during the festival
Several varieties drew particular attention. Chrysanthemum Vallarta, with its large lavender disbud form, stood out for scale; Chrysanthemum Dragon Flame an award winner from Proflora 2023, confirmed its versatility, and last but not least, Chrysanthemum Lamira, with purple shades, lighted up conversations about color trends in upcoming markets.
During the event, Chrysanthemums became case studies for how these flowers can evolve in response to different consumer and wholesale demands. As organizers, this year Dümmen Orange played a key role in shaping the digital strategy of Chrysanthemum Week. The team led the redesign of the website and coordinated social media efforts, which significantly expanded the event’s visibility and reach.
A key takeaway from this edition was the strong interest shown by growers in certain varieties, many of which will be available to buyers in the coming years once trials are completed. One of the most valuable aspects of these events is when growers attend alongside their buyers. This direct connection makes the selection process easier and encourages choices that lean toward more innovative options.
The Advantage of Experiencing These Events in Person
Events like these are important to shape the pace for how the industry interacts, how trends are introduced, how professionals connect, and how companies position themselves within the wider floriculture movement. Attending gives the time to understand where genetics, market strategies, and customer engagement are heading.
For many of those present, the festival was a clear vision that innovation in floriculture is no longer just about creating varieties with better performance. It’s also about how they are presented, how stories are told around them, and how digital platforms amplify their reach.
For professionals in floriculture, events like Chrysanthemum Week have become checkpoints in the year — moments to see what’s emerging, to exchange ideas, and to measure where the industry is heading. The Orange Festival in particular showed that being on the ground is more than a formality. Visitors got to experience firsthand how new genetics are being positioned, how companies frame their strategies, and how global players connect with local growers.
Peeking Into 2026 - How Early Planning Shapes the Experience
One of the clear takeaways from this year’s event is the importance of planning ahead. Chrysanthemum Week has grown beyond a regional gathering because it now attracts an international audience that books flights and meetings months in advance. The scale of interaction — from breeders and growers to buyers and distributors — makes it one of the few opportunities where multiple parts of the chain converge in one place. Missing it means missing the direct conversations, the side-by-side comparisons, and the informal exchanges that can only happen in person.
For 2026, the Orange Festival will return during Week 35, and the expectation is that momentum will only build further. It’s part of staying current, staying connected, and staying competitive.
Photos courtesy of Dümmen Orange.
