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Refresh your knowledge, connect with your peers, and strengthen your floral muscles! That was what this bootcamp was all about. The talks kept everyone engaged and excited! Explore design, gain inspiration, master marketing and sales, and enhance team-building skills.
Each of the micro sessions was immediately followed by a round table discussion where the audience collaborated with like-minded individuals while tapping into their creativity in a dynamic and condensed format. This is where the magic happened! Everyone received a certification of attendance at the end of this immersive, expert-led day.
Floral Bootcamp
Designing in 2024
Derek Woodruff started the Floral Bootcamp and worked with items of Syndicate Sales. He showed us just how easily he could design with flowers in — for example — the Holly Chapple pillow. And if designed in a small container, you would say it’s nice; but the same arrangement in a bigger vase creates a huge impact. And the peachy colors are the best for him. Flowers may be expensive but adding a touch of colored foliage makes the bouquets exceptional.
Spotting and Purchasing for Trends
After this, Beth O’Reilly, Product & Business Development Manager, Dutchess Bouquets, took the stage. Her presentation was fun and contemporary.
Beth used September Studio as an example, to show that flowers make happy, young people use flowers to present themselves and show them to the world. Big installations with plants and plant materials are hot today.
And what about trends? Do you follow, or are you a trendsetter? You have to be confident and create what you want to achieve the goals you want to reach. What is a trend, by the way; it’s always evolving. Also, single-use vases are another thing we see coming by a lot.
Beth O’Reilly:
"You know, to me, we are artists and so we create art. And to do that, the industry gives us some tools. Like you see these days the tinted roses or the enhanced greens. It gives you the time to think about every way you get to work with them, it gives you a chance to stand out and be different."
Color palettes can be complex and interesting. And, of course, you need bridges. There are many colors of carnations, so Beth loves to work with those.
The Importance of Merchandising to Make the Sale
Emma Coupe, Horticulture Trading Manager at Marks & Spencer, talked about how important it is how your presentation looks.
Already the front of your business gives the customer a reason to not trust you. Keep it clean and consistent. Work with themes, and always think about the customer’s mission.
Chain of stewardship key takeouts: Think mission, and customer decision hierarchy, create events (don’t have to be seasonal), be single-minded, be consistent, and make it easy to buy.
Developing & Executing a Successful Marketing Campaign
Have you ever heard of 'That Flower Feeling'? Of course, you have. Steve Dionne came to talk about how things needed to change that instead of seeing flowers as a luxury product, it had to be something for daily routine. Flowers are good for you and your mental health. So the campaign 'Self-care made easy' was a hit.
After Steve, the group heard about how the whole industry is funding this campaign. Vanessa Leite, Community Engagement & Development Specialist, said that with over 160 partners, this campaign is carried by many.
Making Social Media Work for You and Your Business
Social media can be a great tool to promote your business if you take the time to learn the ins and outs. There are endless opportunities for its use from the most basic approach to expert-level execution – there is truly something useful for everyone. Yvonne Ashton came to talk about how at Mayesh they tackle social media, and which tools they use to be able to get the job done. They work with apps like Hive project management, HubSpot CRM, social scheduling, Meta social editing and ads, Canva design content, Group chat collaborating.
How to Be Successful With an ECommerce Business
The CEO and Founder of Fifty Flowers Liza Roeser gave a presentation about how they grew to what they are today, with a lot of courage and learning from mistakes. In this session, we looked at how stores have integrated with E-commerce, with a particular emphasis on the onboarding process, marketing strategies, and development techniques.
Design Lessons From Around the Globe
Mark Frank talked about how in the Netherlands the trend of wildflower bouquets was huge, and how it could become a success in the States. Being colorful and different, with a seasonal choice from the growers. Frank was a stylist for several years and created ideas for the US market, and now this trend is growing exponentially.
Floral Buyer Pain Points & Successes
Lisa Letch, Floral Sales Manager, at Shaw’s / Star Market, and Nadia Pregoni, Buyer Floral – Cut Flowers, Stop & Shop, talked about strategies for sourcing new products and finding reliable suppliers, effective methods for holiday inventory planning and trend analysis, and the intricacies of merchandising across different store layouts and demographics. Additionally, they discussed best practices for managing responsibilities and expectations with remote staff. Learn how to streamline your operations, save time and money, and enhance your floral retail business.
End of the Floral Bootcamp
Everybody received a certificate, marking the successful completion of the day’s challenges and the Floral Bootcamp!
The day ended with a golden hour at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina with the kick-off of Floriexpo 2024! Connect with friends new and old, enjoy a beverage, and get ready for all that Floriexpo has to offer over the next couple of days.
