Floriexpo, North America's premier business-to-business event serving the floral industry, has announced the strategic expansion of its Advisory Board with the appointment of Benita Krampelj, Head of Floral Category Management at Metro, Tatiana Castro, VP of Floral Sales and Corporate Marketing at PPC Flex, and Kevin Prill, Manager of Floral at The GIANT Company. The appointments are expected to further drive Floriexpo’s mission, addressing the changing needs of the modern floral supply chain heading into 2026.
The announcements made in October and November 2025 also emphasize Floriexpo's keenness on maintaining its role as the industry's most relevant and responsive trade event. As the only B2B platform exclusively dedicated to the floral sector in North America, Floriexpo serves as a gathering place for buyers, suppliers, and distributors across the Americas.
Who Is Benita Krampelj and Why Is She Joining Floriexpo's Advisory Board?
Benita Krampelj brings a strong perspective from one of Canada’s biggest grocery retailers. As Head of Floral Category Management at Metro, the country’s third-largest chain, she knows high-volume retail operations and wholesale flower procurement inside out. She understands precisely what it takes to source, move, and present fresh flowers to mass-market customers, a challenge many in today’s floral industry recognize.
Her role on the Strategic Advisory Board strengthens Floriexpo’s leadership. Her experience with mass-market buyers and chain stores is especially valuable. She knows procurement, inventory management, and retail quality control at a level that few in the industry can match. Her insights will help shape education and tools for large-scale floral operations, meeting a clear need as the sector continues to grow and professionalize.
Why Will Tatiana Castro's Insight Help Floriexpo?
Tatiana Castro brings a complementary skill set to the Advisory Board, focused on marketing innovation and sustainable packaging. As VP of Floral Sales and Corporate Marketing at PPC Flex, she understands branding, consumer trends, and the sustainability efforts that are reshaping the industry. In today’s floral market, packaging has become more than a functional detail. It is a strategic element that influences buying decisions and brand identity. Tatiana’s expertise meets the growing need for eco-friendly packaging and fresh approaches to product presentation. Her insight will help Floriexpo shape content around sustainability challenges and opportunities across the floral supply chain.
Kevin Prill Brings Two Decades of High-Volume Retail and Procurement Experience
Kevin has more than 20 years of expertise in large-scale retail and purchasing, bringing credentials to the advisory board freshly reinforced by his Floral Marketer of the Year award. His background positions Floriexpo to better serve grocery stores and mass-market flower retailers. Drawing on his knowledge of supply chain management, product presentation, and market trends from his work at The GIANT Company—a major regional grocer operating close to 200 locations in four states—he will help guide both programming and vendor selection for the 2026 show and future editions.
A Strategic Vision for Industry Growth
Bob Callahan, the President and CEO of Floriexpo, expressed enthusiasm about the new appointments, emphasizing their importance to the event's mission.
Bob Callahan:
"Our Advisory Board is the compass that guides Floriexpo, ensuring we remain the most relevant and authentic event for the entire floral supply chain. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Benita, Tatiana, and Kevin. Benita's mass-market purchasing experience, Tatiana's expertise in strategic marketing and packaging innovation and Kevin’s perspective from Giant Supermarket, a major player in consumer floral consumption, are invaluable, filling vital roles on our board, guaranteeing that our event programming and focus reflect the most pressing needs of our buyers and exhibitors."
The expanded Advisory Board also demonstrates Floriexpo's comprehensive approach to serving the various stakeholders in the floral industry. Board members represent different segments, including mass-market retail, packaging innovation, wholesale distribution, and online retail, all of which are crucial components of the modern floral supply chain.
Shaping the Future of the Floral Industry
Industry professionals regard Floriexpo as a central venue for shaping trends and creating connections. The timing of these appointments, therefore, positions the event well to deliver enhanced value at its 2026 edition. The Advisory Board's guidance will shape educational programming, exhibitor experiences, and networking opportunities designed to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing floral professionals.
With their addition, the Advisory Board becomes an even more influential body, providing strategic guidance on how mass-market floral products are procured, marketed, and presented. Their insights will help ensure that Floriexpo remains ahead of the curve on sustainability, packaging innovation, and delivering exceptional value to exhibitors and attendees by bringing diverse perspectives to guide the event's strategic direction.
Floriexpo 2026 in Fort Lauderdale
Floriexpo 2026 takes place at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from May 27 to 29 in an edition that promises an even richer blend of education, business development, and networking opportunities. This year's show is already 40% larger than this time last year, packed with more innovation than ever before.
It will present the latest insights and strategies adopted by leading floral organizations globally, and the strengthened Advisory Board will undoubtedly play a key role in shaping its agenda and future direction, continuing Floriexpo’s legacy as the go-to destination for the floral industry’s brightest minds and most innovative companies.
Registration for Floriexpo 2026 is open, offering you the chance to get ahead of the trends, connect with the entire supply chain, and build your business, all in one place.
Photos by Floriexpo.
