On the first day of the Interflora World Cup 2023 competition, it was time for the second task, a secret one for all contestants at the Manchester Central Convention Centre, UK.
Imagine the nerves when the surprise assignment was announced! They all received a big wooden honeycomb, and they were asked to create a design to celebrate the importance of bees to our planet.
The shape is free. The design must not exceed a ground space of 1.5 meters. The maximum height from the floor is 2.4 meters. No special techniques are required, all materials are provided by Interflora and they can only use the official toolbox list. At least two-thirds of the finished design must be fresh flowers and/or plant material for them to be visually dominant.
Here's what the twenty floral creators made to convince the jury of their skills.
Thursday 7th September
Task 2: Surprise
Adding an element of excitement, the competitors faced a surprise design challenge under timed conditions in the afternoon. Within just 15 minutes, they must review the brief, flowers, and materials before creating a stunning masterpiece. Brace yourself for an incredible showcase of spontaneity, creativity, and rapid decision-making as these talented maestros bring their visions to life.
Task #2 is 'All About the Bees' - a surprise package using a honeycomb wood prop. The bee symbolizes focus, hard work, teamwork, generosity, and prosperity, and the Manchester worker bee represents this city’s sense of unity.
Overall Competition Theme of the Interflora World Cup 2023
The overall theme of this year’s competition was ‘Our Natural World’. Each task has been created to show love and respect for the beautiful planet we live on as well as to capture the imagination of the competitors and show visitors how florists cherish nature and the environment.
All competitors were asked to concentrate on sustainability and natural materials in their designs.
They’re all the best in the business. There were a total of six heats altogether across the three days, including the Semi-Final evening on Friday 8th September, and the Grand Final evening on Saturday 9th September. Each task had a different theme and a quote to convey with the design, and three of them were kept completely under wraps until just before the timer started.
Watch All Designs
If you visited the event on Saturday’s exhibition day, you’d have the chance to see over 100 mind-blowing floral designs created throughout the competition so far. You would have witnessed the evolution of floral artistry and gained a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and passion behind each masterpiece. Perhaps you have even taken the exclusive opportunity to speak to all contestants in their booths and ask them any questions you may have had about their floral art.
If you did not get that chance, or if you just want to see those works of art again, continue below to check the other designs.
Hyunghak Kim, South Korea
The Other Tasks
So, after the brilliant start with Task 1 came some more challenges. Click on the link to continue watching great designs.
Thursday 7th September.
Task 1: Our Forest Canopies – Suspended Design
Friday 8th September.
Task 3: Our Ocean Waves – Table for Two
Task 4: Our Clouds – Bridal Design
Task 5: Semi-Final – Surprise Task - Magnificent Meadows
Saturday 9th September.
