During this year's SAF Convention in Miami, there was an incredible presence of visitors coming from all over the world. As people got excited for this annual reunion with the chance to network, grow, learn, and have casual fun times with colleagues and newcomers, over 400 people attended the convention, ranging from floral designers, retailers, wholesalers, growers, breeders, and everything in between. Aviram Krell visited the event this year and shared more of his experience during his days visiting the Sunshine State.
Plantec's Participation at SAF 2024
Speaking with Aviram, a representative of Plantec Ecuador, we get a sense of what the company sees in the Society of American Florists.
He says:
"SAF has done an incredible job of breaking down traditional barriers in the industry. Historically our side of the industry — the breeder's side — never gets an opportunity to hear direct feedback from designers and florists. Having this chance in convention allows us to re-calibrate our selection criteria, and hear how our roses are being received by the final consumer."
The convention also provided many interesting seminars directed at understanding the industry up to 2024, allowing attendees to find trends and patterns to plan for the future.
An Exciting Outstanding Varieties Competition
In the long-awaited 'Outstanding Varieties Competition', the event awards Blue Ribbons to the flowers that scored in the top 15% of the competition. The following 30% of scorers receive Red Ribbons.
On this occasion, Aviram shares that of the Blue Ribbons presented to many different farms from Ecuador and Colombia, ten winners were farms that entered with exclusive Plantec Varieties. Of special note were Sacha Roses' Rose Fortune and Rose Queens Crown, which won a total of three Ribbons from three farms.
Native Blooms, Equiflor, and Sunrite Farms all won Ribbons with their Queens Crown roses. Winners of outstanding varieties during this year's edition also include Attar Roses, Agrirose, Flores Verdes, Rosesland, Florecal, LifeFlowers, El Milagro, Eden Roses, Jet Fresh Flowers, and Prestige. In fact, there were many more! To see the full list of all the winners, visit the SAF website.
As a last point, Aviram also expressed:
"We saw many florists and designers interested in the upcoming '#ashtag' rose series, a new genetics of spray rose from Interplant. The uniquely shaped petals create a texture and design opportunity never before possible with roses."
For this and much more news, make sure to visit Plantec's website to learn more about them and their incredible rose collections.
Photos courtesy of Plantec.
