For me, the Gateway to the Americas Cup is one of those rare events that's about friends and family, about raising the level of the entire industry, and, of course, about winning. But most of all, it's the passion for flowers they all share.
The world’s floral design community gathered in Orlando, Florida, on June 5–6 for the 2026 Gateway to the Americas Cup, an international floral design competition showcasing exceptional creativity, technical excellence, and artistic innovation from designers representing countries across the globe. Hosted in conjunction with the FSFA International Convention, the Gateway to the Americas Cup challenged competitors through five distinct design events that tested their artistry, technical skill, interpretation, and creativity.
Five Tasks That Tested Every Skill
Over several days, competitors faced five very different challenges, each designed to show another side of floral artistry.
Gus and Deborah De La Flor, founders and organizers of the Gateway to the Americas Cup:
“We are proud to provide a platform where floral artists from around the world can share their creativity, artistry, and talents with an international audience. The passion, innovation, and excellence displayed by this year’s competitors remind us why this event continues to bring the global floral community together.”
Following two days of outstanding competition, the overall winners of the 2026 Gateway to the Americas Cup were:
First Place: Eric Lin from Taiwan. His work showed confidence, refinement, and a strong ability to translate an idea into floral design.
Second Place: Aleksandra Flak from Poland. Her designs stood out through elegance, craftsmanship, and clear interpretation of the competition themes.
Third Place: Anna Dementieva from Ukraine. Her work showed both technical skill and artistic sensitivity, confirming the high level of this year’s competition.
Eric Lin delivered a remarkable performance throughout the competition, capturing three of the five individual design challenges on the way to securing the overall championship. How I wish I could have witnessed all of this...
Americas Champion
In addition to the overall competition awards, Jenny Ingrum (USA) was honored as the 2026 Americas Champion, recognizing her outstanding achievement among competitors representing the Americas.
"Congratulations, Jenny. For over ten years, I've seen you grow, from studying EMC (European Master Certification) together through many encounters over the years. I'm really proud of the designer you've become."
Individual Design Challenge Winners
Task 1 – Surprise Design: Inspired By Nature Winner: Eric Lin (Taiwan)
Task 2 – Bridal Wreath Bouquet Winner: Eric Lin (Taiwan)
Task 3 – Cocktails: Intimate Table for Two Winner: Anna Dementieva (Ukraine)
Task 4 – Floral Fashion Winner: Aleksandra Flak (Poland)
Task 5 – Surprise Design! Winner: Eric Lin (Taiwan)
The competition highlighted the extraordinary diversity of contemporary floral design, with competitors demonstrating excellence in bridal work, tablescape design, floral fashion, surprise challenges, and nature-inspired creations.
.jpg?1781517580418 "Competitors, Assistants and Organizing Team at Gateway to the Americas")
Thank You to All Sponsors
Events like these are lost without support from traders, growers, and breeders. The Gateway to the Americas Cup extends its sincere appreciation to the organizations whose generous support helped make the 2026 competition possible. Their commitment to floral education, innovation, and professional excellence continues to strengthen the industry and provide opportunities for designers to showcase their talents on an international stage: FTD, Details Flowers Software, OASIS Floral Products, Gardens America, Jet Fresh Flower Distributors, FernTrust, Accent Decor, Floralife, FloristWare.
FSFA International Supporting Sponsors: Alexandra Farms, Galleria Farms, Flora & More, Giftwares Co., Choice Farms, Tessa Corp., Teleflora, FloristCentric, De La Flor Inc., National Orchids
Honoring Gus and Deborah De La Flor: the Founders and Organizers
Only Gratitude for Gus and Deborah De La Flor, founders and organizers of the competition and owners of De La Flor Gardens. Through their vision, leadership, and dedication to floral artistry, education, and international collaboration, they have built the Gateway to the Americas Cup into one of the floral industry’s premier international competitions. Their commitment continues to provide a world-class platform for designers to learn, compete, and inspire one another.
"Congratulations my dear friends. You've done an outstanding job once again. Gateway was a beautiful competition, with lots of talent and the organization was flawless."
Recognizing Our Distinguished Judges
This jury was one of a kind. The combination of these three people was perfect. The organizing committee expresses sincere appreciation to this year’s distinguished judging panel:
Hitomi Gilliam AIFD, CFD
Ken Senter AIFD
Sandy Schroeck AIFD, PFCI
Their expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence ensured the highest standards of evaluation throughout the competition and helped recognize the exceptional achievements of this year’s competitors.
Special Recognition for the Gateway Volunteer Team
Gus and Deborah are so happy with all the help and want to extend heartfelt appreciation to the Gateway volunteer team. Because of them, the competition ran smoothly.
Deborah:
"You are our Super Stars! Dana Williams, Michael Grimes III, Heather de Kok, Ivan Moreno, Claudia Tuquerres, Marisol Choy, Tanus Saab, Ralph Giordano. We thank them for their invaluable contributions to the success of the 2026 competition. Minsook Song, your amazing energy and beautiful spirit captured the Event in all its glory!"
Their dedication, support, and commitment to the floral community helped create an exceptional experience for all involved.
The FloristWare Floral Scoring System
This competition is committed to helping competitors grow as floral artists beyond the competition itself. Through the FloristWare Floral Scoring System, competitors receive detailed feedback from the judging panel, transforming the competition experience into a valuable learning opportunity. This commitment to constructive evaluation helps designers continue their professional development and prepare for future competitions on the international stage. Gus and Deborah further thank the many volunteers, industry partners, and supporters whose efforts behind the scenes helped make the 2026 Gateway to the Americas Cup a tremendous success.
Looking Ahead to 2028 - Next Gateway in Brazil
As the 2026 Gateway to the Americas Cup concludes, attention now turns to the future. I'm so happy to announce that the next Gateway to the Americas Cup will be held in Brazil in 2028. Tanus Saab and the ABAF Association will take the lead, continuing the competition’s tradition of bringing together exceptional floral designers from around the world while celebrating the culture, creativity, and artistry of a new host nation.
Additional competition results, photographs, designer profiles, event highlights, and behind-the- scenes coverage will be published in the coming days on the official Gateway to the Americas Cup website at www.gatewaytotheamericascup.com. The Gateway to the Americas Cup thanks all competitors, sponsors, judges, volunteers, and supporters for helping make the 2026 event a memorable experience for everyone. The organization looks forward to welcoming the international floral community to Brazil in 2028!
More Than a Trophy
While only three designers could stand on the podium, Gateway has never been only about rankings.
The true value lies in the exchange of ideas, the friendships formed across borders, and the chance to witness floral artistry at such a high level. Competitors challenge themselves, inspire one another, and help move the profession forward. That is exactly why events like this matter. Flowers may be the medium, but the real story is always about people.
Congratulations to Eric, Aleksandra, Anna, and every competitor who stepped onto that stage. You reminded all of us why floral design continues to be one of the most creative professions in the world.
