Now Accepting: Educational Grant Applications

The American Floral Endowment is now accepting applications for Educational Grants for 2020. Applications are available online and must be submitted by the deadline ofJune 1, 2020. Educational grants help fund programs that are wide-reaching educational endeavors that solve industry needs and challenges and focus on attracting young people to the industry. Last year, the Endowment funded over $47,000 in educational grants. Examples of programs funded through AFE educational grants: The National Floriculture Forum, which unites professors, extension specialists, graduate students, scientists and other industry leaders for a multi-day collaborative meeting that addresses important floriculture issues. National Industry Convention or Event Programs, collaborating and sponsoring national and state association educational programs. Seed Your Future, a national movement created to attract more talented young people…

Getting Back to the Basics: Cooling, Cleanliness and Care

Back to Basics: Floral customers want beautiful flowers that last. The biological mechanisms governing flower life and quality are complex, but the flower care practices recommended for growers, wholesalers, and retail florists are really quite simple. Get back to basics with the three c’s. AFE-supported research confirms that there are three keys to quality: cold, cleanliness and careful processing. Keep Flowers COLD (33 – 36° F)Temperature is the major factor governing flower life. Cold temperatures conserve the sugars stored in the leaves and stems needed for flowers to open and remain viable. Supplemental sugars provided by flower foods serve as a critical back-up to stored sugars. Cold temperatures also make flowers less sensitive to their archenemy – ethylene. Keeping flowers…

New Poster Gives Tips for Flower Care!

AFE Awards Educational Grants for 2019

The American Floral Endowment announces 2019 Educational Grants Funding.Thirteen organizations will receive funding through the Endowment to support educational training, conference program support, and industry resources for floral industry members, students, and faculty.Through AFE’s Educational Grants programs, organizations, universities, or industry groups can apply for grant funding or sponsorships from AFE. Every organization AFE supports provides an important resource or program that is vital to the advancement and success of our industry.“There are so many great opportunities out there to support the growth of our industry,” says Debi Chedester, AFE Executive Director.  “Unfortunately, AFE’s funding is limited, so we aren’t able to support them all.”The Education Grant programs put a priority on programs that are wide-reaching and those that aim…

Flower Summit: An Industry Collaboration

AFE recently participated in the latest Flower Summit meeting, which was held in Washington D.C. on March 13, 2019. Started in 2014, Flower Summit meetings allow for a designated time for national associations to come together to determine the best ways to benefit the industry through each of their individual organization’s resources. The group focuses on collaborating to advance the industry as a whole and therefore benefit their members.“Defining and developing programs and initiatives to promote and improve our industry is a priority for all of our organizations. With limited funding and resources, it makes perfect sense to collaborate with these national and international organizations to ensure we are all aware of all ongoing efforts and to partner together when…

Awaken: My AIFD 2019 Experience

By Martha Aaron, 2019 Recipient of AFE’s Arizona Retail Florist Education Travel Grant An experience of a lifetime, not only for myself but for three of my team members as well. While only two of the members actually attended conference classes with me, our shop wedding coordinator and designer. The third, our sales associate, became inspired so much so, that we are now working towards her becoming a designer as well! Held within the gorgeous backdrop of the Paris Hotel in sunny Las Vegas, the sophisticatedly styled ballrooms were lavishly adorned in Parisian flair, gold accents, and intricate crown molding was the perfect backdrop for this fabulous conference. Our journey began Sunday night, once settled we wandered the halls of the…

Research Study to Break New Ground in Understanding Consumers

Sales of cut flowers have decreased recently in the U.S. floral market. Some experts posit that this could be correlated with changes in disposable income, causing some consumers to move to the lower-value end of the market. Others contend that this decrease in floral purchasing could also be due to barriers such as price or the availability of alternative gift items. Regardless of the reason, more than half of the retail floral industry revenue is comprised of sales of floral arrangements, so if we are to have any hope in influencing future purchases of flowers it is essential for industry participants to better understand consumer behaviors and opinions regarding purchasing flowers.Enter the new study from Floral Marketing Research Fund, co-sponsored…

New Study Identifies Consumer Preferences in Floral Design

New Study Identifies Consumer Preferences in Floral Design“Using Biometric Technology to Better Understand Floral Consumers”January 29, 2019, Alexandria, VA – Floral designers have long been taught that the most important attributes of a design are its elements: line, color, texture, pattern, form, space, and size. Yet, these attributes have not been proven to be perfect indicators of consumer purchase behavior.In a new study currently being conducted jointly by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), funded through the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF), researchers will determine which of these attributes are truly important to consumers and drive their purchase behavior. The study results can be used by florists, suppliers, retailers, and bouquet makers to increase sales.Using the latest…

2nd Annual #FlowerLoveVideoContest Winners Announced

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Jan. 28, 2019 – The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) in partnership with American Floral Endowment (AFE) is excited to announce the grand prize winner and two honorable mentions of its 2nd Annual #FlowerLoveVideoContest. The contest was originally created in 2017 as a result of the findings from the 2016 FMRF-funded study “Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases,” which suggests that the best way to reach millennials is through video.Industry members and non-industry members of all ages submitted unique videos from all around the country, each promoting the use and giving of fresh flowers. The array of videos that FMRF received were funny, emotional, creative, inspiring, artistic and so much more. The race for first place turned…

The Ultimate Guide to Promoting the Holidays on Pinterest

 By Cindy Hanauer, AFE TrusteeCEO of Grand Central Floral, LLCThe leaves are beginning to change, and you know what that means? It’s time to prepare your Pinterest boards for holiday selling!  Say what?  Yes!  You’ll be glad you started early and are prepared to use the latest in social media to market your business.Remember, Pinterest is one of the largest search engines and has the perfect audience for small businesses to stand out and promote their unique products.  So how do you show up in your customers’ feeds, encourage them to pin your pins, follow your boards and buy from you when ready?  It’s simple!  Just use these tricks of the trade:Pin as a BusinessIf you haven’t already, you’ll want…