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Celebration of Life Honors Industry Icon August ‘Gus’ De Hertogh

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day to celebrate and honor a man who gave so much to the floral industry. Family and friends from near and abroad joined together to remember August “Gus” De Hertogh at the J C Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC, on Saturday, March 16, 2019. Gus passed away on October 26, 2018. In all, nearly 200 attended the event on a perfect spring afternoon. It was only fitting that event featured beautiful tulips and other florals, generously provided by industry members that Gus worked so closely with for decades. The program, emceed by Dr. Elliot Engel, a longtime friend of Gus and Mary Belle, provided great stories about the impact Gus made on the…

AFE Board Members Go to College (Station)

AFE held this year’s February Board of Trustees Meeting in College Station, Texas. The group visited Texas A&M, where AFE has awarded over $800,000 in research and educational grants. Currently, AFE is supporting research at the university on consumer preference and funding a new study at the Human Behavioral Lab. The Human Behavior Lab is the largest biometrics lab in the world. The Trustees experienced part of the new study from the Floral Marketing Research Fund, co-sponsored by the American Floral Endowment and the Produce Marketing Association, “Using Biometric Technology to Better Understand Floral Consumers.” Drs. Marco Palma and Charlie Hall showed the group how the lab can successfully track eye movements to collect data on where the consumers’ eyes…

My First Experience with the NFF

By YPC Member, Yiyun Lin My first time at NFF was a fantastic experience. The meeting began with a tour of the Chicago Botanic Garden, showing us its unique landscape, incredible design, newly renovated greenhouse space, as well as a first look at their seasonal orchid show that included around 50 different species. It was an educational experience to learn about the garden’s history, their ongoing research projects, and the breeding programs that contribute to both the garden and the industry. Following the tour, the meeting began with talks focusing on future and young faculty. Attendees from various backgrounds shared valuable advice and experiences, providing me with knowledge that will assist in my future career. As graduate students, we were…

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…

Gus De Hertogh Celebration of Life

The follow celebration event can be watched on YouTube here. A celebration of life will be held in honor of August (Gus) De Hertogh on Saturday, March 16, 2019, from 3 – 6:30 pm. It will be held at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. To RSVP: email Debbie Hamrick at debbie.hamrick@ncfb.org A memorial tribute has been established with AFE. It is our hope to raise $50,000 to establish an annual named Scholarship Fund to honor Gus. Click here to donate. The family will be notified of all contributions. August (Gus) De Hertogh, Ph. D. passed away on October 26, 2018, at the age of 83. Dr. De Hertogh was an internationally renowned researcher and expert in the industry,…

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…

Thank you 2018 donors!

 Thanks to all of our donors from the past year for your generous contributions.Your support is greatly appreciated and allows us to continue providing programs and other important benefits to the industry.AFE is the floral industry’s endowment — a place where all industry members can invest to help solve critical challenges.Tackling industry challenges is something that can’t be done overnight, or by one individual or company; it takes a collaborative effort and the support of many.You play an important role in helping us advance the industry through our research, scholarships and educational programs. And we want to thank you!2018 Donors Accent Decor Acolyte Technologies CorporationAlaska Peony Growers AssociationAlaska Peony Marketing GroupAlaska Perfect PeonyAlbin Hagstrom & Sons, Inc.Ashley AlexanderAlexandra FarmsAll My ThymeAllan’s Flowers…

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…

Thank you, Florists’ Review!

We are starting off the year with a very big thank you to Florists’ Review and its president and publisher, Travis Rigby.As a way to recognize and thank the loyal advertisers of Florists’ Review, Travis made a contribution in each company’s honor to support AFE programs and advance the floral industry.A percentage of the total advertising dollars of Florists’ Review was donated to the Endowment to help grow our industry efforts.These contributions will help make the floral industry stronger and more sustainable for generations to come.On behalf of the AFE Board of Trustees, we want to thank Florists’ Review and Travis Rigby for the generous contributions and support! You Can Help Support The Industry!AFE is an independent nonprofit organization that helps strengthen…

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