News
On the Road to Educate: Bringing Our Programs to the Industry
March 18, 2025
Spring is kicking off as a busy season for the AFE team! From Board Meetings, to industry events, our team has been hard at work spreading the message about AFE and our latest programs, like Sustainabloom, with the industry. Meeting with professionals from across the nation also helps us to hear about current challenges, needs, and areas where AFE programs can help.
Pre-Valentine’s Day Miami Experience
First up, Michelle Van Norden, Manager of Development and Donor Engagement, took a trip to Miami with Rob Shibata, President of Mt. Eden Floral, ahead of Valentine’s Day to see the flower operations during the busy holiday rush. Rob, with his many years of experience in the industry, invited Michelle, who is relatively new to the flower world, to see the process of flower sourcing, logistics, and distribution.
While in Miami, she also got to visit with Continental Flowers, where Eric Fernandez, General Manager, explained how the flowers are imported, processed, and distributed at their facilities. Next, she visited with Mark Sterling at Armellini, and had the chance to see inside their flower coolers.
She also visited with Gabriel Becerra (previous AFE Trustee) of Golden Flowers, and Ben Powell with Mayesh Flowers. She also caught up with Gabriel Vicente, Ceci Vicente, and Mario Vicente with Fresca Farms, Mauricio Jaramillo (previous AFE Trustee) from Solé Farms, and Margarita Valencia from K&M Handling.
This experience gave Michelle a first-hand look at the complexities of the flower importation process, and how the industry was preparing for 2025 Valentine’s Day!
National Floriculture Forum
Next, Laura Barth, Research Coordinator, attended the 2025 National Floriculture Forum (NFF) in Quincy, Florida at the University of Florida UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center.
AFE is an annual sponsor of this event through our Educational Grant funding, supporting this important networking event for floriculture faculty and graduate students.
This year, we were able to help 10 graduate students attend and share their research findings with their peers with support from the Fred C. Glockener Foundation Research Fund. You can read more about these recipients here!
South Florida Stakeholder Meeting
From the northernmost part of the state for NFF, to the southernmost for another meeting of the minds, Laura went to Miami for a first-hand look at South Florida’s floriculture production.
Hosted by faculty from UF/IFAS, along with representatives from AmericanHort, USDA-ARS, FNGLA, and the University of Florida, they toured large production operations including Costa Farms and Silver Vase Orchids, and the UF IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, concluding with a meeting to discuss new opportunities for further research, collaboration, education, and outreach.
Great Lakes Floral & Event Expo
Across the country in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gracie Alvarez, Digital Marketing & Project Specialist, attended the 2025 Great Lakes Floral & Event Expo
While there, AFE Board member Jackie Lacey, AAF, AIFD, CFD, FSMD, PFCI gave the keynote presentation on Sustainabloom during the Recognition Banquet. Attendees heard about the importance of sustainability and got the first-ever look at our new Sustainabloom video (check it out here!)
A special business session, “Eco-Engagement: Leveraging Sustainability to Drive Floral Sales,’ was held by Angelyn Tipton AIFD CFD GMP PFCI from BloomNet and Eric Black from Syndicate Sales. This session featured Floral Marketing Fund-funded research, and included a lively conversation about how different businesses approach sustainability on social media!
WFFSA Floral Distribution Conference
Up next, Debi Chedester, Executive Director, Karin Krause, Manager of Communications & Outreach, and Michelle Van Norden attended WFFSA’s Floral Distribution Conference in Miami, Florida with a special guest: AFE’s past Research Director, Dr. Terril Nell.
While there, we caught up with many friends and supporters. During the breakfast session on Wednesday, AFE Trustee Gustavo Gilchrist of Kennicott Brothers shared the brand-new Wholesale Nickel Program along with our new Sustainabloom Video.
Additionally, the conference had many opportunities to connect with and introduce new industry members to our many resources. The Bloom Together Event hosted by New Bloom Solutions highlighted AFE and Seed Your Future as their spotlight nonprofits this year, donating the proceeds to both organizations. It was a great evening of networking and fun, all for great causes!
Industry Summit
Following WFFSA, AFE hosted an Industry Summit meeting, bringing together leaders from all segments to discuss challenges and shape future priorities for AFE research funding.
During the event, we:
- Shared AFE’s progress and initiatives since the last Industry Summit in 2017.
- Recognized the American Floral Importers Association (AFIA) for their leadership in the floriculture industry.
- Engaged in group discussions to explore new research opportunities that will directly benefit various industry sectors.
These conversations will help shape AFE’s future research initiatives, ensuring that our work continues to support the industry’s evolving needs.
AFE Board Meeting
Last but certainly not least, we held our Spring Board Meeting in Miami. Twice a year, the AFE Board meets in person to engage in strategic discussions and review past, present, and upcoming initiatives, charting the course for the future.
This meeting was full of incredible discussions, and featured special sessions on foresight planning and exploring drivers of change.
If you’d like to learn about volunteer opportunities with AFE, click here. We are always looking for new ways to collaborate and share opportunities across the many segments of our industry!
It’s been a great few weeks filled with networking, beautiful flowers, education, and more. It’s always great to meet with new industry members and talk with them about all the ways AFE provides for them and the floral community as a whole! Follow us on social media to see the most up-to-date news when our staff is out and about. We hope to see you at an event soon!
